Aug 6, 2026 · 21 min · 11 segments
Adam Gidwitz shares an early version of a brand-new, Grimm-inspired tale and invites listeners to help shape it. The story follows Mosshead, a kind but underestimated boy who protects animals and…
This story is called The King of the Woods, and it's based on a tale by the Brothers Grimm.
And the youngest son, well, he wasn't big or strong, and he wasn't exactly lazy, but he wasn't useful either, because instead of doing his chores or helping his parents with their work, he would wander the woods, singing to the birds, petting the wild animals, and having conversations with the trees.
And so while the boys' parents were always angry at the two older boys for being so lazy, they were even angrier at the youngest boy, for he would disappear for hours and then return home with sticks in his socks, and leaves in his underpants, and moss on his head.
They tried Leafunderpants, but it didn't roll off the tongue, know what I mean? But one day, the boys' parents sent them to collect firewood, and even though Mosshead was gone for hours, and came back with sticks in his socks, and leaves in his underpants, and moss on his head, he was the first one back.
He was worried because he thought maybe something bad had happened to his brothers.
They were just sick of having to do chores, and so they had left home and not come back.
They'd found a beautiful lake and were sitting by the shore, enjoying the warm afternoon sun.
The little ants became frightened and rushed this way and that, trying to defend their home.
This made the brothers laugh, so they grabbed sticks and started jamming them into the anthill, and as they did, the ants' underground home began to collapse.
It was just then that Mosshead came to the edge of the lake and saw his brothers.
At first, he was glad to see them, happy that he'd finally done something that his parents would approve of, but when he saw what they were doing to the anthill, he became enraged.
This story is called The King of the Woods, and it's based on a tale by the Brothers Grimm.
And the youngest son, well, he wasn't big or strong, and he wasn't exactly lazy, but he wasn't useful either, because instead of doing his chores or helping his parents with their work, he would wander the woods, singing to the birds, petting the wild animals, and having conversations with the trees.
And so while the boys' parents were always angry at the two older boys for being so lazy, they were even angrier at the youngest boy, for he would disappear for hours and then return home with sticks in his socks, and leaves in his underpants, and moss on his head.
They tried Leafunderpants, but it didn't roll off the tongue, know what I mean? But one day, the boys' parents sent them to collect firewood, and even though Mosshead was gone for hours, and came back with sticks in his socks, and leaves in his underpants, and moss on his head, he was the first one back.
He was worried because he thought maybe something bad had happened to his brothers.
They were just sick of having to do chores, and so they had left home and not come back.
They'd found a beautiful lake and were sitting by the shore, enjoying the warm afternoon sun.
The little ants became frightened and rushed this way and that, trying to defend their home.
This made the brothers laugh, so they grabbed sticks and started jamming them into the anthill, and as they did, the ants' underground home began to collapse.
It was just then that Mosshead came to the edge of the lake and saw his brothers.
At first, he was glad to see them, happy that he'd finally done something that his parents would approve of, but when he saw what they were doing to the anthill, he became enraged.
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