Story Lovers World |
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Stories that are Funny • Surprising • Lost/Found Love
Sad • Poignant • Imaginative • Thought-provoking
Compilation of stories contributed by members of Storytell.
Telling a story is offering an expression of love. – Jack Maguire
CONTENTS - TRUE LOVE STORIES
Alphabetical Listing of Stories
Anait
Barrington Bunny
Bearskin
Black Prince (The)
Blue Rose (The), version 1
Blue Rose (The), version 2
Boat That Went on Both Land and Water (The)
Catherine, Sly Country Lass
Choose a Wife
Clever Manka
Contrary Fairy (The)
Divided Daughter (The)
Eight-Headed Serpent (The)
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
First Strawberries (The)
Girl From Heaven (The)
Girl Who Married the Moon (The)
Goldsmith’s Daughter (The) and the Prince of Darkness
Greyfoot
Hans and the Pirates
He Who Flies (Dragonfly’s Tale)
Ina and Maki
Ivan and the Chestnut Horse
King Solomon’s Daughter (How Solomon’s Daughter Found her Husband)
King Thrushbeard
Legend of Turrialba (The)
Like Meat Loves Salt
Little Burnt Face (Indian Cinderella)
Little Mermaid (The)
Lute Player (The)
Magic Brocade (The)
Maid Maleen, version 1
Maid Maleen, version 2
Making a Wife (The Wooden Ships)
Marriage of Sun King and Silver Moon (The)
Monkey Face
Mouse Bride (The)
My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World
Nightingale and the Rose (The)
Nix of the Mill-Pond (The)
Noisy House (The)
Peasant’s Wise Daughter (The)
Peony Lantern (The)
Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura
Prince Cherry
Prince Hedgehog
Princess and the Dervish (The)
Princess (The) and the Glass Mountain
Princess in Disguise (The) (aka Cat-Skin)
Psyche and Eros
Pygmalion
Rabbit (The) and the Moon
Rapunzel
Reason to Beat Your Wife (A)
Red Thread (The)
Savitri
Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell
King Solomon’s Daughter (How Solomon’s Daughter Found her Husband)
Squire’s Bride (The)
Snow Queen (The)
Star Lovers (The)
Stone Before the Door
Story Spirits (The)
Svyatogor’s Bride
Tam Lin
Tattercoats
Three Sillies (The)
Tongue Meat
True Sweethearts (The) (aka The True Bride)
Twelve Dancing Princesses (The)
Two Brothers (The)
Vasilisa the Clever
Wali Dad
White Bride and the Black One (The)
White Butterfly (The)
Why Mole Lives Underground
Wise Men of Kampen (The)
Worry Bundles
•••••
Numbered as they appear in the book.
Scroll down or click on your choice below.
#1 - Ivan and the Chestnut Horse
#2 - Blue Rose (The), version 1
#3 - Blue Rose (The), version 2
#4 - Making a Wife (The Wooden Ships)
#5 - Star Lovers (The)
#6 - White Butterfly (The)
#7 - Nightingale and the Rose (The)
#8 - Magic Brocade (The)
#9 - Contrary Fairy (The)
#10 - Little Burnt Face
#11 - Lute Player (The)
#12 - Bearskin
#13 - Eight-Headed Serpent (The)
#14 - Wise Men of Kampen (The)
#15 - Choose a Wife
#16 - Hans and the Pirates
#17 - Peasant’s Wise Daughter (The)
#18 - Clever Manka
#19 - Vasilisa the Clever
#20 - Catherine, Sly Country Lass
#21 - Peony Lantern (The)
#22 - Rapunzel
#23 - Prince Hedgehog
#24 - Marriage of Sun King and Silver Moon (The)
#25 - Ina and Maki
#26 - Stone Before the Door (The)
#27 - Tongue Meat
#28 - He Who Flies (Dragonfly’s Tale)
#29 - Monkey Face
#30 - Prince Cherry
#31 - Greyfoot
#32 - Girl Who Married the Moon (The)
#33 - Like Meat Loves Salt
#34 - Boat That Went on Both Land and Water (The)
#35 - King Solomon’s Daughter (How Solomon’s Daughter Found her Husband)
#36 - White Bride and the Black One (The)
#37 - King Thrushbeard
#38 - A Reason to Beat Your Wife
#39 - Nix of the Mill-Pond (The)
#40 - Maid Maleen, version 1
#41 - Maid Maleen, version 2
#42 - True Sweethearts (The) (aka The True Bride)
#43 - Mouse Bride (The)
#44 - Legend of Turrialba (The)
#45 - Story Spirits (The)
#46 - Girl From Heaven (The)
#47 - Squire’s Bride (The)
#48 - Red Thread (The)
#49 - Twelve Dancing Princesses (The)
#50 - Worry Bundles
#51 - Black Prince (The)
#52 - Rabbit (The) and the Moon
#53 - Wali Dad
#54 - First Strawberries (The)
#55 - Savitri
#56 - Anait
#57 - Why Mole Lives Underground
#58 - Tattercoats
#59 - Svyatogor’s Bride
#60 - East of the Sun and West of the Moon
#61 - Princess in Disguise (The) (aka Cat-Skin)
#62 - Princess (The) and the Glass Mountain
#63 - Snow Queen (The)
#64 - Divided Daughter (The)
#65 - Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura
#66 - Psyche and Eros
#67 - Pygmalion
#68 - Little Mermaid (The)
#69 - Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell
#70 - Tam Lin
#71 - Noisy House (The)
#72 - Two Brothers (The)
#73 - Princess and the Dervish (The)
#74 - Goldsmith’s Daughter (The) and the Prince of Darkness
#75 - My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World
#76 - Three Sillies (The)
#77 - Barrington Bunny
#1 - Ivan and the Chestnut Horse
[Bones taken from Edmund Dulac's Fairy Tales of the World (Little Barefoot Books)
An old man raised three sons; taught them to read, write and everything else
they needed to know. On his deathbed, he cautioned them to never forget to read
prayers over his grave; they all promised. Two older brothers were huge proud
men, but Ivan, the youngest, was pale and small, though fire lit his eyes and
determination circled his mouth.
After funeral, Ivan read prayers over grave, observed King’s messenger
announcing Princess Helena the Fair had built a shrine with 12 pillars, 12 rows
of beams where she sat on a high throne waiting for a man who could leap up
on his horse in a single bound to her height and kiss her on the lips as she
bent forward. That man she would marry. The whole countryside was soon talking,
young suitors’ blood began to boil. Great day was set.
Ivan’s elder brothers trained to accomplish task. Ivan reminded them of
their promises to pray over father’s grave; they excused themselves, leaving
it to Ivan alone first for seven days, then another seven, then another. Keeping
it secret from each other, brothers raced and jumped their horses, curled their
hair, cleaned their teeth, practiced “prunes and prisms” “pomegranate”
“peaches of passion” “peripatetic perambulation” with their
lips into mirrors. Never read prayers over grave, far far too busy. Left it
all to Ivan. They jumped over hedges, ditches; tore madly around fields, dyed
moustaches, preparing to meet the rosy lips of Princess at apex of their leaps.
Ivan still read prayers daily over grave. Brothers finally refused to meet with
Ivan at all, instructing him by letter to continue prayers, which he did.
Great day arrived. All would-be bridegrooms prepared for jumps. Ivan at gravesite,
suddenly seized with desire to look just once upon face of Helena, broke down,
cried. His father in his coffin heard him, shook off the damp earth, stood before
Ivan. Father reassured terrified Ivan, thanked him for all his prayers, promised
to help. Rising to a tremendous height, his loud voice echoed throughout the
land. In response, Ivan heard sound of galloping hoofbeats; a wondrous chestnut
horse appeared, circled three times, stood before them, forefeet together, eyes,
ears, nostrils shooting flames of fire. Horse asked, “What is your will?
Command me and I obey!” Father took Ivan to horse’s side, ordered
him to pass through the right ear and out the left ear so that he could command
the horse. Ivan did so. He changed from dreamy youth to man of affairs, high
ambition in his eyes, and at his father’s urging, he sped like lightning
toward shrine of Helena the Fair. Arrived just as sun was setting. No man had
been successful, including Ivan’s two disconsolate brothers.
All turned to look at the daring rider on the chestnut horse, whose hoofs shook
the earth, whose nostrils snorted fire. They circled round, circled round; then
a splendid leap, a whiff of Helena’s sweet breath, but no kiss. Down they
came, circled round again and again, then a magnificent leap, a long sweet kiss
while the horse lingered in the air at the top of its leap. Down horse and rider
came; disappeared. All searched to no avail. Helena, blinded by lovelight in
her eyes, sank back into her shrine, treasuring the warmth of the beloved kiss
on her lips.
The steed returned Ivan to the gravesite, galloped off over a rainbow trail.
Ivan returned to his prayers, once more his father appeared, told him to go
to the great gathering the next day but say nothing. Helena searched the throng,
finally spied humble Ivan sitting in a corner, recognized him, took him by the
hand, led him past the shrine into the palace; the people cheered and rejoiced.
King blessed the union, Ivan and Princess married, lived happily together.
~~~
#2 - The Blue Rose, version 1
?
[A traditional folktale from China. Retold by Rose Owens - full text available at http://www.rosethestorylady.com
Tellers may include this story in their repertoires, but full text is not to be printed without permission.]
Emperor has one daughter - precious. He is dying. Wants daughter to be protected and have help ruling the kingdom. Says she must marry. Daughter protests. Emperor finally says she can choose one thing she wants future husband to have.
Quandry: Handsome man may be cruel, rich man may be ugly, etc.
Princess and friend, the gardener's son, decide thing must be a test that she alone decides if it is met.
Princess says she will marry the man who brings her a blue rose.
Stream of suitors trickles to stop - no blue rose.
Merchant - hires flower vendor to find blue rose, vendor dyes a rose blue.
Merchant brings rose to Princess, cannot meet her eyes. Drop of dye falls on Princess's hand.
"I cannot marry you. I must marry someone who is honest."
Young Warrior - goes to neighboring kingdom - will kill you and half your kingdom if you don't give me a blue rose - Emperor gives him a carved sapphire rose. Warrior takes it to Princess. She looks into his hard, cruel eyes.
"I cannot marry you. Must have a blue rose that is real - not hard and cold."
King's advisor - commissions artist to make a porcelain bowl with blue rose on it. Beautiful bowl - gold rim, blue rose painted on, delicate, fragile, thing of beauty.
"Marry me, Princess. Together we will rule your kingdom." "I must have a rose that is real."
Evening - Princess talks to gardener's son. "I must marry someone who is honest and true—as you have been. Cannot be hard and cruel. Need someone kind and patient as you have been. Don't want husband who seeks for power and riches. Want one who will value me for myself as you---" Looks at gardener's son with new eyes.
"Princess - I will bring a blue rose. Wait in blue room at sunset tomorrow."
Courtiers murmur when gardener's son arrives with white rose. Setting sun shines through blue stained glass window - petals look blue. People murmur.
Princess tells them what she sees - someone who has been honest, kind and values her for herself. He holds a gift of love. And it is blue.
"If you cannot see that it is blue, I say that you are colorblind."
Emperor puts daughter's hand in hand of gardener's son. They marry.
"And they lived happily ever after—not because this storyteller said so—not because that's the way that love stories should end. But because the Princess and the gardener's son knew that their happiness was in their own hands and that each was responsible for making sure that the other was happy.
Contributed by
Rose Owens
Rose the story lady
www.rosethestorylady.com
~~~
#3 - The Blue Rose, version 2
[I heard this tale one night, told in German by Regina Haas-Sauer. Below is the skeleton I have written - make it into your own tale! R.M.]
Chinese princess, refused to marry. At last said would only marry man who could give her a blue rose.
A warrior, a merchant, a scholar set out to try.
Warrior invaded neighbouring land where rich king possessed famous blue jewel - sapphire. Held king to ransom for sapphire. Had this carved into a rose.
Merchant used all his money to have finest porcelain vase made, with blue rose motif.
Scholar discovered in old books a dye, put white rose into this and it turned blue.
Princess:
Sapphire - is not a rose - have plenty of jewels.
Vase - will use it for a blue rose when I am given one.
Dyed rose - as she held it a butterfly landed on it - died. "This is poison."
"I said I would only marry man who brought a blue rose - and the word of a princess is law."
She wandered in garden, heard song of such beauty from other side of wall. Saw wandering musician, singing of love. Their eyes met, and they fell in love.
"But how can I marry you - said would only marry man who brought a blue rose - and the word of a princess is law."
"I shall bring you a blue rose tomorrow!"
Next day he walked to court. From side of road picked an ordinary white rose.
In front of king, princess and all courtiers, he gave this to her.
"Ah, a blue rose! Just such a blue rose is the rose I wanted, and promised to marry the man who brought it!"
King: "The word of a princess is law - it is a blue rose."
And married they were.
Contributed by
Richard Martin, Germany
http://www.tellatale.eu/
~~~
#4 - Making a Wife (The Wooden Ships)
[Bones taken from The Penguin Book of Scottish Folktales
Here is the "Making A Wife" version.
Alexander Harg married one of the prettiest girls in the district, whom the fairies wished for their own. Yet nothing the fair folk did would woo her from love and hearth.
One evening while working his nets, Alexander heard voices coming from the wrecks of two ships, stranded on the rocks and visible at the mid-water mark. At first he could not make out the words—for it also sounded like carpenters at work. But one loud voice cried out, "What ye doing?" A hollow voice answered, "Making a wife for Sandy Harg!!"
Alexander dropped his nets, sped in terror up the beach—not in fear for himself, but for his dear wife. Like a madman he rushed about the house; sealing up windows, locking doors, stoking up a hot fire in the fireplace. Then he grabbed his startled wife and pulled her down to kneel beside him on the floor. And all the while he clasped her close. Not saying a word.
When three knocks at the door came at midnight, he held her tight, ignoring her questions.
When the horses cried out in terror, he clasped his fair wife tighter to his bosom, ignoring her pleas.
With each passing hour, the horrible noises got worse, but only at cock's crow did Alexander free his wife.
Finally he unlocked the door and beyond found the yard peaceful. But at the garden dike, he found a effigy of his wife carved from moss oak. This cruel thing he threw into the fire.
[In The Wooden Ships, his wife is a mid-wife and has heard that the Laird's wife is ready with child, but her husband won't let her go.]
Contributed by
Cathy Mosley
cmosley@motion.net
~~~
#5 - The Star Lovers
[Bones taken from Japanese Fairy Tales, Grace James, Senate, London, 1996 -- a reprint of Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales by Grace James, Macmillan, London, 1910.]
Weaving Maid worked at her loom next to the Great River in the sky we call the Milky Way, weaving clothes for the gods so they could look magnificent, even though she herself dressed plainly. Her father, the Sun God, said to her one day, "You shouldn't spend your whole life working. Go out and meet other young people and enjoy yourself."
"No, Father," she said. "There is a saying, 'Sorrow, age-long sorrow shall come to Weaving Maid if she leaves her loom.'"
But her father pulled her away from her loom, dressed her in fine clothes, and introduced her to Herd Boy, who tended his flocks on the bank of the Great River. Weaving Maid delighted in his company, and soon the gods noticed that they no longer had new clothes to wear, and they went about in rags and tatters. They complained to Weaving Maid's father, and he ordered her to return to her loom.
"No," she said. "You opened the door, and no one, not even a god, can close it again."
So her father banished Herd Boy to the other side of the Great River of the Milky Way, and you can see them both in the sky now. We call them the stars Altair and Vega, and the two smaller stars nearby are their children.
When Weaving Maid returned to her loom, the clothes she wove were sometimes grey with her sadness, and other times bright and rosy with her dreams when she thought about her life with Herd Boy. Her father noticed this and took pity on her, and he ordered all the magpies in the world to assemble once a year on the bank of the Milky Way to form a bridge, so that Weaving Maid can cross that Great River to spend one day with her lover. And that is why you never see a magpie anywhere in this world on the seventh of July, unless there is a storm, because then the magpies cannot form a bridge over the swift-running waters of the Great River.
[This is my rewrite of a Japanese version of "The Star Lovers."]
Contributed by
Richard Marsh, Dublin
richardmarsh@legendarytours.com
http://www.richardmarsh.ie/
~~~
#6 - The White Butterfly
[Bones taken from Myths and Legends of Japan
Takahama was an old man who lived alone in a cottage near a cemetery.
From time to time, his nephew would come to visit him, and one day he found Takahama in bed, unable to get up.
"I'll go for a doctor," he said.
"Don't bother," said Takahama. "When a man comes to the end of his days, there is nothing a doctor can do." And the old man fell asleep.
The nephew noticed a white butterfly flitting around the bed, and he tried to chase it away, but it persisted in fluttering near Takahama.
Then it suddenly flew out the open window. Curious, he followed the butterfly, and it led him to the nearby cemetery, where it alighted on a tombstone.
The nephew read the inscription and saw that it was the grave of a woman named Akiko, who had died at the age of 18 fifty years previously.
He noticed that the grave was well tended, and fresh flowers had been placed on it recently. When he looked up, the white butterfly had disappeared.
He returned to the cottage and discovered that Takahama was dead, with a soft smile on his face. He went home to report to his mother that her brother had died, and he told her about the strange behaviour of the butterfly.
"Ah, yes...Akiko," said his mother. "Takahama was engaged to marry Akiko, but she died of consumption just before the wedding. She was the only woman he ever loved. Your uncle never married and never had anything to do with another woman. He bought that little cottage so he could be near Akiko, and he used to go to her grave every day and pray for her happiness. That white butterfly you saw was Akiko coming to take him away with her."
(stress is on the first syllable of "Akiko")
Contributed by
Richard Marsh, Dublin
richardmarsh@legendarytours.com
http://www.richardmarsh.ie/
~~~
#7 - The Nightingale and the Rose
[Bones taken from The Happy Prince & Other Tales
The young Student cried: “She said she would dance with me if I brought her red roses, but in all my garden there is no red rose. Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read what wise men have written...the secrets of philosophy...yet for want of a red rose my life is ruined.”
As she looked out at him from her nest in the oak tree, the Nightingale thought: “Here at last is a true lover. Night after night I have sung of him, yet knew him not; night after night I have told his story to the stars, and now I see him. His lips are red as the rose of his desire, but passion has made his face like pale ivory;
sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.”
She heard the Student lament that the Prince was giving a ball the following evening and his love was invited. If he brought her a red rose, the Student would hold her in his arms, she would lean her head on his shoulder. But he had no red rose, and now his heart would break.
The Nightingale mourned: “Here indeed is the true lover. What I sing of, he suffers; what is joy to me, to him is pain. Surely Love is a wonderful thing, more precious than emeralds, dearer than fine opals... It cannot be purchased or weighed like gold.”
The Student moaned that his love would dance to harps and violins; courtiers would throng around her; yet he could not hold her because he had no red rose. He flung himself down on the grass and wept. The Nightingale understood. She sat silent in the oak tree and thought about the mystery of love.
Suddenly she spread her wings, soared into the air, sailed across the garden to a Rose-tree: “Give me a red rose, and I will sing you my sweetest song,” she cried. The Tree shook his head: “My roses are white, white as sea foam, whiter than snow. But my brother near the sun-dial may help you.” The Nightingale flew to that Rose-tree, repeated her plea. The Tree shook his head: “My roses are yellow, yellow as mermaid’s hair, yellower than daffodils. But my brother growing under the Student’s window may help you.” The Nightingale flew to that Rose-tree with her request. The Tree shook his head: “My roses are red, red as the feet of doves, redder than coral in the sea, but winter has chilled my veins, frost has nipped my buds, the storm has broken my branches; I shall have no roses at all this year.”
“One red rose is all I want, only one red rose!” cried the Nightingale. “Is there no way to get it?” The Tree shuddered, nodded yes, telling the Nightingale she must build it out of music by moonlight and stain it with her own heart’s-blood. “You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn. All night long you must sing until the thorn pierces your heart and your life-blood flows into my veins.”
The Nightingale felt that Death was a great price to pay for one red rose, and Life was dear. She remembered how pleasant it was to sit in the green wood, to watch the Sun in his golden chariot, and the Moon in her pearly chariot. She remembered the sweet scent of the hawthorn, the beauty of the bluebells in the valley, the heather on the hill. “Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?”
She soared into the air, swept over the garden like a shadow, sailed into the trees. The Student lay in the grass, still sobbing. The Nightingale burst into glorious song: “Be happy! Be happy! You shall have your red rose. All I ask of you is that you be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, and mightier than Power...” The Student looked up, listened, but could not understand. The sad oak tree understood and begged the Nightingale to sing him one last song. She sang and her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar. The Student listened, took out his notebook and pencil, wrote that the bird had form, but did she have feeling? No, he decided. She was like all artists, all style, no sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others, but thought only of music. What a pity the arts did not do any practical good. He went to his room, lay down on his bed, thought of his love and fell asleep.
When the moon shone in the heavens, the Nightingale flew to the red Rose-tree, pressed her breast against a thorn. All night long she sang. Even the cold crystal Moon listened. The thorn went deeper into her breast, her life blood ebbed away. She sang of the birth of love in a boy and a girl and on the topmost spray there blossomed a marvelous rose; petal followed petal, as song followed song. A pale rose at first, pale as the silver wings of the dawn. The Tree urged the Nightingale to press closer before Dawn came. So she pressed closer as she sang of passion in the souls of men and women; a delicate flush of pink came into the rose. But the rose’s heart remained white. The Tree cried “Press closer!” She pressed so that the thorn touched her heart. A fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter. She sang of Love that is perfected by Death, of Love that dies not in the tomb. And the marvelous rose became crimson, crimson as a ruby was its heart.
The Nightingale’s voice grew fainter, her little wings fluttered, a film came over her eyes. Fainter, fainter grew her song; a choking came to her throat. One last burst of song. The Moon heard it and
lingered in the sky, the red rose heard it and trembled all over with ecstasy, Echo bore it to the hills, shepherds awoke to it, it floated down the river to the sea. The Tree exclaimed that the rose was now finished, but the Nightingale lay dead in the grass with the thorn in her heart.
At noon the Student awoke, opened his window. “What a piece of luck!,” he said as he plucked the red rose from the Tree. “I’ve never seen a rose like it in my life. I’m sure it has some long Latin name.” He raced to the Professor’s house, rose in hand. The daughter of the Professor sat in the doorway, winding silk, her dog at her feet. “You said you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose,” cried the Student. “Here is the reddest rose in all the world. You will wear it tonight next to your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you.”
The girl frowned. “Oh, it just won’t go with my dress at all! Besides, the Chamberlain’s nephew sent me jewels and everyone knows that jewels cost far more than flowers.” The Student was incensed: “You are very ungrateful,” he said; he threw the rose into the street gutter. A passing cart ran over it.
“Ungrateful!” said the girl. “You are very rude and, after all, who are you? Only a Student! I don’t believe you even have silver buckles for your shoes.” She got up and stomped into the house.
“What a silly thing Love is,” said the Student. “It’s not half as useful as Logic, it does not prove anything, it is always telling one of things that will never happen, making one believe things that are not true. It’s quite unpractical, and in this age to be practical is everything. I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.” So he returned to his room, pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.
~~~
#8 - The Magic Brocade
[This story also goes by a different name: "The Magic Tapestry." It originally appeared in "The Piece of Chuang Brocade" in Folk Tales From China (Third Series)
http://www.aaronshep.com/books/MagicBrocade.html
The following version is the one told by Storyteller Linda Spitzer.]
In a land far away, an old widow lived with her three sons. The eldest was Leme, the second Lituie, the youngest Leje. Their small cottage sat in a mist-filled valley in front of a high mountain.
The old widow had a special gift. She wove beautiful brocades—flowers, plants, birds, animals that seemed almost alive. Her weaving was in constant demand at the marketplace. Thus the old widow supported her family; her boys helped out by chopping and selling wood.
One day at the marketplace, she saw a wondrous painting hanging in a nearby stall. It showed a large palace surrounded by flower gardens, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, pastures, lovely birds, even a fishpond. A river ran by the palace; the whole painting was warmed by a great red sun. Every dream she had ever had was there. Her heart filled with happiness; she wanted to live in that palace. She guiltily traded brocades for painting. When she got home, the older sons said painting was nice, but she should have bought rice. They told her it was just a silly dream.
But Leje, seeing her sorrow, suggested she do a weaving of the painting, and as she worked on it day by day, it would almost be like living there. She agreed; that night, she began weaving her brocade.
Once she started, she didn’t stop. For days, months she worked, shuttle flashing. Leme and Letuie became angry. They pulled her hands away from the loom, complaining they now had to chop more wood in make money, and they were tired.. Leje offered to chop and cut all the wood from then on, and he did, working day and night.
Old widow wove every hour, never stopping. At night her eyes burned from candlelight; she didn’t stop. After one year, tears dropped onto the threads, became part of river and fishpond. After two years, blood dripped from eyes onto threads; became sun and glowing flowers. After third year, she was done. Widow and sons gazed at most wonderful brocade ever woven. All three sons so proud.
Suddenly a great wind blew through hut taking wondrous brocade with it into sky to the east. They ran after it, but brocade was gone.Vanished! Widow fainted on doorstep. When she opened her eyes, she begged Leme to follow wind, bring back brocade; he agreed. He traveled east to mountain top where stone horse stood at door of stone house. Old white-haired crone/fortune teller asked where he was going; he told all. She revealed elusive fairies of Sun Mountain had sent wind to fetch brocade; they wished to copy it; he might never find them. He must knock out two front teeth to feed to stone horse and bring him to life; horse would eat 10 red berries growing at his feet, then he would carry Leme through fire on Flame Mountain; he must not cry out or he would be burned to ashes. Then would come Sea of Ice, where again he must not cry out or he would sink to bottom. At last, he would reach Sun Mountain and receive brocade. Leme grew pale and paler; crone laughed, gave him box of gold, sent him home. Going home, he decided to spend gold on himself; headed toward city.
Old widow grew thinner waiting for Leme; after two months she send Letuie for brocade. He arrived at crone’s stone house; heard the conditions, grew pale, received box of gold, headed for city. Meanwhile, widow grew thinner, went blind from weeping. Leje volunteered to go after others. she reluctantly agreed. Leje set out; reached stone house; crone told him conditions; Leje did not turn pale, refused box of gold, vowed to bring back brocade to prevent mother’s death. He knocked out his teeth, put them in horse’s mouth, horse ate 10 berries, Leje flew with horse 3 days, 3 nights to Flame Mountain, passed through fire, Leje did not cry out with pain; came to Sea of Ice, they jumped in, he became numb, uttered no sound, emerged and arrived at Sun Mountain, where golden light warmed him, eased pain. Lovely palace at top of mountain, women singing and laughing. Stone horse flew Leje up to palace door, guarded by strange creatures. Leje boldly marched through the door into great hall filled with beautiful fairies weaving a replica of his mother’s brocade. Fairies agreed he could have brocade if he allowed them one more night of weaving; they welcomed him to the palace for the night.
Fairies worked frantically all night by light of shining pearl. Red fairy finished first; her work looked dull compared to old widow’s bright colors; her fine stitches looked coarse. She decided to become part of the brocade; wove a picture of herself by fishpond.
