The Ugly Duckling – when is excluding someone mean, and when is it OK?

More from Short & Curly

1. 

   31 Mar 2026 · 24 min

   The Emperor’s New Clothes - the nudie musical edition

   In this epic musical retelling of The Emperor’s New Clothes, Molly and Carl take you deep into a kingdom where following fashion rules and telling the truth is harder than it looks. There’s a sneaky tailor, an emperor who’s obsessed with her wardrobe, and a whole crowd pretending to see invisible clothes — until one brave kid says what everyone’s thinking.

2. 

   31 Mar 2026 · 21 min

   Little Red Riding Hood - Why are wolves always the baddies?

   Why are wolves always the villains in old European fairy tales? And is it OK to stereotype animals, or people for that matter? To investigate, Molly, Carl and Eleanor head off on a fairytale research trip to the snowy forests of Germany. But their adventure takes a spooky turn when they get lost on the way back to their hotel in the woods, with just one little torch to guide them...

3. 

   31 Mar 2026 · 23 min

   Rumpelstiltskin – is it OK to break a promise?

   Short & Curly's world-famous investigative journalist Molly Daniels uncovers a juicy fairytale scandal full of royal drama, magical gold, and a very peculiar little man named... Rumpelstiltskin. But things get serious too— what if a promise you make is made under pressure? Do you still have to keep it?

4. 

   24 Mar 2026 · 5 min

   What were Molly and Carl like at 10-years-old?

   Molly and Carl are celebrating a special anniversary... and you are, too! Happy 10th birthday Curly Crew, thanks for all your curly questions and phenomenal feedback. (And get excited for a new season, dropping soon!)

5. 

   18 Dec 2025 · 4 min

   BITES – Being scared of spiders

   Molly’s just an itsy bitsy cutesy spider, but Carl is freaking out! Lots of people are scared of spiders. In fact, people can be scared of a whole range of things you might find surprising, like a fear of clowns or paper or pancakes. But is that OK?

6. 

   17 Dec 2025 · 4 min

   BITES – Driverless cars

   Cars that drive themselves are no longer just something you’d see in a sci-fi movie… they’re on roads and highways right around the world. But what should happen if something goes wrong? Whose fault would it be – the passenger? The manufacturer? The... car itself?!

7. 

   1 Oct 2026 · 23 min

   Finders keepers

   We’re travelling back to the stellar 1970s and Carl has spotted a totally far-out skateboard seemingly abandoned at the local skate park. Can he just… take it? When does finders keepers apply, and how much do we need to worry about the ‘losers weepers’ bit?

8. 

   30 Sep 2026 · 23 min

   Should you be forced to keep learning a musical instrument?

   Molly’s newly adopted son Carl Smith Hyphen Daniels Jnr does NOT want to play the violin. He says it’s boring, and hurts his fingers. But Mamma Molly knows best. Why is it that parents can tell us what to do?

9. 

   29 Sep 2026 · 22 min

   The Tragedy of Commonalia

   Commonalia is an idyllic paradise, and all the happy pixies that call Commonalia home spend their days exploring the grand forest. The trees of the forest have healing powers, their seeds can be used for medicine, and their branches used to build furniture and homes. But one day soon, the forest will disappear and Commonalia will be destroyed. What could possibly go wrong? And whose fault is it?

10. 

    28 Sep 2026 · 23 min

    Is the number 5 real?

    You can see 5 dogs playing in a park, you can hold 5 lollies, and you can be 5 years old. But is the number 5 itself real? Molly, Carl and Eleanor head on a road trip to find the number 5, and try to figure out what it even means for something to be real.

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