42 Comments
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Liz Zimmers's avatar

What a satisfying tale! Quite a nice “spin”.

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thanks Liz. A new spin on an old yarn 😄

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Keith Long's avatar

Brilliant take as always — you really got me with the ole twist of the yarn

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Haha, thanks Keith.

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Ray Cabarga's Break from Hell's avatar

I've never been there before, So it was a treat for me.

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Glad it was a treat for you! Thank you for reading.

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Natalie Phillips's avatar

I really enjoyed this, especially the michevious follow-on at the end!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you, Natalie! We need more mischief 😄

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Katharine Kapodistria's avatar

Great fairytale! I love tales that are twists on classic tropes, especially when they give the women the power! And thank you for taking the time to read it to us. I've been on public transport all day with my nose in a book, and my contacts are stuck to my eyes, so I greatly appreciated it 😂

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you for listening. I'm so glad it helps. I'll go back and make sure there's audio on all of the fairy tales for this reason! Sometimes I'm too tired to read, too, but I can listen.

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Katharine Kapodistria's avatar

You have a great voice for audio too!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Aw how have I only just seen this? Thank you.

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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

Very excellently done, this one. Lots of great psychology in it...

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Evelyn! Yes 😊 I wanted the postnatal depression, the grief, the frustration, the helplessness, the redirection of control, and those 'nothing' moods that can't be explained but are always there.

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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

Well, you got that brilliantly, I have to say. Especially the transformation of the husband from a bad one to a good one. I think this is one of your best ones tbh.

I am really, really liking your little fairytale series. Keep 'em coming!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Hahaha, I spelled it "undercurrants" and am now thinking of squished berries under foot.

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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

There's a story in that one too! Something involving red shoes perhaps.

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thanks, Evelyn. I'm so glad you came to talk about the undercurrants. It's always one of my favourite things to chat about with you.

I'm just taking these old tales and adding rage and retribution, or making new ones. I want to publish a collection. That wolf one was alone for a long time.

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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

Oh! A collection would be brilliant! Definitely!

If you were to do a collection, I reckon a little intro/commentary/essay would also work as an accompaniment. Hmm, maybe not as an intro though. More of an outro.

But it's certainly high time I myself did some more fairytale things. My mind just hasn't been in the right place for a while though. Perhaps the Spring will help...

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Yes. The post-festive season is really hard. You need more sunshine and flowers.

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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

Also occurs to me - if you did a collection, and it wouldn’t have to be a really long one, you should definitely try and get proper hand-drawn illustrations. I’m thinking a lovely little hardback type of thing. With calligraphy and suchlike. Perfect gift!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

I have a artist on hand! He's working on chapter illustrations for The Ring at the moment, but I've definitely lined him up.

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Sandy Shaller's avatar

I love your version of "Rumplestiltkin." It's beautifrully written. If you'd love to read another beautifiul version of that story, read "The Silver Curlew" by Eleanor Farjeon. It's one of my favorite books of all time, and of my children and grandchildren.

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thanks, Sandy. I've just looked her up and I'd love to read it. Quite affordable on kindle! Thanks for the recommendation, I've never heard of Eleanor Farjeon. She does a good Cinderella too, apparently.

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Sandy Shaller's avatar

Her version of "Cinderella" is "The Glass Slipper." Both books are illustrated by the great Ernest Shepherd who illustrated "The Wind in the Willows." "The Glass Slipper" is very good, but "The Silver Curlew" is magic. Farjeon also wrote a stunning collection of short stories called "The Little Bookroom,"a version of the Canterbury Tales, and two adult books, "Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard," and "Martin Pippin in the Daisy Field."

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Oh wow. I need to look up these books! They sound lovely.

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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

I'm seconding the Eleanor Farjeon recommendation... You can also try Elizabeth Goudge of course.

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FranB's avatar

Great story, beautifully told.

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you very much. I'm loving the world of fairy tales at the moment ❤️

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Lyndsey Resnick's avatar

Wonderful, Hanna! Thank you. It's a treat.

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you, Lyndsey. Trying to build a collection of stories like these 🥰

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Lyndsey Resnick's avatar

That is great news! We need more collections like this. :)

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IMPOed's avatar

Delightful 😊

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you!

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Anne Hickley's avatar

Brilliant! Absolutely didn’t see that coming!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

I'm full of surprises, Anne. 💕 Thank you. I'm doing more fairy tales soon. Can't get enough of them.

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Anne Hickley's avatar

Very glad to hear it! 😀

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Garen Marie's avatar

What a wonderful tale made even better by your audio! I loved the twist at the end just when I thought I knew where it was going. And the way the bard’s story bookended things. A story within a story - so good!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you, Garen. The original version annoyed me, especially with the women having no agency. 😄

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NM Laan's avatar

Love this!!

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Hanna Delaney's avatar

Thank you, Nancy. Have a lovely weekend ❤️

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Parrish Baker's avatar

That’s a “twist” …

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