Leje awoke, fearful that fairies would not give him brocade. They were all asleep at their looms. He took down brocade, ran to stone horse, 3 days 3 nights, arrived at old crone’s stone house. She restored his teeth, horse turned back to stone. Putting on gift of embroidered boots, Leje arrived home in one instant. His mother lay dying on bed; Leje covered her with brocade; its sun warmed her, her sight returned, she gazed at her beloved brocade. They took it outside, spread it on the ground; gentle sweet-smelling breeze swept through valley, stretched out brocade so it covered everything with silken threads. Palace appeared, gardens, birds, fruit trees, pasture, red sun; and sitting by fishpond was red fairy. Old widow startled but invited fairy to live in their palace; invited all their kind neighbors, too. Before long, Leje and red fairy married. The weaving of the dream was complete.
One day as Leje, his mother, red fairy sat in garden making toys for expected baby, two beggars stared at them through fence; Leme and Letuie had squandered all their gold in the city, were now penniless. Filled with grief and remorse, they turned away from the happy scene and silently crept away, never to be seen again.
Contributed by
Linda Spitzer
Storyteller in Lake Worth, Florida
Just for the Tell of It
http://home.mindspring.com/~rd_spitzer/storyqueen/linda.htm
~~~
#9 - The Contrary Fairy — A French Canadian folktale
[Bones taken from this folktale as retold in Wonder Tales from Around the World
Long ago, far away, two peaceful kingdoms sat side by side. In one, Queen gave birth to daughter. Everyone celebrated, welcoming little Princess with gifts and blessings. The Pleasant Fairy blessed Princess: “Wherever you go, may flowers bloom and trees bear ripe fruit.”
Merriment roused Misérable, the Contrary Fairy, from her dark hole. Happiness of others disgusted her. She searched for cause of unwanted disturbance, arrived at palace, heard Pleasant Fairy’s happy blessing, muttered wickedly, “We’ll see about that!”; returned to her dank dwelling
Queen in other kingdom gave birth to son. Merriment ensued. Pleasant Fairy warned Queen trouble lay ahead for Prince; gave Queen magic ring, the Ring of Deliverance, for Prince to wear when he got older; then she blessed Prince: “May you grow to be kind and well loved.” Again, happy festivities roused wretched Misérable, the Contrary Fairy, who soared over celebration, heard Pleasant Fairy’s blessing, muttered, “We’ll see about that!”; flew back into her dark hole.
Years passed. Prince and Princess fell in love; planned to marry. Everyone in both kingdoms prepared for wedding. Starry-eyed Prince and Princess walked hand in hand, celebrating their love. Princess had to return to her palace to try on wedding gown; Prince picked wildflowers in field for her journey.
Misérable, the Contrary Fairy, awakened again from so much love in the air, flew over kingdoms, saw wedding preparations, heard love songs, saw - horrors! - betrothed couple kissing goodbye. She vowed to stop it once and for all; hid behind a dark cloud.
Princess tried on wedding gown, admired herself in mirror. Dark cloud wafted silently in through window, enveloped Princess—whoosh! she was gone. Misérable whisked the Princess deep into woods, put her in crude cottage surrounded by twisted thorny hedge, with dead cherry tree by door. No one could come in or out. Misérable flew away: “And there you’ll stay until you’re as wretched as I am!”
Princess was hungry, walked to dead tree; immediately, tree burst into bloom, hung heavy with ripe juicy cherries; red roses blossomed on thorny briar hedge. Pleasant Fairy’s blessing of long ago proved true. Princess munched on cherries, wondered how to escape.
Prince roamed happily in fields picking wildflowers, waiting for Princess’s return. Misérable flew over him, chanting: “You will smile no more to torment me. A small blue fox is what you’ll be.” Thunder rumbled, Prince’s hands became paws, face got long, teeth grew sharp, clothes disappeared, blue-gray fur grew over his whole body. He slunk into woods, dragging long tail behind him.
Misérable smiled, pleased with her handiwork; she despised happiness in anybody. She retreated to her hole. “Now I can be unhappy and no one will annoy me with joy.”
Blue fox ran through woods, came upon hedge covered with roses, poked face through small opening, spied Princess picking cherries. Squeezing through, he sat motionless, staring at his love, thinking how miserable he was, his own true love standing right before him, but he could not speak his feelings. Princess noticed fox, welcomed him into her wretched captivity. He approached, she stroked his head. Heart heavy with sorrow, he turned, crept out of hole, back into woods. He ran until exhausted, curled up under a tree, raged at his prison of a fox’s body.
Kings and Queens of both kingdoms frantic with worry; both Prince and Princess had mysteriously vanished; no one could find them. Pleasant Fairy offered to help; asked Queen about the Ring of Deliverance. Queen gasped, retrieved it from her jewelry box, gave it to Pleasant Fairy, who sped off in search of the couple. She flew over fields, spied freshly picked wildflowers strewn over ground; human tracks disappeared and suddenly, fox tracks led into woods. It looked suspicious.
Pleasant Fairy followed tracks, heard pitiful whining; discovered sad blue fox. She recognized Prince, but couldn’t fit Ring onto his fox paws. Prince opened his mouth to take Ring, dashed off into forest she followed. They arrived at blossoming hedge, peeked through, spotted captive Princess weeping. Pleasant Fairy powerless to help because of stronger spell of Misérable, the Contrary Fairy.
Fox squeezed through opening; Princess happy to see him again, smiled, patted him on snout, stroked his fur. She lamented that she had planned to be married, but now was kept away from her one and only love and feared that her heart would break.
Fox opened mouth; Princess saw Ring. She laughed, took Ring, pretended Fox was her Prince. She slipped Ring on her finger. Whoosh! Magically, cottage gone, thorny rose briars vanished, before her stood her very own Prince. They embraced with tears of joy, returned to their parents. Wedding took place that evening; endless fireworks lit up starry sky.
Misérable, the Contrary Fairy, awakened from her beloved nightmares by loud celebrations, screeched that she would destroy everyone’s joy. She flew out of hole, zoomed toward joyous festivities, ranting, raving, rasping, “This is disgusting, obnoxious, absolutely hideous. I won’t stand for it!” Working herself into hateful frenzy, she exploded with rage. Her angry sparks mingled perfectly with fireworks. She was never seen again.
The Pleasant Fairy’s blessings came true for the Prince and Princess; they lived happily forever.
~~~
#10 - Little Burnt Face - an American Indian story
[Bones taken from Linda Spitzer’s version of Little Burnt Face
Hunter had three daughters; two older daughters were mean; youngest daughter was beautiful and kind. Older sisters jealous of youngest; every day, when hunter left tepee, they ordered her: "You clean the tepee. You hunt for food. You gather wood." The little girl never complained, did everything; older sisters got angrier. One day they took burning logs from the hearthfire and burned girl’s face and skin. She fell to the ground, crying. When father came home, he asked, "Why is my little girl crying?" Older sisters said, "She's so lazy she burned herself so she wouldn't have to work." Called her Little Burnt Face.
A great drought came; no rain, river dried up, everything turned brown and died.
A chief lived across the river; no one ever saw him because he was invisible. But everyone knew he was kind. One day the chief told his sister he would marry whoever could describe what he was wearing. So all unmarried girls of the village went before the chief. But none of them could see him. They all wanted to marry him, so they pretended they could.
One girl came; the chief's sister asked, "What is the strap my brother wears across his chest made from?" "Oh, it is made from the fur of a raccoon." "No, you have not seen the chief," the sister replied.
Another young girl came. "What are the pants my brother wears made from?" "Oh, I know, they're woven from cotton, with porcupine quills." "No, you have not seen the chief.”
Then the two older sisters came. The chief's sister asked the first, "What is my brother wearing in his hair?" "Oh, I know, feathers." "No, you have not seen the chief." The second sister came. "What is the belt my brother wears made from?" "From the skin of a dog." "No, you have not seen the chief. “
The chief’s sister asked, “Isn't there another girl who lives in your tepee?" "Oh, Little Burnt Face. She's stupid and ugly. She could never see the chief." "Every young girl must come” was the sister’s reply.
The two older sisters brought Little Burnt Face before the chief in a torn blanket, in shoes made of wood with splinters. She went into the tepee, sat down before the chief, but wouldn't look at him. The sister said,"What is the strap my brother is wearing across his chest made from?" Little Burnt Face looked up, smiled, and said, "Oh, the strap the chief wears across his shirt is made from the rainbow."
"And what is my brother wearing in his hair?" "Oh, he is wearing the sun and the moon in his hair." "And what is the chief's shirt made from?" "It is made from the Milky Way.” "Yes, you have seen the chief, and you may marry him. Bring the chief his moccasins."
Little Burnt Face went outside the tepee, lifted up the white deerskin moccasins with beads of red, blue and yellow in the shape of flowers. She placed them on the chief's feet. Suddenly it began to rain. The chief’s sister caught the raindrops in her hand, placed them on Little Burnt Face's skin. Wherever she placed the rain, the little girl's skin was healed. She was the most beautiful girl that ever was. She took the chief by the hand. As they walked outside, the rain was falling. Wherever they stepped, grass began to grow, flowers blossomed, the riverbed filled with water. Out of the sky came a rainbow bending to their feet. Little Burnt Face led the chief up the rainbow to the sky. She rolled it up and wore it as her skirt. So whenever you see the rainbow after the rain, you'll remember Little Burnt Face.
Contributed by Linda Spitzer
Storyteller in Lake Worth, Florida
Just for the Tell of It
http://home.mindspring.com/~rd_spitzer/storyqueen/linda.htm
~~~
#11 - The Lute Player
, ed. by Andrew Lang, contributions by Leonora Lang and Annette S. Beveridge, 1904]
A King and Queen rule happily and fairly together.
One day King decides to go to war to increase their holdings and leaves Queen in charge. He loses
battles, though, and is imprisoned by an enemy king; made to work in fields for three years under harsh sun. Becomes ill and half blind.
Finally, he's able to send a note to the Queen. Tells her to sell all their holdings to pay his ransom. Queen doesn't know who to trust and worries that if she sells everything, the King will come home to nothing and unhappy subjects. So she disguises herself as a male lute player and, without telling anyone, journeys to the kingdom of the enemy.
Queen goes into courtyard of enemy palace and plays and sings a song about finding her heart's desire. King likes what he hears, asks “him” in, invites “him” to stay forever. She tells him she'll stay for a while but must then be on her way. Enemy king agrees to give lute player "his" heart's desire when “he” leaves.
Lute player plays and sings for enemy king's assembled guests. After three days, says must leave. King asks what is heart's desire. "A traveling companion," says lute player. "One of your prisoners perhaps." King takes lute player into dungeon where she chooses own husband.
They leave palace together. Queen’s husband (King) does not recognize Queen because of being half-blind. They travel homeward. At border of their kingdom, King asks lute player to come and play for him forever. Lute player declines. Both make their separate ways to palace. Queen takes off cloak of lute player.
When the King comes home, he is greeted by his advisors and then the Queen comes out dressed in her royal robes. The King begins to berate her for not rescuing him. As he is being advised about what to do with his "unfaithful wife," she dresses once more in the cloak of the lute player and goes out into the courtyard to sing of wanting only her "heart's desire."
The King hears her, invites the "lute player" inside, introduces "him" as the one who rescued him and then asks "What is your heart's desire? It shall be yours." The Queen then reveals herself and tells the King that her heart's desire is his love and his trust in her love for him.
King is overjoyed, throws great feast honoring Queen and they again rule happily and fairly together.
Contributed by
Carol Connolly
Tales 'n Tunes
Musical Storytelling Duo
http://www.talesntunes.net/tnt/main.shtml
~~~
#12 - Bearskin
[Bones taken from Grimm's Fairy Tales Pictured By Monro S.Orr
A young Soldier was so brave that he was always in the front ranks among the bullets. After the war, he found that his parents had died, he had no home to return to, his brothers refused to shelter him. He had nothing but his musket left; he put it on his shoulder and marched forth. Weary, he sat down in a meadow under a clump of trees, bemoaning his fate, fearing starvation.
Suddenly a Stranger in a grey coat appeared before him; the Soldier noticed that the stranger had an ugly cloven foot. The Stranger said it was obvious that the Soldier needed money and food, which he offered to give, if the soldier would prove he was no coward. The solder bragged that he would win in any test of courage. The Stranger pointed behind him; the Soldier turned, was confronted by a huge, ferocious bear. The Solder raised his musket and fired a bullet straight into the bear’s forehead, killing him instantly. The Stranger acknowledged the Soldier’s courage, yet challenged him with another condition. The Soldier agreed, as long as the task did not interfere with his future happiness.
The Stranger explained that for the next seven years, the Soldier must not wash his face, body, hair or beard, cut his nails, or say any prayers. He must wear the clothes given him. If he died within the seven years, he would belong to the Stranger; if he lived, he would be rich and free for his whole life. The Soldier pondered long and hard, but decided that since he had braved death many times in his life, he would accept this new challenge.
The Evil Stranger gave his grey coat to the Soldier, telling him that money would always be available in its pocket. He then skinned the bear, handed the skin to the Soldier, telling him it would be both his cloak and his bed, that he must never lie in another bed, and henceforth he would be known as Bearskin. Then the Stranger vanished.
The Soldier put on the grey coat, felt in the pocket and found money, donned the bearskin and went chuckling into the world, buying whatever suited his fancy. The first year his appearance was not too bad, but the second year he began to look like a monster. His hair covered his face, his beard looked like a dirty rag, his nails were claws, his face hidden by dirt. Whoever looked at him ran away. But because he gave gold to the poor, they prayed for him. During the fourth year, he was only allowed to stay in outbuildings, not even stables, and only if he promised never to show himself to anyone.
One night Bearskin heard a groan, discovered an old man behind a door weeping violently, wringing his hands. The old man revealed his property had dwindled away, he and his daughters were starving, he could not pay the landlord, so he would be put in prison. Bearskin paid the landlord and put a purse of gold in the old man’s hands. The old man invited Bearskin to return with him to his home and choose one of his daughters for his wife. Bearskin agreed and together they returned to the old man’s home.
The first daughter shrieked, ran away; the second daughter stared, called Bearskin inhuman, not even as good as grizzly bear who had visited them pretending to be a man by wearing a hat and gloves. Youngest daughter was grateful for all Bearskin had done for her father and agreed to marry him. Thrilled, he took ring off his finger, broke it in two, gave his bride-to-be half of it, keeping the other half. He wrote his name on hers; her name on his; he begged her to guard it carefully. He then took his leave, telling them that he must wander for another three years. He said if he did not return, it meant he was dead; if he did, they would celebrate their marriage. He prayed that God would keep him safe.
The young girl dressed in black, burst into tears whenever she thought of Bearskin. Her sisters scorned and mocked her, telling her that the bear’s claws would scratch her, and if she acted too sweetly he would eat her up because bears love sweets, but if she did not obey him, he would growl and eat her up anyway. But at least they would have fun at the wedding, they said, because bears dance so well.
For three years, Bearskin wandered the world, doing good wherever he could, giving freely to the poor. When the last day of the seven years arrived, Bearskin returned to the meadow and sat under the same clump of trees. Soon the Evil Stranger stood before him. Cursing, he threw the Soldier his old coat, demanding his grey coat back. Bearskin ordered the Evil One to first fetch water, clean him, cut his nails, wash and comb his hair, return him to his handsome self. This done, the Evil One vanished.
Feeling light-hearted, Bearskin went into nearest town, bought a fine velvet coat, hired a carriage drawn by four white horses, and rode to the house of his bride. No one recognized him; the Old Man took him for a traveling general, invited him in for a meal. He was forced to sit between the two older sisters, who fawned over him, heaping the handsome man’s plate with the best morsels of food, pouring him wine. The youngest girl, dressed in black, sat with her eyes downcast, never uttering a word.
Soldier asked Old Man if he could have one of the daughters in marriage; Old Man agreed. Two older sisters flew upstairs, donning their most beautiful clothes. Alone with his bride, he took out his half of the ring, put it in a wine glass, gave it to the girl. When she drank the wine, she discovered the ring, her heart pounded, she pulled out her half of the ring, which she wore around her neck on a chain.
She held the two halves together; they matched and magically sealed together. The Solder explained that he was the old Bearskin, but now was human again. They embraced, kissed. The two older sisters entered the room in their fine dresses, saw their younger sister and Bearskin wrapped in each other’s arms. They flew out of the house full of rage and jealousy. Bearskin and his bride happily married.
~~~
#13 - The Eight-Headed Serpent
[Bones taken from Japanese Fairy Tales, First Series
The great god Susano walked by the river Hi for four days without seeing a living thing. On the evening of the fifth day, he lay down to sleep in the bamboo thicket, close to the river’s edge. He dreamed of a beautiful maiden floating down the river, a great monster rising up from the water about to swallow her, but the god himself swam out and saved her. When he awoke, he wondered about his dream and his strong feelings of love toward the endangered girl.
Susano thought it strange that there were no living things in this beautiful land. He decided to go up the river for one more day, but if he found no life he would return to his heaven. As he mused, he saw a chop-stick floating down the river. Convinced that someone therefore lived nearby, he renewed his search. Toward evening, he thought he heard someone talking; hurrying on, he found an old woman weeping by the edge of the water, with her husband and beautiful daughter sitting close by.
The girl seemed to be the same he had seen in his dream, so he inquired about their troubles, thinking he might be able to help. The old woman wailed that no one could help, this beautiful daughter had to go just as her seven beautiful sisters had. She said that the owner of all the land thereabouts was a great monster, eight miles long, with eight heads and eight tails. Each year for seven years, he had carried off one of their daughters, now there was only one remaining, and nothing could save her.
Susano thought this beautiful maiden, whom he loved, was too good for an evil eight-headed serpent, so, sitting by the river bank under the feathery bamboo, he plotted how to save her. He thought and thought as the blue river turned red and gold, the sun set, the stars shone, reflecting on the surface of the water. Nothing came to mind. Believing that morning thoughts were best, he lay down to sleep.
The great god rose with the dawn, ate none of the food the old woman brought him; he just thought and thought. At the next sunset, he told the old woman and man that he had a plan to save the girl; the next day they would start to work on it. In the morning they began work long before the sun rose. The old woman prepared rich soup in eight huge kettles. Susano and the old man made a great wall with eight gates. Behind each gate they set a kettle of soup. Then Susano bruised some leaves he found by the riverside; put them in the soup. A delicious odor arose from each kettle, floated over the mountains.
With a noise like thunder, the great serpent dragged himself over eight hills, his eight tails writhing along the ground or whipping through the air. Eight red tongues darted from his eight great mouths; eight heads poked through the eight gates and soon the soup was disappearing. Susano stole up and with one blow cut off the first head of the serpent; in a moment, another head was gone, then another and another. The serpent was angry but would rather lose a few heads than forego that incredible soup. Perhaps Susano put some magic potion in the soup kettles.
Whiz! the monster's tails lashed about. Whiz! Off went the serpent’s fifth head; hissing with pain, the monster tried to get the last few drops of soup. In an instant, the sixth and then the seventh heads flew off. Now the serpent turned on Susano. His great mouth opened to swallow the god, but the brave Susano leapt upon the monster’s neck, cutting off the last head. The great body quivered, shook until all the leaves fell off the trees. At last, he lay quite still; the serpent would trouble the people no more.
Susano took his lover with him up to the Land of the Smiling Heaven. There they lived forever, always looking down upon the earth to see who see who was in trouble and planning how they could help.
~~~
#14 - The Wise Men of Kampen
[Bones taken from Tales Told in Holland (My Travelship)
An orphan boy named Pietro lived in Savoy. With his inheritance of a guinea pig, Pietro set out to see the world. Few people paid to look at his guinea pig; so he got thin, eating nothing but dry crusts of bread. He arrived in the distant country of Holland where his father had once been a chimney sweep.
Such a country! Pietro drank milk that tasted like almonds, ate bread with butter and cheese. He finally arrived in the city of Kampen, the city of wise men. A chimney sweep asked if he would like to work for him. Pietro agreed, was given a clean white linen blouse; within half an hour he looked like a little Satan. At first, he didn’t like climbing through
narrow, sooty holes of chimneys, but soon he caught on.
His employer worried about Pietro, thin as a skeleton. The employer’s wife fed him bread with an inch of butter, rich milk, raw eggs, fried his bacon in lard, cut him fat ham, poured good gravy over his peas. Still, Pietro didn’t gain any weight. His employer despaired. Such a bag of bones!
Pietro proved a master chimney sweep. No speck of soot was left where his broom had scrubbed. He soon succeeded his master as the best chimney sweep to Kampen. His employer retired.
Pietro fell in love with a neighbor girl named Truitje. She flirted with him and played games with his affection. She and her girlfriend tittered and giggled as they walked past him. Truitje told her other friends how foolishly Pietro acted. “He thinks that I shall take him! I won’t!” she said, but in her room at night, she gazed at the moon, listened to the whispering leaves, and wondered.
Truitje at first made fun of poor Pietro. She called him a run-away chimney sweep, a guinea pig
beggar, a bare-footer, a penniless purse, though it made her feel miserable when she did it. Pietro took her seriously and felt he had lost out. He got thinner, wasting away to nothing. People thought he would soon become a real skeleton.
One spring day as Truitje passed by, she dropped two daisies at Pietro’s feet; he picked them up in spite of his sooty, black hands. The next Sunday, washed and clean, he attended church and waited for Truitje outside. She asked him to walk her home. Poor Pietro. He was trapped like a fish in a net. In the fall, the wedding was announced.
At the wedding feast, Truitje lovingly fed Pietro two bowls of chicken soup, the biggest pieces of pike and meat, everything fat, fat, fat. She whispered that she would always care for him, he would no longer look like a grasshopper. And Truitje knew how to cook! She used flour, sugar, butter, eggs, spices, vinegar; served sausages, pig’s feet, thick pea soup. Through the long winter, and with great love, slowly but surely Truitje fattened Pietro up, just like a goose. His girth grew enormous.
When spring arrived, Pietro’s first customer led him to her chimney. Up he went. His head entered the opening, then his shoulders and arms, his back and chest. But oh-oh! The lumps of his stomach got stuck; he could not go up or down; his legs sprawled out of the chimney, kicking violently. His
customer grabbed him, pulling hard. Nothing happened. He kicked so hard she fall backward. The maid entered, saw the black legs swinging, thought it was the Devil himself. Neighbors arrived, and once assured it was not the Devil, they grabbed Pietro’s legs and pulled with all their might Inch by inch he came down, finally standing in the room, black soot covering him from head to toe. Everyone cheered, but the chimney was not swept. Not that chimney, not any other chimney. There was no other chimney sweep in Kampen. People despaired, turned their anger on poor Truitje for causing it all with her love.
Truitje had tried her best, but now the wrath of the whole city was upon her. She fed Pietro less. Watery cabbage, potatoes with thin gravy, tough boiled beef. No rich sauces, no cream tarts! The town was abuzz as they waited for Pietro’s stomach to shrink. But nothing happened. He even grew larger. He could no longer see his feet. He wobbled with little steps, like a child learning to walk.
“Woe, woe is us!” All the mothers in the city feared fires in their dirty chimneys; their houses would burn to the ground. Council meetings were held among the townspeople and the wise men of Kampen, talking, talking, seeking a practical solution. Finally, the eldest council member stood, stroked his beard, coughed, wiped his spectacles, blinked, and said: “A fat man will get stuck in chimneys. He can’t get in or out. Pietro is more like a barrel than a man; he can’t seem to get thin. Let us therefore widen our chimneys! Let us decree that the Kampen chimneys are to have more stomach than they’ve had so far. Then Pietro can keep on sweeping as of old!” All agreed. It was, they said, the wise way.
So the Kampeners tore down their chimneys and built them all over, wide and fat. They became
chimneys that accommodated their beloved chimney sweep. Pietro joyfully climbed up and his broom swept the soot. The townspeople cheered. “Now he can get still stouter!” they exclaimed. “It’ll never hurt our chimneys!”
Thus, life in Kampen returned to normal. And Truitje continued to take care of her true love.
~~~
#15 - Choose a Wife
[Bones taken from "Rich Man Seeks a Daughter-in-Law" found in Shake-It-Up Tales!
[There are similar tales about bride tests, German and Scandinavian, that have prospective husbands observe wife candidates taking rind off cheese. One wastes, one too particular, and the chosen one does it “just right.” Another involves spinning tests. See Bride tests at
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type1451.html
SUMMARY: Woman is chosen as wife because she chooses to use "catch of the day" to share with others, so that they may all eat and live to share again.
BONES: A man wanted his son to choose a wise, good, and kind wife. So the man told son to propose this question to any woman he might want in his life. "If you had a big fish, how could you feed your family as long as possible?
Young man asked question of many women. (At this point, you might let your audience make some attempts at answering the question.)
At last the young man found a girl who gave him this answer. The girl said, "First I would cook the fish with many vegetables to make a great deal of food. Then I would give some to my relatives, some to my neighbors, and some to my friends. Then when THEY had a big fish, they would bring some to share with me. So it would be that one big fish would feed my family for a long, long time."
This was the right answer. So they married and lived happily ever after.
Contributed by
Ina Valeria Doyle
Storyweaver
ivdoyle@rochester.rr.com
~~~
#16 - Hans and the Pirates — (Hans och sjordvarna)
[Bones taken from the book Finlands svenska folkdiktning I.B.1, Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend (Nordic Series),
Long time ago there was a boy called Hans, who was put to learn a trade. Whatever he tried, he just couldn't learn.
At that time the King of Preussia was out hunting. Meanwhile, a steamboat with pirates came and
captured the princess. Everyone looked for her everywhere, but couldn't find her. The captain sent out a ship to look for her, and promised that the one who found her could marry her.
Hans was still looking for a trade and went down to the harbour. A ship was lying there, and Hans went aboard to try his luck as a sailor. It was the same ship that the captain had sent out to look for the princess.
They sailed for weeks, but then the ship had a minor crash. Hans got thrown into the sea, but managed to get hold of a plank, and after several days he drifted ashore.
He was so tired, but didn't dare to remain lying on the ground because of wild animals. He climbed up a tree and went to sleep.
When he woke up, he climbed all the way up the tree, to have a look around. He saw a small steamboat that was anchored by a boathouse. Seven men went aboard and sailed away. Hans went inside the boathouse and found seamen's clothes with blood on them. He gathered that the men were the pirates that had captured the princess.
Hans followed a small road into the forest and found a door in the ground. He knocked on it, and an old woman shouted "What did you forget?" But Hans didn't reply.
When the woman put out her head to look, he cut it off with a sabre. Then he went inside, and found another door. Behind that door he found three princesses knitting and crocheting. Hans asked: "Is the Princess of Preussia here?" and one of them got up, curtsied, and said she was from Preussia. Hans said that if she would like to leave, then he would be happy to help her. And she said she'd love that.
They went down to the beach and started signaling for a ship to come and rescue them. Hans was afraid that something would happen, so he asked the Princess to give him half of her golden ring.
A ship came and rescued them—but it was the same ship that Hans had fallen off of. The captain made the Princess promise to say that it was he who had rescued her.
The he told the sailors to throw Hans into the sea. But a friendly sailor helped Hans to tie a rope around him. The rope was secretly tied to a flap, that was pulled loose when Hans was thrown overboard. This flap would help him float. This happened, the captain sailed back home, was greeted, and the wedding preparations started.
Meanwhile Hans had drifted ashore on an island, where there had been a fortress. He was so hungry and tired that he fell asleep on the beach.
He was awakened by a crunching sound. When he looked up, he could see two skeletons fighting. Hans asked what they were fighting over, and one of them said that the other was in debt to him and owed him money. Hans paid the debt, and the fighting stopped.
The grateful skeleton told Hans, that whenever he was in trouble, he should shout: "Benrangel och
riddare! Kom och hjälp!" [“Skeleton and knight! Come and help!”] Then Hans went back to sleep.
The next morning he woke up, and wondered how he would get back to Preussia. But he remembered what the skeleton said, shouted, and the skeleton came, took him on his back, and flew with him to Preussia.
There he walked to the King's court, told the royal tailor that he was a foreign tailor asking for work. The tailor was very pleased, because he had been told to make a wedding dress for the Princess without looking at her. The journeyman promised he would sew, if he got to take the wedding dress to the Princess himself. And then he asked for a solitary room to work in.
The first day he didn't do a thing, just rested, and only told the worried tailor, "Tomorrow morning I'll have it ready". In the evening he shouted "Benrangel och riddare! Kom och hjälp!" and in a few minutes the dress was ready.
The next morning the royal tailor saw a dress that was so well done that not even a single stitch was to be seen. Then Hans went to give the dress to the Princess, as agreed. She was very pleased with the dress and gave Hans a glass of wine. He secretly dropped his half of the ring into the glass and gave it back to Princess.
When she found the ring in the glass, she recognized her saviour, kissed him on his lips and said, "This is the one who rescued me from the pirates!" And she went with him to tell the truth to the king.
The King listened, and made a plan. He sent Hans secretly away to be dressed up, and the wedding commenced. At the wedding the King asked the captain what sentence he would give a man who had killed a person that saved another. The bridegroom said, "Pour melted lead into the throat!" And the King said that he had given himself his own sentence.
And Hans got what he deserved—he got to be the King's son-in-law.
Contributed by
Neppe Pettersson, Vasa, Finland
TV producer, Storyteller
neppe@neppe.fi
~~~
#17 - The Peasant's Wise Daughter
[Bones taken from Grimm's Household Tales, with the Author's Notes
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/grimm/ht31.htm ]
?Poor peasant had no land. Daughter said, "We ought to ask the King for a bit of newly-cleared land." The King gave them a piece of land, which she and her father dug up, to sow with grain. They found a golden mortar. Father planned to turn it over to the King, but the daughter warned him that the King would expect a pestle also. Father wouldn’t listen and took the mortar to the King. King said that he must now bring him the pestle and put the peasant in prison until he produced the pestle.
The servants who brought the peasant bread and water heard him cry out continually, "Ah! if I had but listened to my daughter! Alas, alas, if I had but listened to my daughter!" The King sent for the peasant and asked what it was that his daughter had said. "She told me that I ought not to take the mortar to you, for I should have to produce the pestle as well."
"If you have a daughter who is as wise as that, let her come here.” The King asked her, if she really was so wise, to "Come to me not clothed, not naked, not riding, not walking, not in the road, and not out of the road.” and he would marry her.
She returned, wearing a fishing net tied to the tail of an ass who dragged her in the ruts, so that she only touched the ground with her big toe, and that was neither being in the road nor out of the road. The King said she had solved riddle. He ordered her father released from prison and King married her.
Some years later, two peasants were fighting over ownership of a foal, with one declaring it his because it was with his oxen, and the other claiming it as the offspring of his horse. The King declared that the foal should stay where it had been found, between the oxen. The other went away and wept over the loss of his foal. He went to the Queen for help in getting his foal back, and she told him what to do, and not to say she told him. The next day the peasant stood and fished on dry ground, pulling in his nets as if they were filled with fish. The King asked how he could fish when there was no water there? The peasant said, "It is as easy for me to fish on dry land as it is for an ox to have a foal."
The peasant was forced to admit the Queen had given him the idea, and the King returned home to denounce her interference and send her back to her father’s home. He did tell her that she might take with her whatever was dearest to her. She accepted his decision and drank a farewell with him, giving him a strong sleeping potion so that he didn’t even know when he was carried to a carriage, driven to her father1s little house, and placed in her own little bed. When he awoke, she reminded him, “You told me I might bring away with me from the palace that which was dearest and most precious in my eyes. I have nothing more precious and dear than yourself, so I have brought you with me." Tears rose to the King's eyes and he said, "Dear wife, thou shalt be mine and I will be thine." He took her back with him to the royal palace, where they are still living (happily ever after).
[Note: See also "Clever Manka," "Vasilisa, the Clever" and "Catherine, Sly Country Lass."]
Contributed by
Mary Garrett
mgarrett@mail.win.org
http://www.storytellermary.com/Garrett/Welcome.html
~~~
#18 - Clever Manka
[Bones taken from Best-Loved Folktales of the World (The Anchor folktale library)
Other versions may be found in:
Carter, Angela, ed. "The Wise Little Girl" in Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales
Hoffman, Mary. Clever Katya: A Fairy Tale from Old Russia
Lurie, Alison. "Manka and the Judge" in Clever Gretchen and Other Forgotten Folktales
Minard, Rosemary, ed. (1975), Womenfolk and Fairy Tales
Dundas, Marjorie, Riddling Tales from around the World
A poor shepherd worked hard one day for a rich farmer. In return he was to receive a heifer. When it came time to pay, the rich farmer reneged. They took their argument to the burgomaster. He was a young man and not too experienced. Instead of deciding the case, he put three riddles to both men, the one with the best answer would keep the cow. They agreed.
The burgomaster gave them the riddles. "What is the swiftest thing in the world? What is the sweetest thing? What is the richest? He told them to think about their answers and come back the next day.
The rich farmer was angry when he returned home. His wife told him she had the answers: “The swiftest thing is our gray mare; nothing ever passes it on the road. The sweetest is our honey. The richest is our chest of golden coins.” The farmer was happy and believed he would win the next day.
The shepherd returned home very sad. He had a daughter, a clever girl by the name of Manka. When her father told her about the riddle, she said she could help. The next day she gave him the answers as he left for court.
The men arrived and the judge asked for their answers. The rich farmer gave him the answers his wife had chosen. Then the judge asked the shepherd. The shepherd said: "The swiftest thing in the world is thought, for thought can run any distance in the twinkling an eye. The sweetest thing is sleep, for when a man is tired and sad, what can be sweeter? The richest thing is the earth, for out of the earth come all the riches of the world."
The judge was delighted and gave the heifer to the shepherd. He asked the shepherd who gave him the answers. He confessed it was his daughter Manka. The judge liked her cleverness and decided to make another test. He gave the shepherd ten eggs and told him to tell Manka to have them hatched by tomorrow and to bring him the chicks.
At home Manka laughed and said: "Take a handful of millet and go right back to the judge. Say to him: "My daughter sends you this millet. Plant it, grow it and have it harvested by tomorrow, and she will bring the ten chicks to feed on the grain."
When the judge heard this he laughed. “She is clever. I would like to marry her. Tell her to come to see me, but she must come neither by day nor by night, neither riding nor walking, neither dressed nor undressed."
Manka waited until dawn, wrapped herself in fish net, threw her leg over goat’s back, kept one foot on the ground. When she arrived at the judge’s house, he was so pleased with her cleverness and beauty he proposed at once. They were married.
The judge told her she must never interfere with his court cases. If she did, he would turn her out of the house and send her home to her father. Manka agreed and all went well for a time. Then one day two farmers came to court. Each said they owned a colt. The mare had foaled in the marketplace and run under the wagon. The farmer who owned the wagon said it was his.
The judge wasn’t listening properly and said he agreed. As the true owner of the mare was leaving, he met Manka and told her what happened. Manka knew her husband was wrong and told the man to come back in the afternoon with fishing net and string it across the road. He was to tell the judge that if a wagon could foal a colt, he could catch fish in a dusty road. When the judge heard this, he admitted he was wrong and asked the man who told him to do this. When the man told him it was Manka, his wife, the judge became furious. He called for Manka and told her to leave the house and go back to her father. He didn’t want anyone saying he treated her badly, so he told her she could take the one thing she loved most from the house before she left.
Manka asked that they have one more meal together and the judge agreed. She made him all of his favorite foods and made sure the wine flowed freely. The judge fell asleep. Manka had the servants carry him out to a waiting cart. When he woke up, he was in her father’s cottage. He was very angry with Manka and asked, "What does this mean?" Manka replied, "Nothing, dear husband, nothing! You told me to take with me the one thing I liked best in your house, so I took you!"
The judge laughed, Manka had outwitted him. He agreed that she was indeed clever and they went home together. He never scolded her again and whenever a difficult case came up he always said, "I think we had better consult my wife. You know she’s a very clever woman."
[See also "Vasilisa, the Clever," "The Peasant’s Wise Daughter" and "Catherine, Sly Country Lass."
Contributed by
Karen Chace, East Freetown, MA
Storyteller - Teaching Artist - Web Researcher
storybug@aol.com
http://www.storybug.net
~~~
#19 - Vasilisa, the Clever (or Wise), aka Clever Russian Girl
[Bones taken from Favorite Folktales from Around the World (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)
?SUMMARY: Poor father turns to young daughter for clever answers to impossible questions from king.
BONES: Two men (brothers), one rich, one poor, stay overnight at an inn. The poor man's mare gives birth to foal under rich man's cart. The King (Emperor) gives riddles instead of making a judgment on who owns the newborn colt. The questions are: What is the quickest thing in the world? The fattest? The sweetest? Rich man’s answers are concrete and wrong. The poor man's daughter, Vasilisa, gives father the right answers: thought, the earth itself, and sleep. The King (Emperor) knows poor man must have had help. Tells man to have his daughter come to castle neither clothed nor naked, neither riding nor walking, and bringing a gift that is not a gift. She wears a net, has one leg on goose (goat) and one leg on ground, and hands king a pigeon (partridge) that flies away as she hands it to him.
He asks her if she is poor. She explains that her father makes money fishing in puddles. King says that is impossible. She says that it is no more impossible than a cart giving birth to horse. He rewards her.
[See also "Clever Manka," "The Peasant’s Wise Daughter" and "Catherine, Sly Country Lass."]
Contributed by
Ina Valeria Doyle
Storyweaver
ivdoyle@rochester.rr.co
~~~
#20 - Catherine, Sly Country Lass
[Bones taken from Italian Folktales
SUMMARY: Man has daughter's help to solve tasks and riddles. When she is grown, she marries the king who asks her not to make any decisions wiser than his. Clever ending.
BONES: Father finds golden mortar which he takes to King. Daughter warns him that King will want to know where pestle is. King surprised that daughter anticipated his questions. Gives father impossible task for clever daughter: small amount of flax to make regiment of soldiers' shirts. Her response is to ask king to send looms made of small amount of scalings.
King tells man to have his daughter come to castle neither clothed nor naked, neither on full or empty stomach, neither riding nor walking, and neither at nighttime or daytime. She wears a net, eats only a lupin, one leg on nanny goat with one leg on ground, and arrives just as the sky grows lighter. King laughs, asks her to stay and marry him, but to never contradict him. She accepts that she will go home if she disobeys his request. She asks only to be allowed to take home with her the most precious thing from the castle.
All goes well until innkeeper wins claim that his cart gave birth to a horse - farmer's pregnant mare was under the cart. Farmer seeks Queen’s advice. She tells him to take a net and pole to a puddle. King sees him, tells him it is impossible to get fish from a puddle. Farmer says that it is no more impossible than a cart giving birth to horse.
King is furious and orders her home. She begs one more night in castle and then takes home that which she loves the most - the king himself. When he wakes up in her father's humble cottage, he laughs, forgives her, and they rule wisely side by side.
Contributed by
Ina Valeria Doyle
Storyweaver
ivdoyle@rochester.rr.co
~~~
#21 - The Peony Lantern — a Japanese fairy tale
[Bones taken from Green Willow: and Other Japanese Fairy Tales
?In Yedo dwelt Hagiwara, a young samurai of the hatamoto, the most honorable of the samurai ranks. A noble figure with a beautiful face, he was beloved openly and secretly by many ladies. He was more interested in pleasure than love and spent his days and nights in joyous revels with his companions.
One wintry day, during the Festival of the New Year, he played battledore and shuttlecock with his friends in another quarter of the city, far from his home. A careless stroke sent the shuttlecock flying over the heads of the players, over a bamboo fence, into a garden. Unhappy to lose the dove-colored feathered and gilded shuttlecock, he scaled the bamboo fence and dropped into the garden. Beating the bushes with his stick, he searched long and hard throughout the garden for his prize but could not find it. He stayed so long in the garden that his friends went home without him.
Hagiwara looked up and saw a girl standing nearby; she beckoned him with her right hand, and in her left she held the shuttlecock. He ran forward joyfully, but the girl backed away from him, still beckoning; he followed her until they came to a house with three stone steps. At the bottom of the steps grew a blossoming plum tree; at the top stood a fair and very young lady with the face of a child, splendidly attired in robes of high festival. Her kimono was make of water-blue silk, with sleeves of ceremony so long they touched the ground; her under-dress was scarlet; her great girdle of brocade was stiff and heavy with gold. In her hair were pins of gold and tortoise shell and coral.
An awestruck Hagiwara knelt down, made obeisance until his forehead touched the ground. Smiling with pleasure, the lady called him by name. She told him she was O’Tsuyu, the Lady of the Morning Dew, and she welcomed him into her house, taking him to a room with ten mats, where she and her handmaiden, O’Yoné, entertained him, she by dancing, O’Yoné by beating upon a small drum. Afterwards, they set the red rice of the festival and sweet warm wine before him; he ate and drank.
Late that night, as he left, the Lady of the Morning Dew urged him to come back; when he teased that he might not do so, she grew pale, saying that it would mean death for both him and her, there could be no other way. He went out into the night, much afraid. He wandered in a daze all over the city and did not reach his home until dawn. He laughed when he realized that he had left behind his shuttlecock.
Determined not to visit the geisha again, he joined his friends for the next five or six days in joustings and junketings, with a ready wit and a wild spirit. But he grew sick of this kind of play and began to walk the streets alone, day and night. He searched in vain for the garden and house where he had left the lady he now loved. Sickened by his failure to find the two women, he lay in his bed, not eating, drinking, wasting away. He grew spectre-thin. In the sixth month of his illness, he got up, wrapped a loose summer robe around himself.and set out alone. His servants believed him to be mad.
This time his feet led him straight to the garden with the bamboo fence. Once again, he scaled it, but found the garden wild and overgrown, with moss covering the stone steps, the plum tree trembling, the house forlorn and deserted with its shutters closed. A soaking rain fell upon him, he grew cold, yet he could not move. An old gardener came over to him, wondering why he was there. The samurai asked about the Lady of the Morning Dew and was told that she had died of a strange and sudden sickness five or six months previously; she now lay in the graveyard on the hill, next to her handmaiden, who could not bear to have her mistress wander alone through the long night of Yomi.
Hagiwara returned to his home, wrote his beloved’s name on a piece of pure white wood, then burned incense before it, making every offering and due observance, all for the welfare of his lady’s spirit.
The Festival of Bon, the time of returning souls, drew near. The folk of Yedo took lanterns and visited the gravesites, honoring their dead with food and flowers. On the thirteenth day of the seventh month, the Festival Day of Days, the samurai walked at night in his cool garden. All was still except for the song of a cicada and the splash of a carp leaping in its round pond. At midnight, he heard footsteps just outside his garden hedge; nearer and nearer they came.
Looking over his rose hedge, he saw two slender women come out of the dimness, hand in hand. One of them carried a lantern with a bunch of peony flowers tied to the handle. It swung as the two women walked, casting an uncertain light. When they came abreast of the samurai on the other side of the hedge, he recognized them at once, giving out a great cry. O’Yoné, the handmaiden, laughed joyfully, saying that they had been told he was dead, and they had prayed for his soul for months. Hagiwara welcomed them, declaring his undying love for his Lady, who hid her face. O’Yoné told him that they had moved to a little house on Green Hill, taking nothing with them, growing very poor. His Lady was afraid he would not love her when he saw how pale and thin she was, but when she revealed her face, his love flamed within him like a fire, shaking him from head to foot. He could not speak. Trembling, she asked if they should go; he begged her to stay. And so they stayed.
Next morning he awoke alone and without hesitation made his way to Green Hill seeking out his love. No one knew anything about her, he searched everywhere and mourned that for the second time he had lost his dear lady. On his way home, he passed a temple where he came upon two graves, one quite splendid with a monument, one small and obscure. Before the monument hung a lantern with a bunch of peony flowers tied to its handle. He knew he had seen that same lantern the night before.
As he stood at the graves, he smiled when he realized that his love lay in one of them. He prayed that she would make room for him in her “little house,” and grant his desire to be with her forever. He begged her not to leave him now and once again declared his love for her. Then he went home.
His faithful servant met him, asking what was wrong. The samurai assured him he had never been
happier, but the servant saw the mark of death upon his Master’s face. Hagiwara took to his bed, and for seven days the maidens with the peony lantern came to him at midnight. Finally, the fearful servant peered into the bedroom, only to see the samurai in the arms of a fearful thing, smiling up at the horror that was its face, stroking its dank green robe with loving fingers. The next morning, the servant ran to the holy man for advice on how to save Hagiwara. The holy man felt there was hope if the servant set a sacred text above every door and window of the Master’s house, and rolled a golden emblem of the Tathagata in his Master’s girdle. The servant did so. Hagiwara weakened as he was now torn two ways; his servant laid him upon his bed, sat with him until he fell asleep.
The two women came at midnight but could not enter under the sacred writings. A long wail, the sound of bitter weeping, and the women went away. Next night it was the same. The Lady cried out that she had loved the samurai through ten existences, but once again they fled. The next night, a thief stole the golden emblem when Hagiwara went to the bath; rain pelted down and tore the sacred text from his bedroom window. The women approached for the last time and a weak Hagiwara called them in, but he could not move from his couch. He called again. His love moaned that she could not enter, but then the women discovered the unguarded window. Like vapor, the two passed into the room and reached out for the samurai. “Come to me, beloved,” he cried. “Lord, I come,” was the answer from his love. The next day, the servant found his Master cold and dead. At his feet, a peony lantern burned with a weird yellow flame. The servant shivered, blew out the lantern light, saying, “I cannot bear it.”
~~~
#22 - Rapunzel
[Sources: Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories
?Husband and wife wanted to have a baby, but no luck. Their house backed up to a large walled garden, owned by a witch. One day the wife developed a craving for a type of lettuce the witch grew, called rapunzel. Wife wasted away with longing for rapunzel. (In some versions, wife was already pregnant.)
Husband finally climbed over the wall to get his wife some rapunzel. She ate it, craved more. Husband went back over wall, but witch caught him. Witch threatened husband; husband begged for pardon, told how wife had desired the rapunzel.
Witch struck bargain with husband – wife could eat as much rapunzel as she desired, but in return witch would get custody of their baby when it was born. Husband agreed. When baby girl was born, witch appeared, took child away, named her Rapunzel.
When Rapunzel turned 12 years old, witch took her into forest, left her in tower with no doors or stairs.
When witch came to visit, she would call, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair for me." Rapunzel had grown long, beautiful hair. When she heard witch call, she undid her braids and fastened them to the window latch (hook, sill, etc.). Witch climbed up hair.
One day a prince was passing by. He heard Rapunzel singing in tower. Prince looked for door but found none, so he rode away. He came back every day and listened to singing. One day, Prince overheard witch call, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair for me." He saw witch climb up hair.
Next day prince arrived early and called, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair for me." Prince climbed up hair. Rapunzel was frightened at first. Prince talked gently with her, then asked her to marry him. She agreed, but wondered how to get down from the tower. Prince said he would bring her a skein of silk each time he visited, so she could weave a ladder.
Prince visited every evening, in order to miss witch’s daily visits. One day Rapunzel said aloud to witch that she was much heavier to pull up than prince. Witch flew into a fury, cut off Rapunzel’s hair. Witch sent Rapunzel away to a deserted place (desert island, rocky place).
That night, when prince came to visit, witch was waiting. She yelled and he leapt from tower, landing in brambles that scratched out his eyes. Prince wandered blindly through the world for years. Finally, he came to desert place where Rapunzel was living. She had given birth to twins. When Rapunzel saw prince, she fell upon him and wept. Two of her tears fell into his eyes and healed them.
Prince took Rapunzel to his kingdom, where there was great rejoicing; they lived happily ever after.
Contributed by
Leanne Johnson, Professional Storyteller
~~~
#23 - Prince Hedgehog — a tale from Russia
[Bones taken from Best-Loved Folktales of the World (The Anchor folktale library), selected by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Jill Karla Schwarz. New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday, 1982, pp. 425-427.]
?An Emperor and Empress were childless, wished for son even if he were no bigger than a hedgehog. The proverb says, “What one wishes for, that one gets,” and Empress shortly gave birth to son who looked exactly like a hedgehog, covered all over with sharp spines. Word spread about this event, though no one quite understood how Empress had managed it.
The parents were ashamed, but they did provide for their son’s education and well-being. By the time he was 13, the clever little creature knew everything there was to know. But his parents, in their guilt, turned their backs on him, thrust him out into the forest to fend for himself, certain that he would be devoured by hungry beasts. His exile was to last seven years, but, by his own choosing, he was allowed to take a sow and a great cock with him.
Year after year Prince Hedgehog remained in forest. He raised so many swine he could not count them. After seven years, he returned to parents’ home, driving his swine before him. They thought he was a rich swine-drover, but soon recognized their son as he rode on top of his cock behind swine. They received him with pomp and circumstance, asking him when he planned to return to the forest. Never, he told them, as he planned to stay in the city and get married.
Astonished, parents asked who in the world would marry him. Saddened because he had no answer, the poor youth mounted his cock, rode sadly away. But instead of returning to forest, he rode to a neighboring kingdom where king had three unmarried daughters. His cock flew him up to a window in the palace and crowed so loud that a chamberlain rushed to the window to find out what the hedgehog wanted. He came a’wooing was Prince Hedgehog’s answer. Invited inside, offered a welcome-cup, according to ancient manner and custom, he repeated his purpose to king.
King agreed that hedgehog could have his choice of the three girls; the Prince chose the youngest, though she refused until her father threatened banishment unless she consented. She soon decided that since they had gold and treasure enough for a lifetime, and she couldn’t get out of this anyway, she would marry the hedgehog, and they would live a luxurious life.
Prince Hedgehog returned to parents, giving them the news. Unbelieving, they sent chamberlain to neighboring king to inquire whether it was true. Learning that their son had spoken the truth, they hitched their horses to a fine carriage, rode to visit the king. Prince Hedgehog followed close behind, riding on his cock. When they arrived, they found everything ready for the wedding.
The distressed bride, in accordance with custom, visited the priest for confession; but there she broke down, sobbing, asking the priest how she could get out of wedding. He scolded her, telling her to keep quiet, all would end well. He instructed her to come into the church on her wedding day, take her place in the sachristy, then at the altar to sprinkle her bridegroom three times with holy-water, and each time to prick her finger on one of his spines and let those three drops of blood fall upon him.
The next day, the bridal party arrived at church, bride did as she had been told, and as the three drops of blood fell upon Prince Hedgehog, he transformed into a beautiful youth, the like of which the world had never seen. The bridal party heard mass, the priest united couple, and preached that they should cleave to each other the rest of their lives.
They all returned to the palace and the wedding feast lasted throughout the night.
~~~
#24 - The Marriage of Sun King and Silver Moon — a tale from Thailand
[Bones taken from Sun Stories: Tales from Around the World to Illuminate the Days and Nights of Our Lives
?Long ago, a young Sun King rode his horses across the sky every day, his warmth enveloping Earth so that it produced tamarinds, limes, red bananas, rice. All Earth’s people were healthy, happy. Every evening, he rested his horses while Stars crowded the night sky, held council, and mortals rested below.
Earth King’s principal wife gave birth to lovely girl named Vela Chow, Beautiful Dawn. All thought Sun King would fall in love with her. She was beloved by people and the Stars, who told her stories.
Vela Chow cried “Horsies!” each time she heard Sun King’s horses gallop by; she thrilled to the sound of his chariot as it broke through the sky. And so Vela Chow grew into a beautiful young woman. It was then that the Sun God noticed her, saw her lying in a slow-moving river, her face turned up, her eyes dreamy, her full lips parted slightly, showing pearly teeth.
His heart pounded, he stared, reined in his horses. Startled by his intense gaze, she sprang to her feet. Shy at first, both were soon talking to each other at once. People knew love was in the air. Soon the two had eyes, ears, lips, voices only for each other. Sun King quit going home at night; instead, he tied horses up near river, brought presents to Vela Chow, they talked, joked, listened to each other.
People sweltered in Sun’s constant presence; far too hot to work, people longed for night again. Stars, at first tolerant, grew annoyed at the change in routine; they missed the dark. Everyone was happy when Vela Chow and her Sun King hid in a cave to make love, for darkness fell over the world, people could sleep. Stars rushed to Earth, untethered and hid Sun’s horses and chariot, watched from sky to see what would happen. No longer was it hot all the time, but unending darkness settled over the Earth, did not lift. People grieved for the time when light and dark were in balance.
Lovers emerged from cave; Sun King desperate to find horses and chariot. Beautiful Dawn begged him to stay with her. Frantic Sun King cried he had to light the world. With Vela Chow by his side, he searched and searched to no avail. Sun King kissed his beloved, asking her to take his hand and jump up with him to his palace in the sky to continue the search. She whispered that she couldn’t and wept silver tears; he wiped them away, golden tears streaming from his face. They kissed, again and again. Sun King promised to return when he found his horses and chariot. Vela Chow, left behind, watched in misery as he disappeared into sky.
Sun King flung open door of his palace, demanding to know where his horses and chariot were. Stars told him they were safe and ready for him, but only if he would be King of the Day and never again shine at night. He agreed, but Stars added more conditions. Sun King must light each day; Vela Chow, now grown, would be Silver Moon, Queen of the Night. They could meet only when either was not shining. Sun King agreed to light the day, but vowed he would see his lover whenever he chose. “Only when she is not shining,” demanded the Stars. Knowing that it was useless to argue, Sun agreed.
So the Sun King and Silver Moon, with her court of Stars, took their balanced places in the sky. People on earth made festivals, shot fireworks, played flutes, gongs, drums. Since then, Sun King almost always shines during the day, waits to visit Silver Moon on the other side of the sky when she closes her silvery robes and veils herself in soft black for him. Only during the an Eclipse does Sun, filled with unbearable longing, make his way across the heavens to be with Silver Moon when she is shining.
~~~
#25 - Ina and Maki - a legend from Australia
[This is a story that storyteller Neville Blampey, Perth, West Australia, sent to Storytell back in 1997. Neville wrote: "In 1987-88 we lived on Mauke, one of the islands in the southern group of the Cook Islands. I learnt this story from Mrs. Terua, the wife of my principal at the school I was teaching at. She had been born on Aitutaki and this was a story from there. As we lived on Mauke, I have used Mauke as Maki's island home with Ina still making her epic swim some five hundred kilometres from Aitutaki." I was in contact with Neville in March 2004—and we are both still telling it! There is a three dollar note from Cook Island with a picture of Ina on the back of the shark that we use when we tell. I ordered mine from a "coin dealer" in Texas on the Internet, but Neville got his when he lived there.]
Ina was a beautiful girl, lived on Aitutaki - one of the northern islands of the Cook Islands. She was desperately in love with Maki, who lived on one of the southern islands. They were forbidden to meet, because their fathers were chiefs of their islands, and they were at war. Ina’s father had said that if anyone tried to help her, he would cut that person up, and throw him into the umu (pit oven).
It was a long way to Maki, and Ina could not manage a boat by herself. She decided to swim to her beloved. She took a coconut with her to have something to drink on the way.
She set off, but wasn't a very good swimmer, and started to sink. Something lifted her up - it was a flounder. This was long ago when flounders looked like any fish. The flounder said he would help Ina get to Maki, but stopped when they came to the outer side of the coral reef. He couldn't take her any further, as he was a reef fish. Ina got so angry that she stomped her foot on the flounder’s back - and since that day flounders are flat.
She continued swimming, but started to sink again. This time she was lifted up by a sea turtle, who offered to help her get to Maki. Ina got thirsty, decided to crack her coconut on the turtle’s head. The turtle dived, Ina tried to hang onto the shell, but had to let go - and since that day turtles have marks of her nails (trying to stick to the shell), and the backs of turtles’ heads are flat from the pounding.
She went on swimming, but again sank. The third time she was lifted up by the king of sharks. He swam very fast, but Ina had been so long in the cold water and had a desperate need to ... pee ... She could already see her Maki on the shores of his island, but had to relieve herself. And the shark dived - and since then there is a strong smell of ammonia when you cut up a shark.
Now Ina didn't have any strength left, and let herself sink. But strong arms - of Maki - rescued her. And the young ones embraced. Their fathers saw that their love was too strong to stop - and they made peace with each other. And the loving couple lived happily ever after.
Contributed by
Neppe Pettersson, Vasa, Finland
TV producer, Storyteller
neppe@neppe.fi
~~~
#26 - The Stone Before the Door — a folktale from Morocco
[Adapted from the folktale as told by Storyteller David Keesey-Berg for the occasion of the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of Andrew and Patti Rogness.]
There was once a man so rich he measured his money by the bushel, as some people measure corn or potatoes. But even his great wealth could not protect him against the great changes of life.
One day he became gravely ill and because he sensed that the end was near for him, he called for his son. He said to his son, "Since the day you were born, your welfare has been my chief concern in life. But now I fear that I can no longer take care of you. I give over to you all my wealth, but this will mean little if you have no one with whom to share your life and your love. When the time comes that you feel a desire to marry, I have asked my oldest and most trusted friend to find a bride for you. Not just any bride, but the bride God has chosen for you. Listen to him carefully and follow his instructions as though they are my very own."
Having blessed his son, the father died. As time went by, the young man decided that he desired to marry. He remembered his father's words and so he went to his father's trusted friend and asked for his help. The friend said he would find a bride for him, not just any bride, but the bride that God had
chosen for him.
A few days later he returned and said that he had found a bride. She was beautiful, of the finest character and with a spotless reputation. All the necessary arrangements were made and a suitable wedding feast was planned. The young man was very excited.
On the day before the carrying of the bride to the young man's house, his father's friend came to him and said, "I have found you a fine bride, but to discover if she is the one that God has chosen for you, this is what you must do. Tonight, after the bride is brought to your house, she will be waiting for you in your room. I have caused a heavy stone to be placed before the door and before you go in to your bride, you must move that stone. If you succeed, then she is the one God has chosen for you, but if you fail, then she is not the one, and you must send her back to her family."
That night the bride was brought with much pomp and celebration. She was wrapped in a beautiful robe and she waited with eyes closed and her face veiled. When the young man came, he could see the beautiful and mysterious figure through the half-opened door. But, just as the trusted friend had said, barring his way was that stone. It did not look that large, but when the young man tried to move it, it turned out to be exceedingly heavy. He tried with all his might to move that stone, but it would not budge, even a single inch. Finally he had to give up. Sadly, the beautiful bride was sent back to her family.
Arrangements were made for a new match, and a fine wedding feast was planned. A second bride was brought to the young. man's house and once more he stood before that half-opened door facing that heavy stone. He had prepared himself with great care and knew that he was stronger than the first time. Surely this time he could move the stone. He pushed and pulled with all his strength. He used tricks he had not even thought of the first time. He struggled all night long, but he could not move that heavy stone even a single inch. With great sadness, the beautiful bride was sent away again.
The young man was disappointed and, by now, a little discouraged. After some time had passed, a third bride was found. She was as beautiful as the others and was of spotless reputation All the preparations were made as before, but this time the young man said, "If I cannot move the stone tonight, I will not try again. I will take this as a sign that I am not meant to be married." He bent his back and seized that heavy stone. He pulled and. pushed until his back ached and his groans of weariness rang through the house. Then, to his surprise, he saw a slender figure slip through the half-opened door and he heard a quiet voice say to him, "Let me help you move the stone.” The two of them placed their hands together and they moved that stone quite easily!
In that moment, the young man knew that he was looking not at just any bride, but the bride that God had chosen for him. And the young woman knew that she was looking into the face of the husband that God had chosen for her. What neither of them knew, in that moment, was that having found the one chosen by God was not enough. They would learn that to establish their marriage and to secure their happiness, every day they would have to put their hands together to move that heavy stone before the door.
Contributed by
Ina Valeria Doyle
Storyweaver
ivdoyle@rochester.rr.co
~~~
#27 - Tongue Meat
[This story comes from East-Central Africa from the Swahili language. I read it in Wisdom Tales from Around the World (World Storytelling)
?The Sultan had a wife who was unhappy. She was surrounded by riches, but was thin and sad. Sultan saw a poor man with happy, plump wife. Sultan asked poor man why his wife was so happy. He wanted to know the poor man's secret. The poor man said it was no secret, but that he just fed her the meat of the tongue every day. The Sultan ordered his own wife be fed tongue meat everyday. She remained thin and sad. Sultan ordered the poor man to switch wives with him. The poor man's wife becomes thin and sad living at the palace. The Sultan's wife becomes plump and happy living with the poor man. One day, the Sultan sees his old wife with the poor man and is amazed to see the difference in her. He orders his old wife back. She refuses and tells him she is better off with the poor man. The Sultan asks her why and she replies that every evening they talk and laugh. The poor man tells her funny stories and sings her songs and she dances. The Sultan finally understands what the poor man meant when he said he fed his wife the meat of the tongue.
Contributed by
Wendy Gourley
Storyteller/Storyteacher
http://wendygourley.com/contactinfo.aspx
~~~
#28 - He Who Flies (Dragonfly's Tale)
[Sources: Dragonfly's Tale
Note: Dragonfly's Tale
Ashiwi (Native American) people – farming people – every year they remembered the white corn maiden and the yellow corn maiden who blessed their village.
People grew proud and became unwise. Chief watched children playing, decided to have a feast, invite other tribes and have a mock battle using food for weapons. The wise men of village foolishly agreed.
Corn maidens shocked, decided to see for themselves. Put away their brightness and beauty and came to village looking old and ugly. No one said, "Sit happy. Eat. You are welcome here." Two small
children offered food but elders forbade them to give food to beggars.
Guests came to feast, were shocked at waste of food. Corn maidens vanished. In the night the seed-eaters (birds, mice, squirrels) carried off food on ground and half the food from storehouses. Rationing food carried them through the winter.
Spring rains did not come. Corn would not grow. Food scarce. Villagers decided to go to neighboring
village. Would leave at dawn. Old man limped badly, did not want to be left behind, so he left in
middle of night. Two children (the kind ones) helped him gather food. He lay down to rest and fell asleep. In morning, parents looked for children. Villagers decided they had gone with old man. Overtook old man at sunset. Children not with him. Anguished parents. Grieving. Could do nothing.
To return meant the whole family would perish.
Boy awoke. All was quiet. Everyone was gone. Knew he must care for little sister, keep her from being sad. Decided to make a toy. Took cornstalk to make butterfly body. Used long thin corn leaves for wings. Paint was too thin and lines blurred. Knew it was best he could do. Tied string to creature and other end to stick. Called it He Who Flies.
Sister missed mother, loved magical creature. Played with it all day. Claimed it talked to her. At night children hungry but no food. Little girl tells He Who Flies to go find food. Boy thought he heard
"Th... th...th...” Thought he saw wings flutter. Watched until sister asleep. Heard sound again. "Th...th...th... set me free." Untangled string of butterfly who was not a butterfly.
He Who Flies flew to south, found corn maidens, told them about children. Corn maidens promised food. He Who Flies returned to children. In morning they found corn and food. Eat, made prayer sticks. Sang, danced, and planted corn in ritual way. Corn did not rest in ground. Grew quickly, was tall,
tassels waved in wind. Children feasted and slept in field.
Villagers returned. Amazed at blessings of corn maidens. One villager said it was children who were blessed. In Ashiwi tribe, it is always remembered that two children were blessed. Boy grew up to be leader. Never again will Ashiwi waste gifts of corn maidens.
What of magical creature? Comes in summertime when corn is tasseled. Flies from tassel to tassel, stopping to rest from time to time. Known as dragonfly.
Contributed by Rose Owens
Rose the story lady
http://www.rosethestorylady.com/
~~~
#29 - Monkey Face
[Bones taken frrom Monkey Face
One day at school, Monkey painted a picture of his mother.
On the way home, he stopped to show it to his friend Owl. Nice picture, said Owl, but you made her eyes too small. How’s that? asked Monkey. Much better, said Owl.
When Monkey saw Rabbit sunning himself, he held up picture for Rabbit to see. Looks just like her, said Rabbit, except the ears are a bit short. How’s that? asked Monkey. Big improvement, said Rabbit.
At river bank, Monkey found Alligator, showed picture to her. Pretty, said Alligator, but she hasn’t got much of a mouth. How’s that? asked Monkey. Beautiful, said Alligator.
As he walked on, Monkey met Elephant, showed him picture. Good likeness, said Elephant, but her nose is almost invisible. How’s that? asked Monkey. Unforgettable, said Elephant.
Monkey couldn’t wait for Lion to see his picture. You’re a born artist, said Lion, except for one thing—you’ve forgotten her fluffy mane. How’s that? asked Monkey. Most becoming, said Lion.
When he was almost home, Monkey saw Giraffe and let him look at the picture. Nearly perfect, said Giraffe, but her neck needs to be a little longer. How’s that? asked Monkey. Truly elevating, said Giraffe.
Monkey ran the rest of the way. His lunch was all ready, his mother was waiting for him Look what I made in school today, said Monkey. A picture of you.
I love it, said Mother. Just the way it is? asked Monkey. Just the way it is, said Mother.
And she hung it on the refrigerator for everyone to see.
Contributed by
Linda Spitzer
Storyteller in Lake Worth, Florida
Just for the Tell of It
http://home.mindspring.com/~rd_spitzer/storyqueen/linda.htm
~~~
#30 – Prince Cherry
[Bones taken from Fairy Tales Children Love
A virtuous King was so kind that his subjects called him “King Good.” Once, when hunting, a little white rabbit, pursued by hounds, threw itself into his arms. He stroked the tiny creature, promising to protect it, carried it back to the palace, had a house built for it and fed it only the best herbs.That night, a beautiful lady appeared before the startled King. She told him she was the fairy Candid, who had disguised herself as a rabbit to test his kindness. Now she said she was at his command and would grant him all of his wishes, if it were within her power. The King asked only that his son, Prince Cherry, be the best of all Princes. Candid reminded the King that virtue must be earned, it could not be endowed. But she promised to give Prince Cherry good advice, to point out his faults to him, and to punish him if he did not repent his wrongs. King Good was pleased; shortly thereafter, he died.
A few days later, Candid appeared before Prince Cherry, gave him a plain ring with great powers. She told him it would prick his finger whenever he was tempted to commit a bad action; if he chose to ignore it, he would not only forfeit her friendship, but she would become his enemy. Prince Cherry was astonished and delighted with his gift and promised to live virtuously.
For a long time he was wise and good. But one day, while hunting, he was so unsuccessful that he became quite ill humored. His little dog Bibi ran to welcome him, begging to be caressed. Prince Cherry pushed the dog away and kicked him hard—the ring pricked him like a needle! Surprised, ashamed, Prince Cherry pouted in his chamber, thinking that he had not done nothing really bad.
Candid spoke to him in his mind, telling him that he had committed three faults: lost his temper over a trifle; become violently angry at his little dog, and had been cruel to a poor animal, who could not defend himself. She pointed out that she could at that moment beat or kill Cherry, since she had more power than he. She admonished him to do better; he promised—but he did not keep his word.
His ring soon pricked him often. The Prince sometimes heeded the warning; but most often he did not. Finally, annoyed at the ring’s constant pricking, he threw it away, becoming very wicked, much to the terror and disgust of his subjects.
One day, in his fields, Cherry came upon a young girl so beautiful that he instantly resolved to marry her. He accosted her, thinking she would be thrilled to be his Queen. Zelia, wise and beautiful, turned away, telling Cherry she was only a shepherdess and would never marry him. In reply to his probing, she told him he was handsome, rich, but she could not marry a man so evil . She would despise him.
Angry Cherry ordered his officers to carry Zelia forcibly to his palace. He brooded all day, but could not harm her because of his deep love. He considered changing his ways. His wicked brother insisted that Cherry should force Zelia to obey him, or be disgraced by a shepherdess. He urged that she be fed only bread and water, imprisoned, and if she would still not marry Cherry, she should be put to death.
Cherry protested that she was innocent; his brother argued that no one who refused to yield to the Prince’s desires was innocent. Cherry decided to confront Zelia that evening, but she had disappeared from her room. He convulsed into a terrible rage, vowed vengeance on all who helped her escape.
Cherry had been raised by a loving guardian, Suliman, a dear friend of his father’s, who had angered members of the court by his closeness to the Prince. They lied to Cherry, telling him that Suliman had set Zelia free. Livid, the Prince ordered the instant capture of Suliman. He then threw himself on the grass, feeling miserable.
Candid appeared before him, reminding him that she had promised his father to punish him for his wrongdoings; therefore, she condemned him to become like the beasts whose bad qualities he had adopted—a lion by his anger, a wolf by his gluttony, a serpent by his disloyalty to his guardian, and a bull by his ferocity. Cherry transformed into a creature with a lion’s head, a bull’s horns, a wolf’s teeth, and a serpent’s tail. He found himself in a forest by a river, in which he saw reflected his horrible transformation. A voice rang out: “Behold! and reflect on the condition to which your crimes have brought you.”
Cherry ran from the river, fell into a pit dug to catch bears. A huntsman leaped from his hiding place in the trees, bound Cherry in chains, took him to the city. Cherry cursed Candid, gnashed his chains, abandoned himself to fury, never once thought he had brought this upon himself. The city was rejoicing. He learned that townspeople believed Prince Cherry, the evil tormenter, had been destroyed by a bolt of lightning, and that the people had crowned Suliman as the new King.
Insanely furious, Cherry was forced to listen to all the people praising Suliman, begging him to undo the horrors put into place by Prince Cherry. But Suliman accepted the crown only until Prince Cherry returned, for he alone knew that the prince was not dead. Cherry realized that the good old man was still protecting him, and his heart softened, he felt remorse for his crimes. Cherry ceased to struggle against his chains, his heartbeat slowed, he became quiet as a lamb. He resolved to mend his faults.
Cherry’s keeper was an evil man who beat all of his prisoners, Cherry most of all. Yet when a lion pounced upon the sleeping keeper, the cage-door sprang open and Cherry rushed to his rescue, saving the man’s life, vowing always thereafter to do only good in the world. As the grateful keeper reached for Cherry, a voice rang out: “A good action never goes unrewarded.” and the prince became a little dog, who was taken to the King and Queen.
Cherry wandered around the palace, discovering a large house nearby. A starving young girl sat on the steps. The little dog offered the grateful girl his food. Suddenly, he saw four men drag Zelia into the house. He barked and bit, only to be kicked away savagely. He glimpsed Zelia through a window as she threw out scraps of delicious-looking food. The young girl warned him not to eat, that all that came from the house was poisoned. The voice came again: “A good action never goes unrewarded.” And Cherry was transformed into a pretty white pigeon. He flew into an open window in the house, but could not find Zelia there.
Cherry traveled for days, searched everywhere, finally entered a mysterious cavern, found Zelia seated by a hermit sharing his frugal meal. The bird landed on Zelia’s shoulder, cooing softly; she gently stroked him, declaring her she would love him forever. The startled hermit told her she had just pledged herself to a bird. Zelia agreed. Whereupon, Prince Cherry appeared in his natural form, telling Zelia that since she had pledged her love to him forever, he would ask the fairy Candid to restore his good nature and kind demeanor. The hermit transformed into Candid, who stood before the lovers: “Zelia loved you when first she saw you, but your vices obliged her to hide he passion she felt. The changes that have taken place in your heart allow her now to give way to her feelings. You will both live happily together, for your union will be founded on virtue and true love.”
And so it was.
~~~
#31 – Greyfoot (a folktale from Denmark)
[Full-text versions of this Danish folktale may be found at these websites, among others:
http://hazel.forest.net/whootie/stories/greyfoot.html
http://students.ou.edu/A/Jennifer.D.Ary-1/Greyfoot.html
A beautiful princess of England thought far too much of herself, too little of everyone else. She scorned and refused all her many suitors. A young prince in Denmark heard of her beauty, asked for her hand in marriage. The princess scoffed, said she would rather spin her life away than marry him.
The determined young prince sent messengers with six beautiful white horses, pink muzzles, golden shoes; such horses as had never been seen in England. Impressed, the king urged his daughter to reconsider. Haughty princess had manes and tails of horses cut off, dirt smeared all over them, returned them to Denmark saying she would rather sit in street and sell pottery than marry prince..
King of Denmark enraged; declared he would go to war with England to avenge insult. Young prince begged father not to undertake such action; King agreed temporarily. Prince built ship so beautiful, so costly, such a ship had never existed before. He sent sailors with message to King of England asking for his daughter’s hand, with the fabulous ship to be an engagement gift. The king, more impressed, begged daughter to accept proposal. Such a suitor deserved a quick and favorable response. But that night the princess demanded ship be sunk to bottom of harbor. Next day, she ordered sailors to go home any way they could; said she would wash cups and plates rather than marry Danish prince.
King of Denmark incensed, determined to gain bloody revenge; prince prevailed upon him to wait one last time, though inwardly prince vowed to someday make haughty princess regret her ways. Young prince left Denmark disguised; adopted name Greyfoot. Wearing old hat, dingy clothes, wooden shoes, he applied for work at English palace, hired as a herdsman, had to sleep with animals in stable.
Next day he drove royal cattle to watering hole, passing under windows of princess’s room. He drove cows using golden spindle. Princess saw it, wanted it badly, Greyfoot told her maidservant that he would not sell it for gold, but would sell it if princess would answer a single question. Princess furious; not obligated to answer any question from beggar such as he. Greyfoot kept spindle; drove cattle on.
Princess had to have spindle; pursued him, agreed to answer question. Greyfoot asked, “Is the sky blue?” She laughed, “Yes, yes, of course!” Greyfoot gave her golden spindle.
Next morning, Greyfoot drove cows with golden reel; Princess determined to have it. Same condition, answer a question. Princess laughed, thinking this was too easy, agreed to do it. Question: “Is the grass green?” She laughed and laughed, “Yes, yes, of course!” Now she had the golden reel, too.
The third morning Greyfoot drove cattle using weaver's shuttle of pure gold. Princess wanted it. This time Greyfoot said Princess must answer “Yes, yes, of course!” to whatever question he asked her. Princess delighted, thought this would be easy, if birds could fly, or if fish could swim. She agreed.
Greyfoot asked, “Will you marry me?” Princess astonished. "Surely you can't expect me, the Princess of all England, to throw my life away on a shabby beggar such as you!" But King overheard. He thundered: “Daughter, you gave your word to marry this man, and marry him you must!” He made arrangements, Greyfoot and Princess were married. Princess had to leave her life of luxury.
As they walked passed barn, Greyfoot told Princess that she could not wear silks and satins, she had to change into plain dress of linsey-woolsey, woolen jacket, cape, and pair of heavy shoes. This done, Greyfoot approved. As they walked, Princess noticed that Greyfoot, now her husband, was really quite handsome, in spite of his dingy clothes. Exhausted, she begged him to slow down. He agreed, but insisted they must keep walking.
Days later, they arrived at seaport and Greyfoot arranged passage for both of them in exchange for working as servants on ship. Princess relieved to leave England, did not care where they were going.
They landed in Denmark.Greyfoot rented one-room cabin near royal palace. Princess had to cook over open fireplace. She sighed, “To think I could have married the Prince of Denmark!” A bemused Greyfoot answered that it was no use to think of such a thing, she had to get used to what they had.
Greyfoot brought home old spinning wheel, rough flax, to be spun into yarn. He told Princess that both of them must work, make whatever few pennies they could. Greyfoot hired as woodcutter at palace. Princess wove until fingers were bleeding, knees shaking. Her weaving was bad. They shared what
little food he was able to bring home; they slept on hard cots.
One night, Greyfoot showed his wife a wheelbarrow filled with pottery. He told her he bought the pots on credit, using their savings as deposit. He asked her to sell pots at marketplace. Next day, Princess sold a few pots, but knights came galloping down street, one horse went wild, ran toward her, shattered all remaining pottery. Princess swept up mess, returned home weeping bitterly. Greyfoot shook his head sadly, said he had no money to pay for broken pottery. They ate in silence, went to bed early.
Next day, Greyfoot brought home exciting news. They were preparing for wedding at palace, needed help in kitchen. Said wife could earn good wages and free meals. But next morning, he grew ill. Wife burst into tears, said she could not bear to leave him, but she finally went to palace kitchen reluctantly. Spent whole day in kitchen, slipped, spilled pot of stew on floor, was fired instantly. Greyfoot told her there was more exciting news. Prince of Denmark was to marry Russian princess, who was delayed by storms at sea. They needed someone to stand in for her as they fitted and finished wedding gown. Greyfoot felt she might be the right size.
He was sick again next day; she did not want to leave him alone and wept. He insisted wife go to palace to see about wedding dress. She kissed him and left. The royal measurer finally selected her for the fitting. In the palace, she was dressed in wedding gown, bridal veil, pair of gold slippers, crown placed on her head. After fitting, chief lady-in-waiting informed her that she must also stand in at the wedding rehearsal since the Russian princess would be too late arriving to take part.
She entered beautiful carriage, drawn by six milk-white horses, with Prince of Denmark seated across from her. She never lifted her eyes, so embarrassed was she that she had once been Princess of England and had fallen so low.
As they passed Greyfoot’s cabin, she saw it in flames. She screamed for the carriage to stop. Her husband was home, sick and alone, perhaps caught in the fire. She tried to jump out, but only tangled her long train, veil, dropped her crown. The Prince spoke in scorn that she would jeopardize his wedding for someone as lowly as the woodcutter Greyfoot. Why did she live with such a tramp?
Panicked, she retorted that Greyfoot was her husband, he shared everything with her, though she had been of little use to him. She declared that she would refuse the Prince, even if he proposed to her on the spot, because she wanted to return to her husband’s cabin where she had lived the happiest days of her life. The Prince lifted her face and said, “But you are already my real bride.”
The Princess looked into his eyes, saw that it was her beloved Greyfoot, who was actually the Prince of Denmark. She threw her arms around him, kissed him, took back all the cruel things she had once said and done, vowed to stay with him forever, whether he was a prince or a beggar.
And so the proud Princess of England became the happy Princess of Denmark, and in later years Denmark’s good queen, ruling with her beloved Greyfoot.
~~~
#32 – The Girl Who Married the Moon
[Bones taken from an Aleut folktale. Full-text version may be found at
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/girlwho.htm ]
Long ago, two Aleut girl cousins lived in tribal village. They played on beach in the moonlight, spent nights gazing, making love to man in the moon, whom they claimed as their husband.
They huddled under a bidarka (large skin boat), moving the boat during the night so they could always face the moon. Their parents wondered what the girls did on those nights; girls said they watched moon until it disappeared from view. Many villagers heard the girls talk about their undying love for the moon, their wish that they too could become moons.
One night the girls complained that the moon disappeared too suddenly when they wished to keep playing with him, enjoying his moonlight. At midnight, the moon was already hidden behind clouds.
Suddenly, the girls heard a young man’s voice: “You’ve been saying you loved me and I have watched you and know it’s true. So I’ve come for you. But my work is so hard, I can take only one of you with me.” The moon man wanted to take the more patient of the two girls; they both begged to be chosen. He finally agreed to take both of them, instructed them to keep their eyes closed, grabbed them both by the hair, flew up through the air with them. The less patient of the girls opened her eyes too soon and instantly found herself dropping back to earth, leaving her hair behind in the moon man’s hands. Plunk! there she was, sitting right beside the bidarka again.
The patient girl kept her eyes closed the entire time, awoke in the morning in a comfortable barrabara (home of the moon). She deeply loved her husband, the moon, even though he slept all day, worked all night. Sometimes he was gone in the morning, home in the evening. Sometimes from mid-day to midnight. Such an unpredictable schedule. She hated it.
He never talked about his activities; she wondered what he did when he was working. Annoyed at his silence,. she finally exclaimed: “You go out every day, every night, you never tell me what you do. Who do you meet when I’m left behind here all alone?” He protested he was not with other people, but had important work to do and could not be with her all the time. She begged to go with him sometimes. He explained that he had brought her to be with him because she and her cousin gave him no rest, were constantly staring at him, teasing him. He ordered her to stop her foolishness, forget about helping him, stay home and be happy for the times they were together.
She wept, asking if she could go out sometimes on her own. They argued, and he finally agreed she could go anywhere except to the two houses in the distance. There was a curtain in each under which she must never look. That night the moon had an usually pale face.
The girl walked far that night, saw no one except some men lying on their faces. She kicked them hard. Each turned to look at her with one bright, sparkling eye, crying out, “Why did you do that? I’m working and busy.” The girl just kicked harder, with great pleasure. Finally tiring, she ran home.
Passing the two forbidden houses, she had to take a peek. A curtain barred her way at the first house. She looked under it and found a half moon, a quarter moon, and a small piece of moon. In the second house, under the curtain, she found a full moon, one almost full, another more than half full.
She decided to try some of the moon pieces on, to see how she would feel. The almost-full moon pleased her most, so she placed it on her cheek; oh, no! it stuck. “Ai, Ai, Yah, Ai, Ai, Yah!” she cried. She pulled, tugged, yanked—nothing helped. It was firmly stuck. She ran for home, covering that side of her face, threw herself on the bed.
Her husband found her there, complaining about a pain in her face. Suspecting the truth, he confronted her. She confessed what she had done, that the moon piece would not come off. He laughed and gently removed it. She told him all about her day, especially about her mean kicks to the one-eyed men. He scolded her, saying they were hard-working stars.
Her moon husband said that since she had put on the piece of moon willingly, she could wear it again and help him with his hard work in the sky. After he finished his rounds as the full moon, she could take over and finish off each month, giving him time to rest.
The girl gladly accepted this work and since that time, the two of them have shared the hard work—the man in the moon and his lady in the moon.
~~~
#33 – Like Meat Loves Salt
[English version is known as "Cap O'Rushes."
This website does comparisons of similar types: "Love Like Salt."
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/salt.html ]
Summary: When a daughter answers how much she loves her father with "as meat loves salt," she is disowned. Later, she takes him in when he is desolate.
Bones: A King asks each of his daughters how much she loves him. The older two give answers such as “more than gold, sugar,” etc, but the youngest says, "I love you like meat loves salt." The king is enraged (salt being such a common element) and sends her away.
She goes off to the neighboring kingdom where she is hired in the kitchen. Eventually she becomes the cook. One night the prince asks to meet the cook who made such a wonderful meal. He falls in love with and marries her.
After many years, her father comes to visit, but doesn't recognize his own daughter, who is now the princess. She tells the cook to prepare his meat without salt. He is upset when he tastes his food, until he realizes it tastes bad because it lacks salt.
He begins to weep because he finally realizes what his daughter meant. Then she reveals her identity, and he asks her forgiveness.
[Other versions of Cap o' Rushes:
1.. Sugar and Salt (England)
2.. As Dear as Salt (Germany)
3.. The Necessity of Salt (Austria)
4.. The Most Indispensable Thing (Germany)
5.. Water and Salt (Italy)
6.. The King and His Daughters (India)
7.. To Love My Father All (from The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare)]
Contributed by
Ina Valeria Doyle
Storyweaver
ivdoyle@rochester.rr.com
~~~
#34 – The Boat That Went on Both Land and Water — a folktale from France
[Bones taken from original folktale. Version appears in French Folktales (Pantheon Fairy Tale & Folklore Library)
Full text version may be found at
http://www.mordent.com/folktales/french/boat/9.html ]
A great king had proud daughter, the most beautiful princess in the world. The king was in no hurry to find a husband for her, because he loved being with her. She was quick as a warbler, straight as an arrow, sunny as an Easter day. He hated the thought of another man, any other man, having her. He didn’t think he’d ever find a suitable match for her; after all, she was the daughter of a great king.
But the queen, dishwasher, minister, cobbler, everyone in the castle and streets, reminded the king that his daughter was an only child and he had to get her married—not necessarily to a prince, if he couldn't find a suitable one, but at least to a some capable lad who could one day govern the kingdom.
Being reminded of this once too often, the angry king decreed that at the stroke of noon, he would announce that he would give his daughter to anyone who took wood from his forest, built him a boat that would go on both land and water. He thought this could never happen, so pestering would stop.
Two country boys lived near the castle; the elder very clever, could do anything with his hands. Also very conceited, believed he could easily build such a boat. He looked forward to marrying the princess.
He took up his saw, his ax, and his adze; filled his toolbox with chisels, gouges, and hammers. Lighthearted, he set off for the king’s forest.
On his way, met an old woman, a crone. She greeted him, asked how he felt. Full of self-importance, he strode proudly by, only nodding to her. She asked where he was going, he muttered he was going to make some skittles. She replied, “Very well, then, journeyman, skittles they shall be!”
Once in the forest, everything he felled, shaped or carved turned into skittles. Tried different woods, still only skittles. Furious, he hurled all his tools through the trees, again and again. That night, at home, he blamed everything on the old woman with the “evil eye.” He rationalized that building such a boat was a stupid idea, that the king only wanted to show everyone who was boss.
Younger son objected, said his elder brother should have kept at it. Angry again, the oldest said, “You do it, then! Waste your time, not mine!”
Next day, younger son took his toolbox, set off for king’s forest to build boat. Met old crone hobbling along, one hand on her hip. She greeted him, he greeted her back cordially; he told all. She encouraged him to get to work, ideas would come. She told him once the boat was done, he would meet six men-at-arms; he was to invite all of them aboard; he would need them later. The young man tipped his hat, thanked her; went on his way.
He felled trees in king’s forest; wood fell into place on its own, one branch an axle, another a rudder, another a gunwale, a rail, pieces all joined together until boat was finished. Boat was perfect. Young man got on board, boat rolled down to pond, launched itself. Came back on land, then back in water; boat sailed on both land and water. Lad steered it toward king’s castle.
The carriage-boat sailed on straight ahead over rivers, ponds, fields, moors. Wet and dry landscape glided by. Still the lad did not change, remained grateful, modest. He met a man-at-arms with a belly like a huge water-skin, lying flat on his stomach by the river. When someone wanted to cross, that man would swallow the river at one gulp so the person could go dry-shod. The boy invited him aboard.
Next, he met another man-at-arms with a mouth like an oven, gnawing furiously at a mountain. Lad invited him aboard. Then they met another man-at-arms with a backside as round as the full moon. The gas from his behind turned nine mills on the hill. The third man got on board. Then came a man with ears like cabbage leaves; his ears close to the earth, he was listening to dandelions growing on the other side of the world. On board Sharp-Ears jumped. The fifth man was throwing stones, knocking down larks for hundreds of miles around; he, too, got on board. The last man had legs like poles, could out-race any living creature. He came aboard as the last man. They were off to see the king.
Everyone amazed to see such a fine boat; they gasped, even the queen. The king stared, his crown slipping down over his unbelieving eyes. Here was the boat that went on both land and water—and he had promised his daughter in return. What to do? He schemed and plotted.
King acknowledged that the boat seemed to be the one he’d imagined, but one little task remained to be done. The wine in the cellar had soured in the heat and must be drunk before nightfall. He chuckled. Of course, this was no challenge at all to River-Drinker, who slurped up all the wine in one gulp. It was good wine, not sour, and River-Drinker would have loved more.
“Hmm, just one more thing,” said the unhappy king. “Our bread is stale and must be eaten before nightfall. Wouldn’t be right to serve stale bread.” Mountain-Cruncher moved in, ate all the bread in one swallow, wanted more, would have eaten the oven if he could.
Frowning king: “One more thing. My castle leans toward the shade. You must turn it a quarter-round for me.” Mill-Puffer happy to oblige, lay on back, drew back legs, let go with gas so strong castle turned around three times, landed exactly right.
Enraged king: “I’m going to whisper in my daughter’s ear at the top of my castle and tell her what she must fetch for the wedding. You must repeat it exactly as I said it.” An evil smile lit his face. Sharp-Ears pricked his ears only a little to hear the king tell his daughter to fetch her wedding jewels from the treasure tower, deep in the mountains.
Princess rode off on white horse, racing for treasure tower. Smug king smoked his pipe. Time went by. King remembered he had not given princess key to tower. Would not be able to have wedding Someone had to catch her, give her key. Long-Legs grabbed key, caught up with princess in a few strides, gave her key. She started back with jewels. Pretending to be tired, she lay down, feigned sleep. Long-Legs slept, too. Princess tip-toed away, quietly mounted horse, galloped toward home.
Young man distressed at waiting, asked Sharp-Ears to listen, discovered Long-Legs was snoring. Boy called on Stone-Slinger to ding the runner on the nose with a pebble; Long-Legs leapt up, overtook princess just as she arrived at the castle, even had to slow down to let her catch up.
Finally, king realized that he had to give his daughter to young man, wedding ensued. Bride told husband they should take Sharp-Ears on their honeymoon. Young man knew some plot was brewing. But he was filled with love and believed she was, too. She had finally looked at him, discovered he was a modest lad with eloquent eyes. He told her about his old crone fairy. Oh, clever princess. She had Sharp-Ears listen to everyone in the court, learned her father was furious about the wedding because of lies, king had ordered 3,000 men to pursue them, kill her husband, bring her home.
They prepared for war. Sharp-Ears kept them informed of what was happening. Long-Legs dashed about with orders, Stone-Slinger struck first blow of war with apples, Mountain-Cruncher chewed up mountain so couple could escape, River-Drinker swallowed river so they could cross, then spit it out on top of the army. Mill-Puffer lay on his back, let go with such wind that the whole army blew away.
King saw that he had lost the war, decided the boy had fairies on his side, they made up. Life rolled along in friendly way for young and old, in good seasons and bad, just like the famous boat that rolled so nicely over both land and water.
~~~
#35 – King Solomon's Daughter or How Solomon’s Daughter Found Her Husband
[Bones taken from Midrashic legend; Encyclopedia Mythica; by Ilil Arbel, Ph.D.; full text may be found at
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/featured/solomon/ksqb-4.html
This story is also called "The Princess in the Tower" in Howard Schwartz's retelling in his book Elijah's Violin. He reports it came from Midrash Tanhuma, Vol. 1
King Solomon’s favorite daughter’s birth was a mystery. Her mother was unknown, some say she was born to Queen of Sheba, left in Solomon’s care while Queen took the twin brother with her back to Sheba. The princess was very beautiful, clever and sweet; Solomon planned a bright future for her, perhaps marrying her to the king of an allied country.
Solomon read the stars each night to foresee the future. The stars told him that his beloved princess would marry a poverty-stricken young man. Desperate to change her fate, he decided to hide her away. The princess understood and agreed to follow his plan.
In the middle of the Mediterranean sea, on an uncharted island, the king built a huge tower with no door, only one luxurious apartment at the top, windows in every direction. Every possible need was provided for: books for study and amusement, elegant furnishings, needlework supplies, a harp to accompany her singing. A roof garden, watered by sea spirits, allowed her to stroll in the bright sunlight. Solomon’s mighty eagle servant brought her food each day, checked her health and happiness. The princess missed her father and companions, but patiently waited to see what would happen.The king promised a visit every six months.
The young man destined to marry the princess was sailing on the Mediterranean. Handsome, educated, son of a wealthy merchant, he commanded a ship laden with silk and tea from China. Because of a busy shipping year, the father had had to hire a ship with its own crew; the crew mutinied, took over ship and cargo, abandoned the young man in a tiny boat with few rations.
Grateful for his life, he drifted for a few days; finally spotted an island in the distance. While rowing for shore, he saw a giant eagle hovering over him. Terrified, he gazed into the monster’s eyes and saw nothing but kindness and intelligence. He therefore allowed the eagle to gently lift him, carrying him to the top of the lone tower on the island, where a beautiful woman waited for him. Love struck them both instantly.
After bathing and eating, he told the princess he had lost all his money and was now poverty-stricken, a man with no land and no prospect of returning to his father's home. The princess understood that this must be the bridegroom prophesied by the stars, and that the will of God was stronger than all the plans her father could fashion. They decided to marry in the old way of writing the contract with their own blood, and then await the king's visit.
The king arrived for his promised visit, realized his plans had been thwarted. But King Solomon was the wisest of men. He recognized that he was only a human; God’s will was far greater than his. Besides the young man’s lineage was respectable; he still might succeed in life. He was a gifted
scholar, extremely handsome. Their babies would certainly be well endowed. And from stories we have heard elsewhere, we know that Solomon was very fond of babies.
Thus, Solomon blessed the union of the two lovers, and they all lived happily ever after.
~~~
#36 – The White Bride and the Black One
[Bones taken from original folktale as found in Household Tales by Brothers Grimm
A woman, walking in the fields with her daughter and stepdaughter, was approached by the Lord,
disguised as a poor man. He asked how to get to the village. The mother told him to find it himself, the daughter told him to hire a guide, but the stepdaughter took his hand and said, “Come with me.”
Angry, God turned His back on mother and daughter, willed that they become black as night, ugly as sin. So it was. He was gracious to the stepdaughter; when they neared the village, He blessed her, saying he would grant three wishes. She asked to be as beautiful and fair as the sun; she wished for a purse always full of money; and she asked that, after her death, she be allowed to inhabit the eternal kingdom. God granted all three wishes, then he vanished.
When stepmother and daughter realized they were black as coal and ugly and stepdaughter was white and beautiful, fury seized them; they plotted revenge. Stepdaughter told all to her dear brother, who offered to paint her portrait, so he could always see her. She agreed but asked that no one else see it.
Her brother, coachman to the King, painted the picture, hung it in his room, thanked God for having such a wonderful sister. The King, grieving for his beautiful dead wife, heard about the picture from envious servants who were jealous of the coachman. He ordered the picture brought to him; he fell in love with the girl portrayed there, resolved to marry her. He sent the coachman to fetch the girl.
When her brother gave her the news, his sister was glad, but the black stepsister raged at this good fortune, berating her mother for her lack of skill in procuring such a piece of luck for her. The stepmother assured her daughter that through witchcraft she would divert this good fortune to her. Through spells she nearly blinded the coachman, nearly made the white girl deaf as she sat in the carriage. The stepmother and daughter rode on top with the coachman. After a while, he cried out:
Cover thee well, my sister dear
That the rain may not wet thee
That the wind may not load thee with dust
That thou may’st be fair and beautiful
When thou appearest before the king.
The nearly-deaf bride wondered what her brother had said; was told by wicked stepmother that he said she ought to give her golden dress to her sister. She did so, donning stepsister’s grey dress. Shortly after, the brother repeated his refrain. This time the stepmother told the bride to take off her golden hood, give it to her stepsister. The girl did so, now sitting bare-headed. Again, the brother repeated his refrain. The stepmother told to look out of the carriage as they passed over a bridge; stepmother and stepsister pushed the girl out of the carriage into the middle of the river. The girl sank; out rose a show-white duck, swimming down the river.
The brother knew nothing, drove the carriage to the court. Eyes still dim, he presented the black stepsister to the king, believing her to be his beloved sister. The furious king ordered the coachman to be thrown into a snake-filled pit.The witch flattered the king, put him under a spell; in time, he accepted and married the black stepsister.
One evening as the black bride sat on the king's knee, a white duck swam up the flooded street gutter to the castle kitchen door, saying to the kitchen-boy, "Boy, light a fire, that I may warm my feathers." The kitchen-boy lit a fire on the hearth. The duck came in, sat down by the fire, shook herself and smoothed her feathers. She asked about her brother, the scullery-boy told her he was imprisoned in the pit with snakes. Then she asked her black stepsister, was told she was loved by the king and happy in her life. The duck asked God to have mercy on the king; she left as she had come.
The next night she came again, asked the same questions, and the third night also.The kitchen-boy scurried to the king and told all. The king wanted to see for himself; next evening he hid. When the duck thrust her head through the kitchen door, he cut through her neck with his sword. Suddenly the duck changed into the most beautiful maiden who ever lived, exactly like the picture her brother had painted of her. The king was full of joy, and as she stood there soaking wet, he had splendid clothes brought for her.
She told how she had been betrayed by cunning and falsehood, thrown into the water to drown. Her first request was her brother’s release. After the king fulfilled this request, he went to the old witch, asked if she knew a fitting punishment for one who does this and that, relating what had happened. The black witch was so blinded by self-deception that she was unaware of the meaning behind the king’s question. She said, "She deserves to be stripped naked, put into a barrel with nails, then a horse should be harnessed to the barrel and sent all over the world dragging the barrel behind him." All of this was done to her and to her black daughter. They were never heard from again.
Then the king married the white and beautiful bride, and rewarded her faithful brother, making him a rich and distinguished man.
~~~
#37 – King Thrushbeard
[Bones taken from original folktale as found in Household Tales by Brothers Grimm, trans. Margaret Hunt. London: George Bell, 1884, 1:203-207. Full text may be found on many websites.
King’s daughter was more beautiful that any other maiden, but proud, haughty, thought no suitor good enough. One after another she rebuffed and ridiculed. King had feast, invited all suitors from near and far, lined them up for her inspection. Kings, grand-dukes, princes, earls, barons, gentry. She objected to all: too fat, too thin, too pale, too tall, too short, not one pleased her. She made particular fun of one good king, calling his chin a thrush’s beak; thereafter, his was called King Thrushbeard. Her angry father, seeing her arrogance, proclaimed she would marry the first beggar who knocked at their door.
Shortly thereafter, a poor fiddler sang beneath the castle’s windows, hoping to earn a few pennies. The King summoned him inside. In his dirty, ragged clothes, he sang for the King and his daughter. When done, he asked for only a small trifle in payment. The King instead said the fiddler’s songs had pleased him, therefore, he would give his daughter to him as a bride. The Princess shuddered, but the King reminded her of his oath to give her to the first beggar who called. The Priest arrived, the two were married on the spot, the King ordered his daughter to follow her husband wherever he went. The Princess had to walk away from the castle on foot with her new husband.
When they came to a large forest, she asked who it belonged to. The beggar replied King Thrushbeard owned it; she rued the day she had turned that King away. Next, they reached a meadow; she learned that King Thrushbeard owned that also; the poor girl was beside herself with regret. Finally, they came to a large town. Once again, she found out King Thrushbeard was the owner; the unhappy Princess moaned and groaned at her misfortune.
The annoyed fiddler said he was not happy to hear her wish for another husband, as if he were not good enough for her. When they arrived at a little hut, the Princess found out that this miserable, mean hovel belonged to her husband, and this is where they were to live out their lives. No servants appeared; the Princess was ordered to do all the work herself. She knew nothing, so at first the beggar tried to teach her everything. They ate meager meals, went to bed early, got up early to do chores.
When their provisions ran out, the husband told his wife to start weaving baskets from willows that he brought home. She wove until her hands bled all over the baskets. He was displeased, told her to spin. Blood ran down her fingers into the threads. He told her she was no good for anything; he had gotten the worst of the marriage. He then brought some pots home, told her to sell them in the marketplace. She dreaded the time someone would recognize her, but she obeyed anyway.
People loved buying pots from such a beautiful woman, so she succeeded very well. Some people even left their pots with her on consignment. Husband and wife were able to live on her earnings; he bought more crockery for her to sell. One day, a drunken hussar rode into her stall, his horse breaking all her pots into a thousand pieces. The distressed Princess was beside herself with fear of what her husband would say. He berated her for sitting at a corner of the marketplace with crockery, ordered her to stop wailing, then told her he had arranged for her to work as a kitchen maid in the palace. She was given the dirtiest work, was paid pennies, took home scraps of food in little jars to eat. Thus they lived.
It happened that the wedding of the King’s eldest son was to take place soon. The poor woman peeked through the kitchen door at the preparations being made, all pomp and splendor, wept bitterly, cursing the pride and haughtiness that had humbled her and brought her to such great poverty.
Suddenly, the King’s son entered, clothed in velvet and silk, with gold chains about his neck. When he saw the beautiful woman standing by the door, he seized her by the hand, tried to dance with her, but she shrank from fear, for she saw it was King Thrushbeard, the very man she had driven away with such scorn. In spite of her struggling, he drew her into the hall, but the string by which her little jars were held broke, the morsels of food scattered all about. The people around her laughed with derision, pointing at her with scorn.
Shamed and humiliated, she bolted for the door to run away, but the King caught her, bringing her back into the room. He told her that he and the fiddler with whom she had been living were one and the same, that for love of her he had disguised himself as a beggar to live in a hovel with her, that he had even been the hussar who broke all her pots in the marketplace; he had done it all to humble her proud spirit and punish her for her insolence with which she mocked him.
She hung her head in shame, weeping and sobbing, crying out that she had done great wrong, was not worthy to be his wife. He comforted her that those evil days were past, now they could celebrate their wedding. The maids-in-waiting clothed the princess in the most splendid dresses and jewels. Her own father and his entire court arrived joyfully in time for the grand wedding. And such a lavish wedding it was. King Thrushbeard and his beautiful bride lived together happily ever after.
~~~
#38 – A Reason to Beat Your Wife
[Do you dare tell a tale with a title like this? Can you cope with the uncomfortable moving of your audience in their seats when you first give the friend's advice? If you can, and can carry your audience through to the end of the story, you will have one of the greatest laughs from them—and they will be yours for the rest of the performance. To carry them through that awkward time, make sure your body language and voice give them just enough of a clue that they do not need to leave the theatre immediately. And Petra and I know because, as I have the friend say, "I've seen it a thousand times!"; this is one of our favorite tales to begin a performance with. As a frame I look at the audience, say that it seems as if they might be married, and if they are, they need to know this tale, and then use something like the following: A tale in which someone knows the secret of a happy marriage.]
A man was married - very happy because wife was perfect. One day met a friend he'd not met for years: "Oh, I'm so happy, I have a perfect wife."
Friend asks, "But have you beaten her yet? Every man must do this once to have a happy marriage."
"But I have no reason, she's perfect."
"Then make a reason. Bring home fish for dinner - say important guests are coming. Leave house without saying if fish should be fried, boiled or baked. So whatever she does is wrong—you can beat her."
Man does this - takes home fish, tells wife, runs out of house.
But she watches him go - thinks, "What's his game? Hasn't told me what he wants." So she cuts fish into three pieces - one she fries, one boils, one bakes.
Everything ready—three pots with the fish. Baby comes crawling around, makes a mess on floor (don't say shit, just make a noise to indicate it)..
Before she can clear it up she hears husband coming. Puts another pot over baby's "mess".
"Where's fish?" She shows him pot with fried fish.
"I wanted it boiled" - gets ready to beat her.
"Oh, it's boiled fish you wanted." She shows pot with boiled fish.
"No, wanted it baked" - gets ready to beat her.
"Oh, it's baked fish you wanted." She shows pot with baked fish."
"No, no. Oh shit."
"Oh, it's shit you wanted!" She shows pot with the shit.
And from that day on they had a very happy marriage indeed ...
Contributed by
Richard Martin, Germany
http://www.tellatale.eu/
~~~
#39 – The Nix of the Mill-Pond
[Bones taken from original folktale as found in Grimm's Household Tales, with the Author's Notes, trans. Margaret Hunt. London: George Bell, 1884, 2:293-298.
Full text may be found on many websites, including:
http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/g/g86h/chapter182.html
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm181.html ]
Miller and wife lived together in great prosperity and contentment, each year growing richer. But their fortunes changed, they lost all their money, soon to lose the mill. So distressed he could not sleep, the miller rose before daybreak one morning, stepped outside just as the first sunbeam was breaking forth, heard a rippling in the mill pond. A beautiful woman appeared, rising slowly out of the water, her hair so long it covered her entire body. He realized she was the feared Nix of the Mill-Pond; he froze in terror. But she called to him softly by name, asking why he was so sad. He told all. She promised to bring back his wealth and happiness if only he would give her the young thing that had just been born in his house. Sure that it must be a puppy or kitten, he agreed. The Nix descended back into the pond, the miller returned to his mill.
A joyous maid-servant rushed to tell him that his wife had just given birth to a little boy. Horrified, he knew he had been deceived by the Nix, now he had to face his wife in shame. His wife lay in bed, confused that he was not happy about their baby. He told her all, crying out that riches and prosperity were no good to him if he lost his only son, but he felt powerless. No one knew what to do.
As time went on, the miller and his wife grew prosperous again. He succeeded at every venture he undertook; his coffers seemed to fill themselves with money, gold, silver, jewels. Soon he was richer than he had ever been, but he regretted his agreement with the Nix; his tormented soul gave him no rest. Whenever he passed the mill-pond, he feared she would arise, reminding him of his debt.
As his son grew, the miller warned him to never go near the mill-pond for if he touched the water, a hand would rise, seizing the boy and drawing him down into the dark water forever. The boy became a young man, was apprenticed to a huntsman, learned every hunting skill, caught the eye of the lord of the village who took him into service.
The huntsman fell in love with a beautiful and true-hearted village maiden. The lord gave them a house, the two were married, lived peacefully and happily, loved each other with all their hearts.
One day, while hunting, the huntsman had to chase a swift stag out of the forest into open country before he could shoot it. He did not realize he was in the vicinity of the mill-pond. After he skinned the deer, he dipped his hands into the nearby water to wash off the blood. Instantly, the Nix rose from the water and with a smile wound her dripping arms around the huntsman, drew him quickly down under the waves, which closed over him.
Evening came, the huntsman did not return. His wife, alarmed and fearing the worst, went straight to the mill-pond about which she had heard so much through the years. There she saw his hunting-pouch lying on the shore; she knew what had happened. Kneeling on the shore, she lamented her sorrow, wringing her hands, calling out the name of her beloved—all in vain. She called from all sides of the pond, reviling the Nix with harsh words, but nothing happened, the water remained calm reflecting the crescent moon. Round and round the pond paced the poor woman, not resting for even a moment, sometimes in silence, sometimes calling out in agony. Finally exhausted, she fell asleep at the edge of the pond.
She dreamed she was climbing upwards between great masses of rock; thorns and briars caught her feet, rain beat on her face, wind tossed her hair wildly about. Once she reached the top, she found that the sky was blue, air soft, a green meadow lay at her feet with flowers of every color, and there stood a pretty cottage. As she entered, an old woman greeted her warmly. But then the wife awoke, still on the shore of the mill-pond. She vowed to act out her dream, laboriously climbed the nearby mountain, lived through all the dangers, arrived at the cottage she had seen in her dream. As she entered this time, the old woman invited her to sit down and tell what had happened. The young woman told all; the old woman agreed to help, gave her a golden comb, instructed her to sit by the mill-pond by the light of the full moon and comb her long black hair, then to lay aside the comb and see what happened.
When the full moon came that month, the young wife did as told, laying the golden comb aside. Soon the water stirred, a wave rolled to shore, taking the comb away as it receded. In the instant following, the surface of the water parted, the head of the huntsman arose. He did not speak, but his eyes welled with sorrow. Then a second wave arose, pulling the man down into its depths. All had vanished; the mill-pond lay peaceful.
Full of sorrow, the young woman labored once again over the mountain, braving the elements. This time the old woman gave her a golden flute, instructing her to play it under the full moon at the side of the mill-pond, lay it aside, see what happened. Again, the wife did as she was told, laying the flute to one side. The water stirred, a wave rushed to shore, bore the flute away. Immediately afterwards, the water parted, but this time half of the huntsman’s body rose out of the water and silently he stretched out his arms to her, only to be sucked back into the water by the next wave. Again, the water stilled.
Despairing, the wife once more visited the old woman, who this time gave her a golden spinning-wheel, instructing her to spin under the full moon, then lay the wheel aside, see what happened. The wife did as she was told; this time there was violent movement in the water, a mighty wave rushed to shore, bearing the spinning-wheel away. Immediately, the head and whole body of the huntsman rose up out of the water in a spout. He sprang to shore, grabbed his wife by the hand, and together they fled.
But as they ran, the whole mill-pond rose with a frightful roar, streamed out over the open country. Certain they would die, the wife implored the help of the old woman; instantly, they were transformed into a toad and frog. The flood could not kill them, but it tore them apart, carrying them far away from each other. When the waters receded, they regained their human forms but did not know where the other was. They each found themselves among strange people, not in their native land. High mountains and deep valleys lay between them. In order to stay alive, they both became sheepherders.
For many long years, they drove their flocks over mountains, through field and forest, each filled with sorrow and longing. One spring day, by chance, they drew near each other, meeting in a valley. So many years had passed that neither recognized the other, but found comfort in each other’s company. Day after day, they drove their flocks to the same meeting place, did not talk much, just rejoiced that they were no longer so lonely.
One evening, under the full moon, the shepherd played a beautiful, sorrowful air on his flute. When he finished, he saw the shepherdess weeping bitterly. She told him of playing the flute at the edge of the mill-pond that day long ago when her beloved rose out of the water. They looked at each other with unbelieving eyes, suddenly realizing that they were that same husband and wife. For the first time in so many years, they embraced and kissed each other, and no one need ask if they were happy.
~~~
#40 – Maid Maleen, version 1
[Bones taken from original folktale as found in Grimm's Household Tales, with the Author's Notes
Full text may be found on many websites, including:
http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms140.html
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/ ]
King had son who asked for hand in marriage of another king’s beautiful daughter, called Maid Maleen. Request refused; second king wished to give her to another. The two lovers swore they would not give each other up; Maid Maleen said she would take no other man for her husband.
Enraged, her father ordered a dark tower built; no sunlight, moonlight or air could enter. He ordered Maid Maleen imprisoned for seven years to break her perverse spirit. Food and drink were brought in, she and her waiting-maid were walled up. For years, they sat in darkness, not knowing day from night. Prince circled tower, calling their names, but no sound pierced the thick walls.
Food supplies running out, but nothing happened; Maid Maleen decided father had forgotten her. She and waiting-maid began to dig their way out using a bread knife. They got out one stone, then another, then a third. Finally, they could look out through the opening.
Sky was blue, breeze fresh, but her father’s castle lay in ruins, towns and villages destroyed by fire, fields laid to waste, no people visible. When the opening was big enough, they jumped out, did not know where to go, wandered aimlessly without food and water, eating only nettles. They came to another country, could not find work. Went to royal palace, were hired as scullery maids.
The prince in this kingdom was the very man who had loved Maid Maleen. His father had chosen an evil and ugly bride for him, the marriage about to take place. Ugly bride hid herself in her chambers. Maid Maleen served her from the kitchen. Ugly bride did not want to show herself, afraid of being mocked; she told Maid Maleen that she had sprained her foot, could not walk through streets, asked her to put on wedding gown, pretend to be her, go in her stead to wedding. Maid Maleen refused; ugly bride threatened to behead her. So Maid Maleen donned bridal clothes and jewels and entered royal hall. Everyone gasped at her beauty. King bragged about her loveliness; Prince thought she looked identical to his beloved Maid Maleen, whom he believed died in the tower. He led her to the church.
On the way, passing a nettle plant, she recited: Oh, nettle-plant, Little nettle-plant, What dost thou here alone? I have known the time, When I ate thee unboiled, When I ate thee unroasted.
When Prince asked, she said she was only thinking of Maid Maleen. Prince wondered how she knew about Maid Maleen, but he kept silent. At the foot-bridge to the church, she said: “Foot-bridge, do not break, I am not the true bride.” Again she told Prince she was thinking of Maid Maleen, but vowed she did not know her, had only heard of her. At church door, she said: “Church-door, break not; I am not the true bride.” Again, she said she was thinking of Maid Maleen but did not know her.
Prince put precious gold chain around her neck, fastened the clasp. They entered church, priest joined their hands together before the altar and married them. Not a word did she say. When they got back to the palace, she took off clothes, jewels, dressed herself in her gray gown, kept nothing but the jewel on her neck that Prince had given her.
When the night came, ugly bride with veil over her face was led into Prince's chambers. He asked her what she had said to nettle-plant; she retorted she did not talk to nettle-plants; Prince claimed she was not the true bride. She left chambers, questioned Maid Maleen, who recited what she had said to the nettle-plant. Ugly bride ran back to Prince, telling him what Maid Maleen had told her. He then asked her what she had said to foot-bridge; she had no answer, she said she did not talk to foot-bridges, left, questioned Maid Maleen again, ran back to Prince, recited what she had learned. He then asked her what she had said to the church-door; same thing happened. Each time she threatened Maid Maleen with death for causing all this.
But when Prince asked to see the gold necklace he had fastened around her neck, she could show
nothing. The Prince drew aside her veil, discovered her deception and her ugliness. She confessed all. Prince demanded to see the scullery maid. The ugly bride commanded the servants to behead Maid Maleen immediately in the courtyard. But as they were dragging her out, she screamed so loudly the Prince heard her cries, ordered the servants to set her free instantly.
The Prince saw the gold chain on her neck, knew she was the woman he had married. He asked again how she knew about Maid Maleen, who was dead; she told all, saying that the sun was shining on her once again because she had been married to the Prince and was now his lawful wife. They kissed and were happy the rest of their lives.
The ugly bride was rewarded for her actions by having her own head cut off.
The tower in which Maid Maleen had been imprisoned remained standing for a long time, and when the children passed by it they sang:
Kling, klang, gloria.
Who sits within this tower?
A King's daughter, she sits within,
A sight of her I cannot win,
The wall it will not break,
The stone cannot be pierced.
Little Hans, with your coat so gay,
Follow me, follow me, fast as you may.
~~~
#41 – Maid Maleen, version 2
[Bones taken from "Maid Maleen," retold by Nancy Burks, as it appears in Best Stories from the Texas Storytelling Festival (American Storytelling)
Maid Maleen was the daughter of a king. She was beautiful and kind. Her father loved these qualities. She was also intelligent, creative, courageous and strong willed. Her father did not like these qualities.
Maleen fell in love with a man name Roland, son of a neighboring king. He loved everything about Maleen. Maleen’s father disapproved of their romance and demanded that she stop seeing Roland. She refused saying, "Our love is a rare and precious thing." King was upset at her disobedience and built a round, stone tower with no windows. He placed food and water for seven years in the tower, along with Maid Maleen and her hand-maiden.
For six years she tried to escape, and on the seventh she succeeded, after chipping away at the mortar and making a small window. She dropped to the ground. Her kingdom was gone from the war that was fought with Roland’s people. She made her way to Roland’s castle and asked for work in the kitchen. She found out that Roland was to be married to the Princess Esme. Roland had never seen Esme because the marriage had been arranged by his father.
Maleen asked if she could be Esme’s hand-maiden; her request was granted. Esme was horrible She was not ugly, but her ill temper and bitter disposition made her all the more unpleasant to look at. On the wedding day, Esme refused to walk to the church and be gawked at by peasants. She dressed Maleen up in her clothes and commanded that she go to the church and pretend to be Esme.
Maleen’s face was covered with a heavy veil when she met Roland. As they walked to the church she saw some nettles in the road. She sang a childhood song: Nettles, nettles, move aside, Make way for the true bride!
Roland wondered…could it be? They walked on until they came to some doves in the road. Maleen sang out again: Dove, dove, fly aside, Make way for the true bride!
Roland was surprised... could it be? They came to the church and Maleen sang out again: Church doors, church doors, open wide, Make way for the true bride!
Roland now knew. They went into the church, exchanged vows, were sent to their separate chambers. When Maleen returned, Esme stripped the wedding clothes off of her and kicked her out.
Roland came to see Esme on the wedding night. He knew this was not the woman he had married and decided to trick her. He asked three questions: What did you sing to the nettles today? What did you sing to the doves? What did you sing to the church doors? Each time Esme responded with impatience and anger. Did he think she was a fool? Roland finally offered his hand to her, she thought he wanted to dance; she rose to meet him. He spun her around; placed his foot on her backside and propelled her toward the door. As he did this, he sang, "Woman, woman stand aside, make way for the true bride!”
Esme ran away in tears, Maid Maleen entered and threw herself into Roland's arms. They were married and lived for many, many happy years. Which, of course, only goes to prove that “True love is a rare and precious thing and will always find its way."
Contributed by
Karen Chace, East Freetown, MA
Storyteller–Teaching Artist–Web Researcher
storybug@aol.com
http://www.storybug.net
~~~
#42 – The True Sweethearts (aka The True Bride)
[Bones taken from Grimm's Household Tales, with the Author's Notes, trans. Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 2:307-313.]
A very young girl lost her mother; stepmother made girl’s life wretched. Girl worked hard, but stepmother never satisfied, never enough. The harder girl worked, the more was expected of her. One day stepmother gave girl 12 pounds of feathers to pick off quills by evening or she would be beaten. Pick, pick, pick—the girl despaired, tears flooded her cheeks, feathers flew everywhere, girl chased them. Finally cried out for help, sobbing. Old woman appeared at her side, comforted her, told her she would finish the task. Girl fell asleep from exhaustion.Old woman worked all day with withered hands, feathers flew off quills, everything done and tidied up by evening. Great snow-white heaps of feathers lay neatly in room. When girl awoke, old woman had vanished. Stepmother berated girl for not working this hard all the time; vowed to give much worse tasks in future.
Next day, stepmother gave girl spoon to empty out fishpond in garden by evening; if not, expect a severe beating. Girl saw spoon was full of holes, knew the task could not be done. She tried, sobbing all the while, knowing how futile it was. Old woman appeared again, told girl to lie down in thicket and rest, while she completed the work. As the old woman worked, a vapor rose from the pond, mingled with the clouds, gradually the pool was emptied. When girl awoke, fish were gasping in mud, water and old woman had vanished. Stepmother furious; vowed to get even.
Next day, stepmother ordered girl to build a castle in the desert by the evening or she would face grave consequences. Girl objected; stepmother screamed that she had done the feathers and the fishpond, and she left girl alone in desert. Girl could not lift even one rock to start. Weeping, girl prayed for old woman, who appeared and told girl to lie down in the shade, sleep, and she would finish the task. She even told girl that if she loved the castle, it would be hers to live in. Old woman touched rocks, which magically rose, built themselves into castle. Pillars grew on their own, tiles laid themselves on roofs, all as if a thousand hands were working. When evening came, castle was done. Walls with silk and velvet, embroidered chairs, crystal chandeliers, gilded mirrors, parrots in cages, a king’s palace indeed. Girl awoke, entered castle door, stared in awe. Stepmother inspected every inch of castle from turret to kitchen to bedrooms, could find nothing wrong, turned purple with fury, said she would give girl even harder tasks. She descended into cellar, heavy trap-door slammed on top of her knocking her down stairs, killing her instantly. Now castle belonged to girl alone.
It took awhile, but girl finally felt at home in castle. Beautiful dresses hung in closet, gold and silver everywhere, pearls, jewels, everything girl could wish for. Suitors from far-off lands came courting, but none pleased her. One day a wonderful prince arrived, touched her heart, they were betrothed. Prince said he must go home to seek his father’s permission to marry, begged her to wait for him under the lime tree, he would return within a few hours. Girl kissed his left cheek, entreating him not to let anyone else kiss him there, and she would wait until he returned.
She sat under the lime tree until sunset, no prince. Three days, no prince. By fourth day, she feared an accident, vowed to search until she found him. Brought three of her most beautiful dresses, decorated with diamond stars, silver moons, golden suns. and a few of her jewels and set off. She inquired everywhere, no one had seen prince. She wandered the world, but could not find him, and she finally went to work for a farmer as a cowherd, buried her dresses and jewels beneath a stone. She lived as a herdswoman, guarded her herd, and was very sad and full of longing for her beloved prince.
She had a little calf that she taught to know her, and fed it out of her own hand, and when she said,
Little calf, little calf, kneel by my side,
And do not forget thy shepherd-maid,
As the prince forgot his betrothed bride,
Who waited for him 'neath the lime-tree's shade.
the little calf knelt down, and she stroked it.
Thus she lived for two years, alone, full of grief. She learned the King’s daughter was to marry. The road to town passed by the farm. One day, the bridegroom rode by on his white horse, looking neither right nor left. She recognized her beloved prince, felt a knife-like pain pierce her heart. She felt totally abandoned, believed prince had forgotten her. Next day, he rode by again. She sang to little calf:
Little calf, little calf, kneel by my side,
And do not forget thy shepherd-maid,
As the prince forgot his betrothed bride,
Who waited for him 'neath the lime-tree's shade.
Prince heard her voice, looked down, reined in his horse. He stared at herdwoman’s face, passed his hands before he eyes as if trying to remember something, but soon rode out of sight. The girl wept
bitter tears, knowing that the prince no longer knew her.
The wedding festival was to run three days at the King’s court; the whole countryside invited to attend.
Girl decided to try one more time, retrieved her gowns and jewels from under the stone, put on the dress with the golden suns, let down her hair into long curls, presented herself at court to everyone’s amazement. Who was this girl? King’s son greeted her but did not recognize her. They danced, he was enchanted and forgot his other bride. After the feast, she vanished into the crowd, ran back to her farm, donned her herdsmaid’s dress.
Next night, she wore dress with silver moons, put jewels in her hair, arrived at festivities, prince would dance with no one else, so filled with love was he, made her promise to come again the next night.
The third night, she wore dress with diamond stars that sparkled with every move, her hair ribbon and girdle glittered with jewels. Prince was waiting for her, demanding to know who she was, saying that he felt he had known her for a long time. She kissed him on his left cheek, asking if he remembered this. Suddenly, his eyes cleared as if he had been released from a spell, and he recognized his true bride. He grabbed her hand, ran with her to his carriage, turned his horses toward the magic castle where he had first met her, and they sped off as if wind was carrying them through the air. When they arrived, saw lime tree, countless glow-worms swarmed about it, tree shook its branches to sent forth its fragrance. Gardens were abloom, whole castle echoed with the songs of birds and happy throngs of people.
In the hall the entire court was assembled, and the priest was waiting to marry the bridegroom to his true bride, and the couple lived together happily ever after.
~~~
#43 – The Mouse Bride – a folktale from Finland
[Bones taken from Scandinavian Folk & Fairy Tales: Tales From Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland & Iceland
A laborer named Pekka always worried about the future. So concerned was he that he went to an old Lapland woman, asking her to tell his fortune. She said he would have three sons and when each was born he was to plant a tree for him, calling that tree by the same name as his son. When the boys grew old enough to marry, each was to cut down his namesake tree and whichever way the tree fell, that was the direction he was to go to find his bride.
Pekka obeyed. When his first son was born, he planted a birch tree and named it Omni; the second son got an oak tree named Arne; the third son’s tree was a fir named Jukka. The sons and the trees grew up together. All three sons decided simultaneously to seek wives. Pekka told them to cut down their namesake trees, each son to follow the direction in which his tree fell.
Omni’s tree pointed in the direction of the rich man’s house; Arne’s tree pointed toward a farmer’s acreage; Jukka’s tree pointed toward the deep forest. Each son set forth in his tree’s direction.
Jukka walked for three days and three nights into the dark forest seeing nothing. Finally, he came upon a small log cabin, completely empty inside. He entered, found only a little gray mouse with blue eyes and a white-tipped nose. “Welcome, stranger,” said the mouse, “Why are you so sad?” Jukka said she’d be sad too if she had traveled so long and not found a bride. “Then marry me,” piped the mouse. Shocked, Jukka retorted, “But you’re not even human.” The mouse just smiled, saying if Jukka married her, he would never be sorry. Jukka thought he couldn’t be any worse off than he already was, so he agreed to the marriage. As the little mouse danced for joy, Jukka trudged home, sad at heart.
At home with his father and brothers, Jukka said only that his bride-to-be had very blue eyes and a white nose. Everyone roared with laughter. Omni and Arne bragged all night long about their beautiful brides. Sad Jukka went to bed early.
Next day, Pekka instructed his sons to bring back a piece of each bride’s handiwork so he could judge which was best. Off they went. Jukka arrived at the mouse’s house, asked her to bake him a loaf of bread to take back to his father. The mouse bride rang a tiny reindeer bell and a thousand mice came running; she instructed each of them to go out and find an extraordinary single grain of wheat for the bread. Hurry, hurry. Off they scampered, brought back the wheat, the mouse bride ground the wheat, baked the bread. Jukka thanked his bride, tucked the loaf under his arm, returned to his home.
Omni brought a loaf of rye bread, Arne’s was barley, but Jukka’s was obviously the best, baked as it was from the finest wheat flour. Pekka’s eyes widened, but he said nothing.
Pekka next instructed his sons to bring back a piece of cloth woven by each bride’s hand. Jukka despaired, but told the little mouse what he needed. Ring, ring went the tiny reindeer bell; once again a thousand mice responded, dancing in on their toes. The mouse bride told them to each bring back the finest shred of flax that could be found; hurry, hurry, hurry. Back they came with their flax, and they all set to work spinning and weaving, and in no time at all they gave Jukka a piece of exquisite cloth tucked inside a nutshell. Off he went for home.
At home, Omni bragged about his hard and stiff cloth, Arne proudly showed off his loosely woven, uneven cloth. Jukka was ashamed at the small size of his cloth; still, he pulled the nutshell out of his pocket. Everyone burst out laughing. But when he took the cloth out of the nutshell, it was so finely woven that they found over 50 yards of folded cloth in that tiny space. Again, Pekka’s eyes widened with wonder, but he said nothing.
Pekka now instructed his sons to bring back their wives, so he could see who made the wisest choice. He planned three weddings for Midsummer’s Day.
Omni and Arne dashed away happily to get their brides. Jukka wandered around in a daze, wondering what to do. Finally, he arrived at the mouse bride’s house and told her his father wanted to meet her. She rang her tiny reindeer bell, a beautiful tiny carriage made of a chestnut burr appeared, drawn by five sleek, grey mice. A toadstool served as a canopy. Sick at heart, Jukka walked slowly beside the carriage, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
While crossing a bridge, they met an ugly peasant boy with bad manners. He sneered at Jukka, making fun of him for walking beside a stupid, crazy mouse carriage, and with a nasty kick he knocked the carriage and all the mice into the swiftly running water. In a splash they were all gone. Horrified and angry, Jukka turned, ready to fight. But the peasant boy had disappeared.
Suddenly, he saw five sleek gray horses drawing a glittering carriage out of the stream; in the carriage, holding the reins, sat the loveliest maiden Jukka had ever seen; he was tongue-tied. She explained that she was a princess, but a Lapland witch envied her beauty so much she turned her and all her servants into mice. The spell could be broken only when a young man freely asked for her hand in marriage and another man tried to kill her by casting her into water. Those conditions now met, here she was in all her glory. Jukka’s mouth dropped open at his luck; the happiest man in the world was he.
The princess, called Olga, patted the seat beside her, Jukka climbed onto the carriage, and off they drove to his father’s house for the wedding feast. Olga dazzled everyone, most of all Pekka, who stared slack-jawed at her all night without blinking. Omni and Arne turned green with envy. Celebrating the three marriages, everyone danced and sang as the village musician played on his kantele (a Finnish harp) in the romantic, moonlit night.
After the festivities, all the couples returned to their new homes, and an astonished Jukka’s eyes widened when he saw the tiny mouse house magically transformed into a great castle.
And there it was, far from the busy world, that Jukka and his mouse bride lived happily ever after.
~~~
#44 – The Legend of Turrialba
[Source: Salas, Arnoldo, Diario Nacional, 10 de agosto de 1954, p.51, as translated from Spanish to English by Storyteller Marcia Gutiérrez.]
Many years before the Spaniards came to Costa Rica; there was a tribe of brave and strong people. Their Cacique (Kaw-see-kay) (meaning chief or leader), an aged widower, had a daughter of 15 years whom he protected as if she were a fine treasure. Her name was Cira (see-ruh). Cira had a kind heart and all the people loved her.
One beautiful afternoon as the sun was setting behind the mountains; Cira felt the enchanting call of the forest and went to it. She picked flowers as she walked deeper and deeper into the forest, higher and higher up the mountain. The sky darkened and it began to rain. Cira found refuge under an old
fallen tree trunk; feeling alone and scared she began to scream, but the darkness of the forest devoured her cries of help. She than became tired and fell asleep. The forest watched over its precious virgin.
The forest gave out a moan as a stranger entered it. The trees chattered among themselves as the stranger, a young man of another race, walked through its depths and finally came upon the sleeping woman.The man looked upon her beautiful face and was enchanted by her.
Cira awoke with a start and saw the man standing over her. She jumped up and tried to run, but he caught her by grabbing her around the waist. He forced her to sit with him and then he proclaimed his love to her. As she listened to his words and began to study his face and handsome features, she fell under his enchantment.
The forest looked upon the couple and saw their love and happiness.
When Cira’s tribe realized that she was missing it went into an alert. All the men, weapons in hand, prayed with their Cacique to their God for guidance and then they went into the forest to look for their precious jewel, Cira. They walked up and up the mountain, deeper and deeper into the forest.
Cira’s father was the first to see her. He gave out a great cry of anguish when he saw his daughter in the arms of a strange man. He ordered his men to capture and kill the intruder. The forest stirred and the ground shook as a great fissure opened up and swallowed the couple for all eternity.
A column of blood red smoke rose up from the fissure as an apotheosis of the love of two races.
Many, many years later, the village long abandoned, the Spaniards came. Upon seeing the column of blood red smoke rising from the distant volcano they named it Torre-Alba (Tor-ray--al-buh)---Tower of Dawn. Today the name has evolved to Turrialba (Turr-ee-al-buh)
Contributed by
Marcia Gutiérrez, Bilingual Storyteller
QuiltedTales@aol.com
http://www.storytelling.org/gutierrez/
~~~
#45 – The Story Spirits – a folktale from Korea
[Bones taken from Aaron Shephard's website; full text version of this story and many other rare and wonderful tales at: http://www.aaronshep.com . Included here with the generous permission of Aaron Shepherd.]
Don Chin was a boy who loved stories. He listened to them every night, told to him by his servant, Pak. He was a good boy, but selfish with the stories. He made Pak promise to tell stories only to him.
Years went by, and when Don Chin was old enough, a bride was chosen for him. Everyone was busy making preparations for the journey to the bride's house for the wedding ceremony. Pak was passing Don Chin's bedroom when he heard angry voices inside. He was surprised because he knew no one was supposed to be in there. He peeked into the room, saw that it was full of spirits flying everywhere, arguing. They were the spirits of all the stories that had been kept locked up in that room for all those years. They wanted to punish the boy for keeping them to himself only. They knew the boy was leaving to get married and to start a new life, so this was their last chance for revenge.
One story spirit said that he had a poisoned well in his tale, so he would put his poisoned well by the road, and maybe the boy would stop for a drink. Another story spirit said that he had poisoned strawberries in his story. He would make his poisoned strawberries grow by the side of the road to tempt the boy to eat them. Another story spirit said he had a red hot poker in his story and would put his red hot poker in a cushion at the bride's house to burn the boy’s foot. And just in case these things didn't work, another story spirit was going to put a deadly snake from his story under the sleeping mat of the bride to bite and kill both the bride and the groom.
Pak yelled and jumped into the room, but it was still and empty. Pak rushed outside, determined to
protect his young master. They were starting on their journey and Pak came forward and told the young master that he would lead his horse today. It was a hot day and after a while they saw a well. Don Chin asked Pak for a drink of water. There was a gourd dipper by the well and Pak told him that the young master could not drink from a gourd dipper on his wedding day, he must wait and drink from a porcelain dipper at the bride's house. Pak hurried on past the well. Don Chin thought Pak was being disrespectful to disobey him, but let it pass.
After a while, they came to a beautiful field of ripe strawberries. Don Chin asked Pak to pick him some strawberries. Pak rushed on saying that those strawberries were too small and sour. His master must wait until they reached the bride's house, for they would have the biggest and juiciest strawberries there. Don Chin's father noticed Pak's behavior with disapproval. Don Chin scolded Pak. Pak asked the young master to please trust him.
At last they arrived at the bride's house, where the bride's father met them at the gate. It was the
custom to bring out a special cushion for the groom to step down on. He was about to do so, when Pak grabbed a corner of the cushion and jerked it away. Everyone was horrified as Don Chin stumbled into the dirt. Pak acted angry and accused the servants of bringing a dirty cushion for his master. Don Chin and his father were getting very angry at Pak, but did not want to show their anger in front of the bride's family.
They were led into the garden where the wedding ceremony took place and then there was much feasting and celebration. That evening, Don Chin was led to his bride's room. Just after he entered, Pak came flying in with a long knife. The bride screamed thinking herself in danger. Pak rushed to the sleeping mat, threw it aside and stabbed at the huge snake that was waiting there. Others rushed in and were shocked to see Pak standing above the couple with his knife. Don Chin's father demanded to know what was going on. Don Chin quickly explained that Pak had just saved their lives. Pak then told them all about the story spirits and their attempts at revenge. Don Chin saw the error of his ways and promised to always share the stories from then on.
Contributed by
Wendy Gourley
Storyteller/Storyteacher
http://wendygourley.com/contactinfo.aspx
~~~
#46 – The Girl From Heaven
[I heard this told as a tale from Africa by a German teller, Elfriede Gazis, at the International Theater, Frankfurt.]
Man, rich, many cows. But one morning went to milk them, udders empty. Next morning same. Decided to stay awake next night to watch.
Midnight, silken rope came down from heaven, many girls climbed down, each with a basket tied around her waist. They milked cows.
He caught one (so beautiful: eyes, teeth, skin as dark as a lake at night). "You will be my wife!"
She agreed, but made him promise never to look in the basket she had at her waist, said if he did, his fortune would change.
Made her his wife. Happy with her, beautiful, good wife, worked well, children. He prospered.
One day he forgot his promise, looked in the basket. Laughed aloud—he saw there was nothing in the
basket!
Wife came in. Told her basket was empty! She told him that he had broken promise—now his luck would change. In the basket were all the gifts she had brought him from heaven—and he was too blind to see them.
Silken rope came down from heaven—and he never saw her, or his good fortune, again.
Contributed by
Richard Martin, Germany
http://www.tellatale.eu/
~~~
#47 – The Squire's Bride – a folktale from Norway
[Bones taken from original folktale as found in East O' The Sun And West O' The Moon With Other Norwegian Folk Tales Retold By Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen (Kessinger Publishing's Rare Reprints)
http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/junior33.htm
http://www.wishfaery.com/fables/squiresbride.html ]
An old rich squire owned a big manor house, had silver stored in many chests, lent out money at high interest. But he was a widower, had no wife. Took a liking to a neighboring farm girl, thought she would jump at chance to marry such a rich man. Told her he had the notion to marry again. The snickering girl retorted that one could have many notions, some perhaps better than remarrying. He said that it was her he wanted; she thanked him, turned him down, thinking to herself that the day would never come when she would accept that ugly old man.
Squire surprised, miffed, wanted her more than ever, would not accept no for an answer. He went to girl’s father, agreed to forget about the money he owed if father could get girl to marry him. And he would throw in a large piece of prized, fertile land besides. Father promised to do so, determined to straighten daughter out. Talked and talked to her, both soft and sharp, did no good. Girl was adamant, would not have Squire if he sat in gold dust up to his ears.
Squire impatient with waiting. Ordered father to fulfill his promise. Father agreed to trick girl, telling Squire to prepare for wedding, with parson and wedding guests in attendance; he would send girl to manor house to do “work”; Squire must marry her instantly, before she could get her wits about her.
Squire thought this a good idea, had servants get ready for lavish wedding, invited guests, commanded boy servant to go quickly to farmer’s house with an order to deliver what farmer had “promised.” Boy slow to move; angry Squire shook his fist at boy; terrified boy sped to neighboring farm, found daughter in meadow, gave her Squire’s message demanding her father fulfill his “promise.” She told boy her father had promised Squire a little white mare. Boy mounted mare, galloped back to manor house.
Squire greeted boy at door, asked if he had brought “her” with him, boy said she was standing out by the door. Squire ordered boy to take her upstairs to his mother’s old room; boy puzzled, how to do this? Squire snarled “Do as I say!” adding that if boy could not do this by himself, he should get others to help, since Squire knew the girl might get out of hand. Frightened boy summoned all the servants, some shoved mare from the back, others hauled her from the front. Finally, they all got her upstairs in the chamber. There on the bed lay the bridal outfit, ready and waiting.
Trembling, the boy reported to the Squire, telling him what a horrible job it had been. Squire laughed, telling boy he would be rewarded. Then he ordered boy to send womenfolk up to the room to dress his “bride.” Boy puzzled, objected, Squire shushed him, telling him they were to completely dress his bride, forgetting neither wreath nor crown. Boy passed message on to maids, believing that his Master wanted to give his guests a good laugh.
So the girls dolled the mare up in bride’s clothes, boy reported to Squire that she was ready, Squire told boy to bring down his bride and he would receive her at the door himself. Tremendous clattering on the stairs ensued, for this bride did not wear silken slippers. The doors opened, the Squire’s Bride came prancing out into great hall, all the wedding guests burst out laughing.
And as for the Squire, for some reason he never went out courting again.
~~~
#48 – The Red Thread
[Bones taken from "The Red Thread," retold by Martha Holloway in More Best-Loved Stories Told at the National Storytelling Festival (20th Anniversary Edition)
[Note: This is Martha’s version of a story found in Persian Folk and Fairy Tales
Long ago in Persia lived a young man whose name was Bahram. He was very poor, the son of a cocoon peeler. His father died and the son had to continue his father’s trade.
One day he came upon a man beating a cat. He gave the man all his money to save the cat. The cat looked at him and said, "Kindness is never forgotten. Here is a magic ring. Rub it and the slave of the ring will give you anything, but take care it doesn’t fall into the hands of an unworthy person."
He wished for a castle. Everything he could want appeared, yet he still lacked a wife. One day he saw the king’s daughter; wanted her for his wife. He sent his mother, dressed in simple clothes, to the king to ask for her hand. The king refused because she was poor. He demanded many riches for his daughter. If she failed to bring them, he would kill her. She returned home, told her son, he used the ring to wish to get the riches he needed. And so the two were married; a seven-day feast of celebration took place. In the excitement, the couple forgot one thing: the red thread. It was said that at every wedding an old woman must sew with a red thread so the lips of people with evil tongues could not destroy the
marriage with their lying words. All went well for a while; the couple was happy in their castle.
The prince of Tatary, who had loved the princess for many years, sent his servant to ask for her hand, only to be told she was already married. He flew into a rage. He decided to find out what the secret was to Bahram’s wealth. He sent a wicked old woman, famous for her lying tongue, to find out the secret. She went to their castle and was hired as a servant; she soon became a favorite of the princess.
One day she asked the princess where her husband’s wealth came from and convinced the princess to ask her new husband. At first Bahram was angry that she had questioned him, but when she cried, he relented and told her. He showed her where the ring was hidden. She promised to keep the secret, but the next day she told the old woman, who stole the ring and took it to the prince of Tatary.
When he received the ring, the prince wished for the princess to become his wife instead and for Bahram’s riches to disappear. Everything happened as he wished. Braham was forced into poverty. He went back to his old profession, selling cocoons. One day the cat appeared and told him that someone with an "unclean heart" had taken the ring. The cat asked the other animals where the ring was now and the sparrow told them. The cat found the princess who told him that her new husband slept with the ring in his mouth so no one could take it. The cat found a way to make the prince sneeze so the ring would fly out of his mouth. He returned the ring to Bahram, and he and the princess were reunited.
They realized their mistake was in not having an old woman sew at the wedding, so they repeated the marriage ceremony and this time the old woman was there, sewing with a red thread. Bahram then threw the ring into the ocean where it is to this day; and the happy couple lived a long and happy life.
Contributed by
Karen Chace, East Freetown, MA
Storyteller–Teaching Artist–Web Researcher
storybug@aol.com
http://www.storybug.net
~~~
#49 – The Twelve Dancing Princesses
[Sources: Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories
King has 12 beautiful daughters. Daughters all sleep in the same room.
King locks them up in their room each night. (Or daughters bolt door from the inside every night.)
Every morning their shoes are worn out, as if they had been danced through. This drives the King crazy!
King announces that whoever can find out where they go at night can marry one of the princesses. They have three days to try. If they fail, they die (or have to leave, be banished forever, etc.).
Several young men try, without success.
Poor soldier (or poor man, or poor gardener) comes to try. Meets an old woman along the way. She tells him not to drink any wine the princesses give him at night, and pretend to fall asleep right away. Then she gives him a cloak of invisibility.
Soldier goes to castle, presents himself to King. Soldier is given room adjoining the princesses’ room. That night, oldest princess gives him a glass of wine. He pretends to drink it, but has tied sponge beneath his chin and he lets wine trickle into it. Then he lies down, pretends to sleep.
Princesses get all dressed up. Youngest princess says, "Something is wrong"; others laugh at her.
Oldest princess taps on her bed, bed sinks into ground (or oldest claps hands, door opens in wall, or trapdoor in floor). The princesses go through the opening and down steps.
Soldier puts on invisibility cloak, follows them. Halfway down, he steps on youngest princess’s dress. Youngest princess says, "Something is wrong”; others laugh at her.
At bottom of steps they are in avenue (or garden) of silver trees. Soldier breaks off a branch, tree makes loud noise/roar. Youngest princess says "Something is wrong”; others laugh at her.
Next they find avenue (or garden) of gold trees. Soldier breaks off a branch, tree makes loud noise/ roar. Youngest princess says, "Something is wrong”; others laugh at her.
(In some versions, next they find an avenue (or garden) of diamond trees. Soldier breaks off a branch, tree makes loud noise/roar. Youngest princess says, "Something is wrong”; others laugh at her.)
Next they come to a river. Twelve boats are on bank, in each boat is a handsome prince. Princesses go into boats. Soldier gets into boat with youngest princess. Her prince complains the boat is too heavy to row properly.
A castle is across the river. Music is playing. The twelve princesses and the twelve princes dance all night. The soldier stays near youngest princess and drinks wine out of her glass. Youngest princess says "Something is wrong”; others laugh at her.
When dance is over, princes row princesses back across river. Soldier sits in boat with oldest princess this time. When boats are grounded, soldier jumps out, runs through avenues of silver and gold trees, up steps, and jumps into bed. When princesses get back to their room, he is snoring. They throw their worn-out shoes beneath the bed and go to sleep.
Soldier follows princesses for three days. On final night, he steals goblet of youngest princess.
At end of third day, soldier tells King where princesses have gone, shows him silver and gold branches and goblet.
King asks daughters, daughters confess they have done this to free the twelve princes from a spell. King asks soldier which princess he would like to marry. Soldier marries oldest princess.
Contributed by
Leanne Johnson, Professional Storyteller
~~~
#50 – Worry Bundles
[Sources of bones: 1’ve heard many versions, including one in A Piece of the Wind and Other Stories to Tell
Very unhappy woman, so many problems, so many worries (messy children, ungrateful husband, noisy pets). It is overwhelming.
Goes out alone, walking away from her problems, and meets a kind woman who offers to help her.
They enter a room filled with bundles, all the worries that people live with. She may trade for any of the bundles she prefers.
Small golden one, should be easy -- it’s the death of a child -- no, not that!
Another elegant package -- no husband to come home at night -- oh, no!
Bundle after bundle, all seemed too hard.
Finally she tells her new friend that she’ll keep her own bundle of worries, because her worries are tied to her blessings, and goes home with appreciation of her own life and sympathy for others.
Contributed by
Mary Garrett
http://www.storytellermary.com/Garrett/Welcome.html
~~~
#51 – The Black Prince – a story from Egypt
[Bones taken from Laura Simm's version of "The Black Prince" found in Ready-To-Tell Tales (American Storytelling)
In ancient Egypt, there was a boy who was thought ugly, stupid and lazy. The only thing he cared about was playing his homemade flute. He would play it all day. Even his mother thought that he was worthless.
One day the boy found a beautiful walled garden with a girl sitting by a pool of water. He fell in love with the girl and came every day to sit on the wall and play his feelings for her on his flute. She never looked at him or acknowledged him, but simply sat there day after day by the pool. He dreamed of entering the garden one day and professing his love.
One day he heard some villagers talking about the Princess Thudmos, and they described the garden where she spent her days. The boy realized that he had fallen in love with a princess. He knew a princess would never love a poor boy who was ugly, stupid and lazy. Heartbroken, he wandered all night; at dawn he heard some merchants talking about a powerful magician named Habee.The boy asked them about Habee and was told he could perform any miracle. They told the boy he lived a three-day walk into the desert.
With nothing but his flute, the boy immediately began to walk out into the desert. He walked three days without stopping until he came to an oasis. There he met Habee and told him his story. He asked Habee to change him into someone a princess would love...a strong, mighty warrior. Habee told him that he could do that, but warned the boy that once he changed a man's soul, it could not be changed back again.
Habee asked the boy how he would pay for this service. The boy had only his flute and Habee took it. After a few days, the boy's mother assumed he was dead, thought he had fallen into the river or some other foolish thing. She held a funeral.
Three years passed, during which the Pharaoh's enemies attacked him and he lost most of his land and half of his wealth. He was about to surrender, when a handsome, strong man dressed in black came into the Pharaoh's camp. He told the Pharaoh that he was the Black Prince and if the Pharaoh would let him lead the army, he would win back the Pharaoh's lands. In return he asked only to be given his heart's desire. The Pharaoh agreed. Within weeks, the Black Prince accomplished the goal and the Pharaoh was restored to power and wealth.
The Pharaoh was pleased and asked the Black Prince to visit him in his palace in one month. At the appointed time, the Black Prince arrived with much fanfare. Women scattered flowers at his feet and everyone gathered to catch a glimpse of the powerful warrior. When he arrived at the palace, he saw Princess Thudmos seated next to her father. The Pharaoh offered the Black Prince much wealth and power, but the Prince said he only wanted his heart's desire. When the Pharaoh asks what that was, the Prince stated that he would like to marry the Princess.
The Princess stood up, saying that if the Pharaoh commanded it, she would obey, but she warned the Prince that she would never love him, as she had already given her heart to another. She then told of a young boy who sat on her garden wall day after day, playing his flute. His music seemed to touch all the emotions of her heart. She dreamed of the day when he would come into the garden and love her as much as she loved him. But one day, he no longer came. When her servants went into the city to inquire after the flute player, they were told that he had drowned in the river.
The Princess told the Prince and her father that she would never love as deeply again and she had sworn never to marry. The Black Prince told the Princess that he, too, has once loved that deeply and that he would never ask her to marry against her will. He turned and left the palace, never to be seen or heard from again.
Contributed by
Wendy Gourley
Storyteller/Storyteacher
http://wendygourley.com/contactinfo.aspx
~~~
#52 – The Rabbit and the Moon
[I heard this story from a participant on a storytelling-in-education course, and followed up his source. This is a book of Bushman tales Märchen der Buschmänner by Giesela von Radowitz, Werner Dausien Verlag, Hanau 1983.]
If you go out into the fields, in the still, grey hour before the dawn, you will find that the grass is wet.
One day, at the beginning of time, in that still, grey hour, Rabbit stepped out into the field, and he, too, found the grass was wet. As he stood there, wondering where the water had come from, he heard someone crying—and he looked up and found it was the Moon, his tears running down his round, yellow face and falling to the earth and making the grass wet.
"Moon, Moon, why are you crying?"
"I am crying because I want to be like man."
"But why should you want that?"
"I want to be like man because man never dies."
"But man dies, come, I'll show you. Come with me."
And the Moon stepped down, out of the sky, and Rabbit took the Moon to a hut. There, through the window, Rabbit showed the Moon an old man lying on his bed, the last breath rattling in his throat.
"See, man dies."
"Oh, no. Look there."
And the Moon pointed through another window, he showed Rabbit another bed; and on that bed lay a woman, her newborn baby in her arms, by her side a man.
"See, they are together, so there will always be birth. But I am alone, when I die there will be no more moon. That is why I cry."
And the Moon climbed back into the sky. And there he is crying still; as you can see, in that still, grey hour before the dawn, when the grass is still wet with his tears...
Contributed by
Richard Martin, Germany
http://www.tellatale.eu/
~~~
#53 – Wali Dad
[Bones taken from the following sources:
"The Story of Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted" from The Brown Fairy Book
The Story of Wali Dad
The Gifts of Wali Dad: A Tale of India and Pakistan
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE07.html ]
Wali Dad lived in a mud hut far from home. He made his living cutting grass and selling it as fodder. He made a little money every day, spent a little on food, but saved most of it in a sack/large pot. One evening he counted the money he had saved; there was more than he expected – too much! He had an idea. He went into town next day and purchased a gold bracelet.
Wali Dad took bracelet to his merchant friend. Asked merchant to give bracelet to most beautiful/
virtuous woman he knew. Merchant said this was Princess of Khaistan. Merchant presented bracelet to Princess. Princess delighted with gift, gave merchant gift of a camel loaded with silks for Wali Dad.
Merchant took camel and silks back to Wali Dad. Wali Dad didn’t want gift. Asked merchant to give silks to most noble/honorable man he knew. Merchant said this was the Prince of Nekabad. Merchant presented silks to Prince. Prince honored/grateful, gave merchant gift of 12 horses for Wali Dad.
Merchant took horses back to Wali Dad. Wali Dad didn’t want gift. Asked merchant to keep a couple horses for himself, take the rest to Princess of Khaistan. Merchant presented horses to Princess. Princess perplexed, asked advice (from King or Prime Minister), which was to send gift so splendid that Wali Dad could not possibly repay. Princess gave merchant gift of mules loaded with silver.
Merchant took mules back to Wali Dad. Wali Dad didn’t want gift. Asked merchant to keep a couple mules for himself, give the rest to Prince of Nekabad. Merchant presented mules to Prince. Prince embarrassed/perplexed, gave merchant a gift of 20 horses, 20 camels, and 20 elephants, all decked out with gold, silver, jewels, silks, etc.
Merchant took caravan back to Wali Dad. Wali Dad didn’t want gift, asked merchant to keep some for himself, take the rest to the Princess of Khaistan. Merchant presented caravan to Princess. Princess amazed/stunned/impressed by gift. Princess decided that Wali Dad wanted to marry her. A caravan was
arranged to travel back with her to meet Wali Dad. Merchant tried unsuccessfully to talk her out of it.
When caravan camped out night before reaching Wali Dad, merchant went to find his friend, warned him of impending arrival of Princess. Wali Dad felt ashamed, ran away. Along the way he met Peris from Paradise (Persian fairies). They transformed him into rich man, turned his mud hut into palace.
Princess of Khaistan came to meet Wali Dad. Soon after, Prince of Nekabad also arrived in caravan to meet Wali Dad. Prince and Princess met, fell in love at first sight, decided to marry, lived happily ever after. Wali Dad was pleased that he had brought them together.
Wali Dad lived happily in his palace, did good deeds with his money for rest of his life.
[Alternate ending: Wali Dad found Peris from Paradise, asked to have his mud hut and quiet life back. They granted his wish, and he lived happily and simply ever after.]
Contributed by
Leanne Johnson, Professional Storyteller
~~~
#54 – The First Strawberries – a Cherokee legend
[Bones compiled from full-text versions on many websites.
Also available as a beautiful picture book: The First Strawberries (Picture Puffin)
In days long ago, the First Man and First Woman lived happily together. They gathered food, built a house, shared daily work. One day, man became bored and angry with his wife, they quarreled. Furious, the woman left man, headed east, never looked back.
The man soon regretted his actions, rushed to find wife, but she was far ahead of him, traveling fast. He could not catch up to her. Feeling defeated, yet lost without her, he fell to ground, prayed for help.
The Creator appeared, asked if man was still angry with his wife. Man said no, that he wanted her back, but she was so far ahead of him that he could not reach her. Creator took pity on man, planted huckleberry bushes in woman’s path to slow her down and man could catch her. But woman passed through bush without even seeing it.
Creator then put blackberries in woman’s path, but she passed through even with the stickers pulling and tearing at her skin as she walked. Other fruits, bushes, trees placed in her path; each time woman passed through, not noticing them.
Finally, Creator placed before her the first strawberries known to man. When woman passed, she stopped, thinking about the bright red, sweet-smelling fruit on the path just behind her. She turned to pick one, tasted it. The aroma and delicious flavor filled her soul. Her eyes looked west, her anger disappeared, she suddenly longed for her husband.
The woman decided to return to her husband, gathered some of the finest strawberries to take with her, started home. She met her husband halfway. He embraced her, begging her to forgive him. The woman looked at him, held up the luscious strawberries and smiled. Hand in hand, they walked home.
[Note by Barbara Shining Woman Warren (Cherokee) who tells this legend:
The Cherokee word for strawberry is ani. The rich bottomlands of the old Cherokee country were noted for their abundance of strawberries and other wild fruits. Even today, strawberries are often kept in Cherokee homes. They remind us not to argue and are a symbol of good luck. Her website may be found at:
http://www.powersource.com/cocinc/articles/strwbry.htm ]
~~~
#55 – Savitri - a folktale from India
[Bones taken from the following sources:
Bang, Mollie. The Buried Moon and Other Stories
Jaffrey, Madhur. Seasons of Splendour: Tales, Myths & Legends of India
Narayan, R. A. The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic, 1978.
Shepard, Aaron. Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India
http://www.aaronshep.com ]
King Asvapati was childless. He performed rites 10,000 times a day, making sacrifices to a ceremonial fire and giving alms. After eighteen years, the goddess Savitri came to grant a boon to Asvapati. He asked for a son, but received a daughter whom he named Savitri. When she was of marriageable age, no suitor would come for her because, with her golden skin and great beauty and wisdom, she closely resembled the goddess. So her father gave Savitri permission to seek a husband on her own.
She went many places, until she found Satyavan. She fell in love at first sight. His father, Dyumatsena, a king, had become blind. His enemies took advantage of his condition and seized his kingdom. The king, his wife, and child went to live in the forest at a hermitage. They took vows and practiced asceticism. Satyavan provided all for his parents.
Savitri told her father of her choice. Narada, the great traveling sage and seer, was visiting. He counseled against the marriage. He foretold that in one year from that day, Satyavan would die! Savitri insisted, so Savitri and Satyavan were married. She went to live with Satyavan and his parents, devoting herself to them.
Four days before Satyavan was to die, Savitri began a three-day fast, neither eating nor sleeping. The fourth day, she said she wished to accompany her husband into the forest. "I will eat this evening,” she said. "I wish to be with my husband now."
Savitri and Satyavan went into the woods. He worked but suddenly complained of a headache. He lay down, and she took his head into her lap. Gradually, he seemed to fall asleep. Then she noticed a princely man striding toward them.
"Who are you?" she asked. "I am Yama, god of death," he replied. "You can see me only because of your devotion to your husband. I have come for the soul of your husband myself instead of sending my helpers, because he is such a saintly man." And with that, he drew from his robe a small noose. He extracted Satyavan's soul with his noose and began traveling south toward his kingdom.
Savitri saw Satyavan's body lose its being, and brought the body to lie peacefully under a banyan tree. She hurried after Yama. Yama noted her determination, but told her not to follow him into his realm. Savitri replied that she could not go where her husband was not. "I have been taught that a married life is the highest goal attainable, so I have nowhere to go except where my husband goes," she replied.
Yama said that Savitri could not follow her husband any further, but, because of her words, he would grant her any boon, save that of restoring her husband to life. Savitri asked that sight and kingdom be restored to her father-in-law. Yama consented.
But Savitri would not give up. Yama was pleased with her devotion and told her that she could ask for a second boon, although not for the life of her husband. "Please," she said, "it has been a great sorrow to my father that no sons were born to him." "He shall have a hundred sons," Yama replied. "Now go back; you have come a long way."
Savitri kept following. "While I follow my husband, there can be no such thing as distance or fatigue. In your kingdom, your subjects enjoy absolute justice. I prefer to remain in the company of the good with their rewards."
Yama was visibly moved by her words. "I am dreaded," he said. "And no one speaks such words to me as you have just spoken. You may ask for one more boon."
"Then grant that a hundred sons be born to me."
"Gentle lady, you will have a hundred sons, valiant and strong. Now you must turn back. You have come too far."
"Sir, I am to be married to only this one man, for that is what marriage is. If I am to be a chaste wife, then it is only Satyavan who can give me sons."
Yama looked at her closely, realizing what had happened. He took out the spirit of Satyavan and removed the noose. He blessed Savitri and Satyavan and went south alone, for the first time in his career yielding back a life.
Savitri hastened back to the spot where Satyavan's body had been laid. He opened his eyes, murmuring, "I have had dreams of a strange-looking man with a noose...." She told him everything that had happened. They went joyfully back to the hermitage.
Meanwhile, Dyumatsena miraculously had recovered his sight. The young couple arrived and everyone shared their joy. The next day a messenger arrived with the news that Dyumatsena's usurper had been assassinated and his people were ready to welcome him back, blind or not. Dyumatsena was re-instated as king, and Satyavan was made prince-regent.
As the years passed, Savitri gave birth to one hundred sons, all brave warriors, and Savitri's mother, Malavi, bore Asvapati one hundred sons.
Contributed by
Audrey Kopp
Storyteller, teacher
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/akopp
~~~
#56 – Anait – a folktale from Armenia
[Bones taken from Golden Fleece Tales From the Caucasus
Once there was a King and Queen who only had one son, Vachagan. Well formed he was and clear of voice, and many princes wanted to call him "friend," but he preferred to hunt alone; alone, except for his faithful servant Vaginak, and his sheep-dog, Zangi. Nor did they make a show of their outings, but wore the plain huntsman's clothing.
One day, after a long, hot day of riding, they welcomed the sight of a village well and rode up to get water. Surrounding the well were many fine maidens, but one had a pitcher, and it was she who Vachagan asked for water. But instead of handing him the pitcher, she filled and emptied the container six times before offering him the water.
"Why do you tease me so?
"I don't tease you," she scolded, "But I am keeping you from cramping, which is what would happen if you drank the chilled water from the well after such a hot day."
The Prince was pleased with the answer, and asked her name.
"Anait. What is yours?"
"Would you prefer truth or a lie?
"Truth, of course."
"Then wait, and I promise you will learn it."
This was the maiden he wished to marry, and after much arguing, he gained permission from the King to marry a shepherd's daughter. His servant, Vaginak, was sent with many presents, which pleased Anait's father no end, but he left it to her choice.
Anait looked up from her loom, and asked, "What trade does the prince follow?"
"Trade!? He's a prince!!"
"Princes can become paupers. I will only marry him if he has a trade."
The King and Queen hoped this would dissuade Vachagan from his desire, but he asked for the counselors to find him a trade. They finally decided that weaving was a noble pursuit, and they brought a master weaver from Persia; from him Vachagan learned the fine arts, and in a year the prince had
created a brocade tapestry for Anait's wedding gift.
In time Vachagan's parents died, and he and Anait became the land's rulers. They ruled fairly and brought learning to their people.
But they were saddened by the disappearance of Vaginak; nor was he the only one of their subjects to have vanished. Finally Vachagan called together a few of his men, decided to travel as laborers so they could investigate the dire mystery. He left fair Anait to rule in his absence.
They came to the town of Perozh, where they found the high priest seeking workmen to help at the temple, but what interested Vachagan was that the priest was only hiring foreigners. Soon he and his men were hired and led to the temple, but once beyond the doors they found themselves in the most horrible of dungeons; dungeons filled with many dead, many near to death. He found Vaginak in one section where the slaves worked at trades, and in the other a great cauldrons bubbled, filled with the dead bodies.
Vachagan boasted that he was a master weaver and could bring the priests much gold. They were willing to try him; they gave him the materials he needed; plus the food and workers necessary for the tasks. With all his wiles and skill. Vachagan made sure to protect his friend, Vaginak, and as many other prisoners as he could while weaving a tapestry of strange runes and great beauty.
He told the priests that only one person would have gold enough to purchase such a carpet, and that was the Queen of his country. One priest carried it to Anait's realm, and in the strange words she read the true, and horrible, fate of her husband and the others. She imprisoned the priest and then summoned her army.
The Queen donned armour, and rode as their commander to Perozh; where they vanquished the cruel priests and freed the prisoners. Anait's heart was made joyful when she saw her beloved Vachagan walk
from the temple, carrying his dear friend, Vaginak, who was too weak to walk.
Great was their rejoicing, peaceful were their years together.
Contributed by
Cathy Mosley
cmosley@motion.net
~~~
#57 – Why Mole Lives Underground – a Cherokee legend
[Based on a tale reported by James Mooney in the 1890s. From the Archives of Blue Panther. Full text versions available on many websites, including:
http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues04/Co04032004/CO_04032004_Mole.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/cher/motc/motc030.htm ]
A man loved a woman who disliked him; would have nothing to do with him. He tried to win her love, no success. Discouraged, he became obsessed and sick.
Mole asked man what was wrong. Man told all. Mole said he could help, that not only would the woman like the man, but she would come to him of her own free will.
That night Mole burrowed underground to the place where the woman was asleep in bed. Mole took out her heart, brought it back and gave it to the discouraged lover, who could not see it even as it lay in his hand. Mole told the man to swallow the heart, promised that the woman would be so attracted to him, she would come to him freely. The man swallowed the unseen heart.
When the woman awoke, the man was on her mind; she desired to be with him, to go to him that minute. She did not understand for she knew she had always disliked him, but her feeling grew so strong, she felt compelled to seek him out, tell him she loved him and wanted to be his wife. She found the astonished man and they were married.
When all the magic men found that this had come about through the work of totally insignificant Mole, they turned livid with rage and jealousy, determined to kill him. So that’s why Mole hid under the ground and still doesn’t dare to come up.
~~~
#58 – Tattercoats
[Bones taken from More English Fairy Tales
In a palace by the sea an old rich lord sat in a high tower. Both his wife and daughter were dead, and his heart was full of bitter sorrow. He spent his time staring out at the sea and crying tears that formed a river out of the window. He sat there so long that his hair was twisted around the chair and caught in cracks in floor.
Old man had a grandchild, a baby girl whose mother died during her birth and whose father went to war and did not return. The old man declared that he didn't care whether the baby lived or died. Swore that he would never look at her.
So baby grew up without seeing her grandfather. Looked after by an old nurse. Fed with scraps from table and clothed with castoffs. Castle servants rejected her; called her Tattercoats because of her ragged clothes. Tattercoats had one friend, the boy who looked after the geese. The music he played on his flute made her forget her troubles.
When Tattercoats was 18, news came that the King was to hold a grand ball in a nearby town. Reason for ball was that the King’s eldest son was looking for a bride. A messenger brought an invitation to the old lord. He ordered servants to cut his hair, bring him fine clothes and get his horse ready to go to ball. Tattercoats wanted to go, too, so asked nurse to ask grandfather. Nurse did so; grandfather refused.
Tattercoats ran crying to gooseherd, who comforted her by playing his flute, telling her that they would go to town to see the fine ladies at the ball. They set off to town with the geese following behind.
They hadn’t gone far when a handsome young man rode up on a horse asking for directions to town. He got off his horse and walked along beside them. Tattercoats and young man talked. Gooseherd fell behind, playing flute. Played a sweet tune that cast a spell around young man and Tattercoats. They fell in love. When tune ended, young man asked Tattercoats to marry him. Tattercoats thought he was teasing, laughed and rejected him, told him to find a rich bride. Young man asked her to come to ball at midnight, dressed in her rags, with gooseherd and geese, and he would tell all fine ladies and gentlemen that she was girl he wanted to marry. Young man rode away.
At midnight Tattercoats entered ballroom in ragged dress, with gooseherd and geese. Everyone stared and laughed. Young man (really prince) walked up to Tattercoats, led her to the king, saying, "Father, this is the girl I wish to marry.”
The gooseherd played flute again and Tattercoats’ rags changed to beautiful robe sewn with jewels, a gold crown appeared on her head; the flock of geese transformed into pageboys carrying her long train.
Great celebrations broke out. Gooseherd never seen again. Old lord still refused to look at his granddaughter. He went home to palace by the sea. Sat at window looking out at sea, weeping even more bitterly.
Contributed by
Sheila Wee
Asian Storytelling Network, Singapore
http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com/profile/SheilaWee
~~~
#59 – Syvatogor's Bride – a Russian heroic poem
[Bones taken from Russian Tales and Legends (Oxford Myths and Legends)
Svyatogor, the great hero, rode his steed out from his city on the Holy Mountain onto the open plain, feeling stronger than usual, wanting to test his strength. He was sure that if he could find a ring affixed to the earth, he would be able to lift the whole world with one hand.
In front of him walked a young man who always seemed to stay ahead of Svyatogor, even though the hero galloped after him with all the speed he could urge from his horse. He called out to the stranger to stop walking, to let him catch up. The traveller did so, put a small sack he was carrying on the ground beside him, and waited patiently.
Svyatogor inquired what was in the sack. The stranger invited him to pick it up and see for himself. The hero dismounted, grabbed the sack in one hand and nearly tore his arm out of its socket. Shocked, he seized the sack with both hands, pulling with all his strength, but he sank to his knees as sweat and blood rolled down his face. He had been able to raise the sack only a breath’s height.
He asked what was in the sack making it so heavy he could not lift it; the stranger said the weight of the world lay in there. Realizing that this man was very powerful, Svyatogor asked how he could learn his fate as decreed by God. The stranger told him to ride until he came to a crossroad, then veer left, gallop at full speed until he came to the Northern mountains. There in the hills under a tall tree a blacksmith would be waiting, a man who could answer the hero’s question.
Svyatogor did as he was told, his steed crossing seas, rivers, vast distances, until three days later he arrived in the Northern mountains, found the smithy under the tree forging two thin hairs. In response to Svyatogor, the smithy said he was forging the fates of those who would wed, and that Svyatogor’s bride dwelt in the Kingdom by the Sea in the City of the King, and for 30 years she had lain on a dunghill.
Insulted, Svyatogor cried that he would take no bride from a dunghill; he spurred his horse, rode swiftly to that kingdom and city, halted before a poor and lowly hut. Inside, he saw the maiden lying on a filthy dunghill, her skin as thick and black as the bark of fir trees. Taking 500 roubles from his pocket, he laid them on the table, took his sharp sword, thrust it into the maiden’s breast.
When he had departed, the maiden awoke, rose from the dunghill, the fir bark fell from her body, and she became a beauty such as the world had never seen. She took the money from the table, began to trade, amassed untold riches, built herself a fleet of dark-red ships, loaded them with precious wares, sailed forth across the blue sea. Arriving at the great city on the Holy Mountains, she began to trade. Fame of her great beauty spread throughout the land. Svyatogor came to look at her, fell in love with her instantly, wooed her, and they married.
As Svyatogor lay beside his wife, he saw a scar on her white breast. In answer to his questions, she told him that a stranger had ridden into the Kingdom by the Sea, into the City of the King, as she lay in a deep 30-year sleep on a filthy dunghill, that this man had placed 500 roubles on her table, and when she awoke, there was a scar on her breast and the fir bark had fallen from her body.
And thus it was that the mighty hero Svyatogor saw that no man can escape his fate.
~~~
#60 – East of the Sun and West of the Moon
[Bones taken from the Asbjörnsen and Moe version included in Andrew Lang’s The Blue Fairy Book
Poor man with many children lived on edge of forest. Youngest daughter was the prettiest. Late one evening, windy, wet autumn weather, someone knocked at the door. Man went to see who it was, found a great white bear. Bear asked to be given the youngest daughter in exchange for making family wealthy. Man decided to ask his daughter. She refused. He told bear to come back a week later for answer. Persuaded daughter to accept.
Bear came to get her, told her to ride on his back. When he asked if she was afraid, she said "No." Came to a door in a mountain, inside the mountain a magnificent home. Bear gave her bell to ring if she needed anything. When she put out the light to go to sleep, a man came in and lay down beside her. It was the White Bear in human form. She never saw him as a man, for he was always gone by daylight.
Everything went well for a while, until she became lonely and asked to visit her family. White Bear made her promise not to talk to her mother alone, agreed to take her to see her family in their new home. Asked her to keep her promise or "you will do much harm to both yourself and me." Visit went well, although she gave vague answers to their questions. Refused to talk to her mother alone, but finally was persuaded. When she told mother about man who lay down with her each night, mother was concerned. "It might be a troll!" Mother gave her a candle stub, told her to look at man while he slept, but be careful not to drop tallow on him. She took the candle.
White Bear came to fetch her, asked if she had kept her promise. She admitted that she had talked to her mother, but didn’t tell him about candle. He again warned that if she listened to her mother, sorrow would come to both of them. They returned to White Bear’s home, she went to bed, the man came to lie down beside her. When he was asleep, she lit the candle and saw the handsomest prince ever seen. Fell instantly in love, seemed she must die if she didn’t kiss him. As she kissed him, dripped three drops of tallow on his shirt. He awoke. "What have you done? You have brought misery on us both." Explained that he was under his stepmother’s spell, to be a bear by day, himself by night. If she had restrained her curiosity for one year, he would have been free. Now he must return to stepmother’s
castle, which lay east of the sun and west of the moon, and must marry a troll princess with a nose three ells long. Told her she could not go with him, but that she could search for him, although she would never be able to find the castle east of the sun and west of the moon.
Prince and castle vanished. She woke in woods with nothing but bundle of rags. Walked for many days until she found old woman on mountain playing with golden apple, asked if she knew where she must go. Old woman asked if she was the one who should have had the prince, couldn’t tell her where to go, but gave her golden apple and lent her horse to ask a neighboring woman. That old woman had golden carding comb. Same conversation, didn’t know how to find the castle, but gave her carding comb, lent her horse. Third old woman had golden spinning wheel. Same conversation, gave her spinning wheel, lent horse, suggested she ask the East Wind. East Wind had heard of place, but didn’t know it, carried her to West Wind to ask him. West Wind, same conversation, carried her to South Wind. South Wind didn’t know, same conversation, carried her to North Wind. North Wind had been there once, so far a journey he had to rest for days before he could return. Offered to take her there. Blew her to end of the world, such a storm! So tired, he sank to barely over the crest of the waves, her feet touching the water. Asked girl if she was afraid, she said no. Just strength enough to throw her up on shore under windows of castle, then he collapsed, had to rest for days.
She sat beneath windows of castle playing with golden apple. Princess with long nose saw her, asked how much she wanted for apple. "It isn’t for sale for gold or money." What will you take? Girl asked for a night alone with the prince. Troll princess agreed, but gave prince a sleeping potion. Girl couldn’t wake him. Next day, same thing with golden carding comb. "Not for sale for gold or money" but will trade for a night with the prince. Same thing, prince sleeping, couldn’t wake him. Third morning, same thing with golden spinning wheel. Trolls kept Christian folk prisoners in castle in room next to Prince. They told him what they had overheard. That night, he only pretended to drink potion, was awake when girl came. Told her he was to marry troll princess next day, but would ask her first to prove her wifely skills by washing his shirt that had the three drops of tallow on it. No one would be his bride who could not clean his shirt, and trolls won’t be able to. In morning, asked troll princess with long nose to wash his shirt. Spots spread larger. Her mother tried, spots got larger and blacker. All the other trolls tried, shirt as black as chimney. Prince said beggar girl outside the castle could do better, called in the girl. When she dipped shirt in water, it turned white as snow. Prince married girl, all the trolls burst and were never seen again, they freed all the Christian prisoners, took away the gold and silver, and moved far away from the castle that lay east of the sun and west of the moon.
[For an annotated version of this story with commentary and historical details, see the SurLaLune website, http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/. This story is closely related to the Appalachian tale, White Bear Whittington found in Richard Chase’s Grandfather Tales (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1948, 52-64.) There is a wonderful retelling of White Bear on Tim Jennings and Leanne Ponder’s CD, World Tales: Live at Bennington College. The story also has close parallels to Black Bull of Norroway in Joseph Jacobs’ More English Fairy Tales and, of course, falls within the same tale type as Beauty and the Beast, The Search for a Lost Husband.]
Contributed by
Vicky Dworkin, Kailua HI
Moonlight Storytellers of Oahu
http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com/profile/VickyDworkin
~~~
#61 – The Princess in Disguise (aka Cat-Skin)
[Bones taken from Grimm's Household Tales, with the Author's Notes, trans. Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884). Full text may be found at this website, among others:
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/story123.pdf ]
King had wife with golden hair, more beautiful than any other woman on earth. She fell ill; knowing that she was dying she made King promise never to marry again unless the woman was more beautiful than she, with hair more golden. King promised; wife died.
King grieved for years; counselors finally convinced him to marry again, the country needed a Queen.
He announced his desire to marry, a search took place around the world, no one could be found as beautiful as his first Queen.
King’s daughter looked exactly like her mother, with same golden hair. King announced he would marry his daughter. Counselors shocked, told King it was forbidden, nothing but evil could spring from such a sin, kingdom would be ruined.
Princess alarmed at King’s proposal, especially at his insistence. She told King she needed three dresses before she would consent to marriage: one as golden as the sun, one as silvery as the moon, one as glittering as the stars; in addition she required a mantle made of a thousand skins of rough fur sewn together from every animal in the kingdom.. Convinced she had asked for the impossible, she believed her father would change his evil intentions.
The King assigned the most skillful women in the kingdom to weave the three dresses; he sent hunters into the forest to kill all the wild animals, bring home their skins for the mantle. Once all of this was done, he presented it to her and announced that the wedding would take place the next day.
The horrified Princess decided to run away from the castle. Late that night, she took from her jewel box a gold ring, a gold spinning-wheel, a golden hook. She folded the three dresses so tightly they fit in a walnut shell, put on the fur mantle, stained her face and hands black with walnut juice, and left. She came at last to large forest, crept into hollow tree, slept; she did not awake until next noon.
The King who owned this forest was hunting that day; his dogs discovered the Princess, barked loudly. King’s servants investigated, told him of beautiful girl in tree, fast asleep. King told them to capture the girl alive, bind her on the wagon, bring her home. That they did. The terrified girl awoke, told them she was a poor orphan, she would go willingly with them. The servants thought she might be useful to the cook; they called her Roughskin. They brought her to the castle, put her into stable to sleep. From that day on, she toiled in the kitchen, fetching wood, drawing water, stirring fire, plucking fowls, sweeping ashes, all the hard work. She was miserable, but a good worker.
A festival was scheduled; Roughskin begged to be allowed to see the company arrive. Cook agreed, but told her only half an hour, then back to work. She went to her stable room, threw off the fur coat, washed the nut stains off, donned her golden dress, presented herself as a visitor. No one recognized her. King danced with her, thought he had never seen such a lovely creature. When dance was over, she vanished; no one had seen her go. She had run to the stable, removed her dress, restained her face and hands, put on her fur mantle, once again was Roughskin. She resumed her kitchen duties.
Cook asked her to prepare soup for King, but be careful not to let one hair fall into it or she would get nothing to eat herself. Roughskin did as she was told, cut bread for King, then fetched her gold ring, laid it at the bottom of the soup bowl.
King ate the delicious soup, found gold ring at bottom of bowl, could not imagine how it got there. Ordered cook to come forth; cook berated Roughskin thinking that a hair had dropped into soup. He promised a beating. King demanded to know who cooked the soup, cook claimed he did, King said he was lying, it was quite different from usual and much better than cook had ever made. Cook confessed Roughskin did it; King demanded that she be brought forth.
In answer to the King, Roughskin said she was an orphan and was earning her keep in the castle by helping the cook. She claimed to know nothing about the gold ring. Frustrated, the King sent her away.
Soon another festival was held. Again, Roughskin asked to watch the visitors arrive. Cook agreed, but said she must come back in half an hour to cook soup again for the King. She rushed to the stable, washed the stains off, put on her silver dress, attended the ball. King danced with her again, welcoming her back and keeping her as his partner for every dance. When ball ended, she ran back to stable, changed back into Roughskin, took up her work in the kitchen. This time, while preparing the soup, she dropped her golden spinning-wheel into the bowl, unseen by the cook. Once again, King ordered her to appear before him, but she told him nothing except that she was a poor orphan working in the kitchen and knew nothing of a golden spinning-wheel.
At third festival, everything happened as before. Cook let her go, but told her she was a witch, because though the soup was delicious, something always appeared at the bottom of the bowl; he did not understand. Roughskin ran to stable again, removed the stains, donned the star dress, went to the ball. King slipped a gold ring on her finger unnoticed and ordered dancing to continue longer than usual. He tried to hold onto her, but she ran away so quickly she simply vanished before his eyes. This time, Roughskin knew she had been gone longer than half an hour; in a rush, she had no time to take off her dress or make her face black enough, nor to hide her golden hair properly; her hands remained white. The cook was out of the kitchen; she prepared the King’s soup, dropped in the golden hook.
This time the King was not fooled; he grabbed Roughskin’s hand, saw the ring, seized her, her mantle fell open revealing her star dress, her golden hair fell over her shoulders, and there she stood in her full splendor. Knowing that she was done for, she wiped the soot and stains from her face, smiled at the King, who thought her the most beautiful woman in the world.
"You shall be my dear bride," said the King, "and we will never be parted again, although I know not who you are."
The Princess told him her past history, all that had happened to her. He found that she was, as he thought, a King's daughter. Soon after, their marriage was celebrated, and they lived happily till their death.
~~~
#62 – The Princess and the Glass Mountain – a Scandinavian tale
[Bones taken from Yule-Tide Stories: A Collection Of Scandinavian And North German Popular Tales And Traditions
King was so fond of hunting, he knew of no greater pleasure. Early and late he stayed in forests and fields with hawk and hound, always with great success. One day, he found no game though he hunted all day. Suddenly a dwarf ran before him in forest; King gave chase, caught little man, who was ugly as troll, hair like shaggy moss. Dwarf remained silent, angering King, who was already in bad mood. King ordered servants to keep watch over dwarf so he could not escape. All returned to palace.
That night King and men talked about hunting that day, men flattered King, calling him best hunter in the world and pointed out he had caught a creature no one had ever seen before. King was pleased, wondered what to do with dwarf. After lengthy discussion, he decided to keep dwarf imprisoned, and if he escaped or anyone let him loose, King vowed that person would die, even if it was his own beloved son. He emptied his drinking horn and swore an unbreakable oath. The courtiers had never before heard the King speak thus; they could see that he was drunk.
The next morning, King remember his vow, had servants construct small cage for dwarf near royal palace. Cage made of large beams, secured by strong locks. No one could break in or out. There was a tiny window in the wall so food could be brought to prisoner. King had dwarf placed in cage, took keys himself. Wild man sat there day and night, people gazing in at him, but her never complained, never uttered a single word.
In time, King went to war; left his palace for battlefield. In his absence, he ordered Queen to rule; admonished her not to let wild man escape while he was away, on pain of death. Queen promised to do her best; King gave her keys to cage. Off he sailed with his men for distant shores where he won victory after victory. As he left, Queen stood on shore, waving as long as he was in sight, then returned to palace with her attendants, sat sewing silk on her knee, awaiting her husband’s return.
King and Queen had young son. Wandering about palace, he came upon cage with wild man, sat next to it tossing gold apple. Apple flew through cage window. Wild man threw it back. Boy threw it into cage again, out it came. Boy thought this was good game. Finally, wild man kept apple, would not return it to boy, who burst into tears. Wild man spoke for first time, told boy that King had treated him wickedly, boy would not get apple back unless he set wild man free. Boy wanted his apple, asked how to set man free.
Wild man instructed boy to get Queen to comb boy’s hair. Boy was to steal keys from Queen’s belt, then open cage door. Boy did so, ran back to palace, put keys back on Queen’s belt, no one knew the difference. Wild man thanked boy, gave back gold apple, escaped. He promised to help boy if he was ever in trouble.
When escape was discovered, Queen sent people everywhere to find him, to no avail. Queen troubled for she expected King to return any day. His ships arrived, multitudes gathered to greet him. First inquiry was whether Queen had taken good care of wild man. Queen confessed what happened. King angered, declared he would punish guilty person, whoever it might be. He called every man, woman and child in palace to appear before him, but no one knew anything.
Prince came forward, could not hide the truth, confessed he had let wild man go. Queen and whole court grew deadly pale for Prince was dearly loved. King could not break his vow. Ordered two of his men to take Prince into forest, kill him, bring back his heart as proof. King’s word was final. King’s men had to obey. But once in forest, they decided to purchase hog from passing swineherd, take its heart back to King, who would never know it was not his son’s. This agreed, they slaughtered hog, removed its heart, released the young Prince alone in the forest.
Prince wandered around, eating fruits and nuts. Finally reached mountain topped by lofty fir tree. Decided to climb to top of tree to discover any paths. At top of tree, spied spacious glittering palace at great distance. Started toward palace, met farm boy, exchanged clothes with him, reached palace, was hired as herd-boy to watch cattle. Years passed; boy grew up, wandering with cattle through fields and forests. He became tall, vigorous, more handsome than any other man.
The new King had a daughter, fairer than any other maiden, kind, courteous. Lucky was the man who would marry her. Once she was 15, rich suitors flocked to her side. Hard choice to make. King asked her to choose. She refused. Angry, King said he would choose himself. Princess said she would not accept just anyone; her bridegroom must be able to ride to top of high glass mountain, fully armed. King yielded, send out proclamation over whole kingdom.
On appointed day, Princess sat at top of glass mountain, with golden crown on head, golden apple in hand. All suitors in splendid armor at bottom of mountain. One after another, they tried to climb glass mountain; all failed, slipping back to bottom, many broken arms, legs, backs, horses injured. Prince, tending cattle, heard commotion, sat sadly on stone, wishing he could try to win Princess. Wild man suddenly appeared, promised to help. Took Prince into depths of earth, gave him shining suit of armor and splendid steed, already saddled, bridled, champing at bit. Wild man promised to tend cattle in Prince’s absence. Grateful Prince rode toward glass mountain
People amazed at unknown knight, clad in steel from head to toe, who rode out of forest, spurred his horse, darted like an arrow straight up glass mountain. Halfway to top, he turned his horse, rode down hill, back into forest. Great consternation and wonder among people. Never before had they seen such a glorious young man. Princess smitten, dreamed of daring stranger every night.
Time arrived for second trial. Results the same, injured competitors lying everywhere. Prince morose, wild man appeared again, clothed Prince in silver armor, with snow-white steed pawing ground with silver hoofs. Prince galloped toward glass mountain, instantly recognized by all, rode straight up glassy mountain nearly to top, bowed to princess, turned horse around, rode down back into forest.
Same series of events took place third time, except this time Prince donned golden armor, rode up glass mountain to top, bowed, received gold apple from Princess, rode down and back into forest. Horns, trumpets blared. King announced that stranger knight had won. No one knew who he was. King finally called all young men in kingdom to assemble; Princess was to choose among them. Princess passed by all, could find no one. She spotted cloaked man in crowd, ran to him with open arms, crying “Here he is!” Everyone laughed, it was the King’s herd-boy. He threw aside his cloak, was clothed in gold from head to foot, held the golden apple in his hand. He was indeed the stranger knight.
Prince held Princess in his arms, told King who he was, all that he had undergone. King prepared for wedding, held sumptuous banquet for seven days, happy couple united in marriage. Prince took Princess home to his own kingdom, where King and Queen wept for joy to see their son again. They welcomed his bride with open, loving arms.
Prince and his bride loved and lived happily ever after. Wild man never seen nor heard from again.
~~~
#63 – The Snow Queen
[Bones taken from Grimm's Household Tales, with the Author's Notes, trans. Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884).
Summary: True love triumphs as young Gerda seeks out young Karl who has been taken by the Snow Queen only after he has been unlucky enough to have an enchanted sliver of glass enter his eye making him evil and piecing his heart thereby making it hard and cold as ice. Lifelong friend is symbolized by sweet pea vine that stretched from Karl's window ledge across the street to entwine Gerda's little rose bush.
Bones: Sweet little boy, Karl, becomes evil and cold-hearted after having a shard of enchanted glass enter his eye and pierces his heart. His dear friend, the young Gerda, notices the change in her best friend, as he calls her names and rips roses from her hands. (Lifelong friendship is symbolized by Karl's sweet pea vine that crosses the street to entwine with Gerda's little rose bush.)
That winter Karl sees the Snow Queen for the second time. She takes him to her land on her sledge. She kisses him, making him forget his Gerda and putting him into a deep freeze.
Gerda sets out to find him, entreating the river and a crow for help. The crow leads her to a reindeer who carries her to Lapland, home of the Snow Queen.
When Karl does not recognize her, Gerda's tears drop on his heart and chest. The evil spell broken, Karl wakes and cries too. The cold splinter in his eye melts. As the reindeer carries the children home, the rose and sweet pea plants blossom and twine again.
Contributed by
Ina Valeria Doyle
ivdoyle@rochester.rr.com
~~~
#64 – The Divided Daughter
[Bones taken from Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)
http://cdfreedom.com ]
In A.D. 692, a scholar, Chang Yi, took up residence in Hengchou, Hunan province. Had two daughters, eldest died young, younger daughter, Ch’ien Niang, was a beauty. Chang Yi had a nephew, Wang Chou, used to suggest that he and Ch’ien Niang should wed. As they grew, Wang Chou and Ch’ien Niang began to hope this would happen. But when an eligible official sought Ch’ien Niang’s hand, Chang Yi agreed, not knowing her heart was set on her cousin Wang Chou.
Both Ch’ien Niang and Wang Chou were heartbroken. Wang Chou decided to move to the capital to start a new life. They said their farewells and he left by boat. That night, he was lying awake and he heard footsteps. There was Ch’ien Niang. She had run away to be with him. They fled together to far away Szechwan. Time passed and they had two sons.
After five years, Ch’ien Niang grew sad, thinking of her parents and regretting that her sons would never know their grandparents. She had cast away duty for love. Wang Chou suggested they return to Hengchou and beg for her parents’ forgiveness. When they arrived, he suggested she and the children wait outside, while he went in to confess and ask pardon. Ch’ien Niang’s father, Chang Yi, responded angrily: "What kind of crazy talk is this? My daughter has been lying ill in her bedroom for many years, ever since you left." "But she is outside in my boat," said Wang Chou. Chang Yi sent a servant, who confirmed that Ch’ien Niang was in the boat.
When the sick daughter heard this news, she got up, dressed in her best clothes, put on jewelry and make-up and, without speaking, went to meet the woman in the boat. As they met, their two bodies merged into one, with two sets of clothes on the one, now healthy, body. Wang Chou was astonished, but Ch’ien Niang’s parents reacted with joy, welcoming their son-in-law and grandsons, who had restored their daughter to health.
The family kept the story secret, known only to a few close relatives. Ch’ien Niang and Wang Chou lived happily together for forty years, and their sons became high officials. Some say the story is not true, but Ch’en Hsüan-yu of the late T’ang dynasty recorded this version which he heard from a
magistrate, a cousin of the family.
Contributed by
Vicky Dworkin, Kailua HI
Moonlight Storytellers of Oahu
http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com/profile/VickyDworkin
~~~
#65 – Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura
[Bones taken from Andrew Lang. The Arabian Nights Entertainments (Classic Reprint)
Sultan Schahzaman of Isle of the Children of Khaledan wished for an heir. Son was born, named Camaralzaman, "Moon of the Century." Sultan loved him dearly. Time came, wished to arrange marriage for him. Camaralzaman did not wish to marry for the good of the state, without knowing anything about the woman’s looks, character, or disposition. Sultan angered by his continuing refusal, ordered him arrested and locked in a tower with only a single servant and a few books.
Tower was favorite haunt of jinni Maimoune. She saw Camaralzaman while sleeping, was astonished at his beauty. When she met an ifrit named Danhasch, he boasted of extreme loveliness of princess Badoura, daughter of king of China. King at first swore she would never marry against her will, but princess turned down all proposals. Angered at her continuing refusal, king had her confined, let everyone know she was insane, and swore that anyone who cured her should marry her.
Ifrit and jinni argued over which was the more beautiful, princess or prince. To settle dispute, agreed that Danhasch should carry sleeping princess to tower of the sleeping prince, so they could compare them side by side. Still could not agree. Called a third jinni, Caschcasch, to judge. He recommended allowing each to wake while other slept, to see which admired the other more. Caramalzaman awoke, fell in love. Thought this was bride his father intended for him. Could not rouse her, took a ring from her finger and gave her one of his. Returned to sleep. Badoura awoke, amazed to see prince, thought he was probably her intended bridegroom, fell in love, but could not wake him. Noticed exchange of rings, wondered, fell asleep. Was returned to her home.
When Camaralzaman awoke in morning, looked for lovely woman, couldn’t find her. Servant denied anyone had been there, told Sultan prince had lost his senses. Prince insisted he would marry woman he had seen that night. Sultan said he knew nothing of her. Released prince from tower. Both Sultan and prince neglected kingdom in despair.
When Badoura woke, demanded to see beautiful young man, swore she would marry none but him. All thought she was crazier than ever. Her father vowed any who could cure her would marry her, any who tried and failed would be killed. Many failed. The princess’s foster brother Marzavan, arranged to see his foster sister without king’s knowledge. After listening to her story, began to travel. After some months, reached a place where none had heard of Badoura, but told story of Prince Camaralzaman instead. Finally reached home of Camaralzaman, met the prince. Struck by his likeness to princess. Told prince story of princess, suggested he could cure her.
Feared Sultan would not allow prince to travel, so feigned prince’s death, set out with prince disguised as astrologer, returned to China. Prince begged chance to cure princess, warned of fate of certain death, persisted. Offered to cure her without even seeing her. Wrote her a letter avowing his love, enclosing her ring. They met, embraced, vowed to wed. King agreed princess was cured. Prince revealed his true identity. Married. Marzavan rewarded. Happy until prince dreamt of father at point of death from grief. Begged permission to visit his father with his bride.
Set forth. One night, prince discovered sleeping princess wore talisman her mother had given her. While he was looking at it, talisman was stolen and swallowed by bird. Prince set off in chase, followed bird for days, became lost. Came to a city, was taken in by Muslim gardener, warned that Muslims were persecuted in this place. Told he could travel by sea to his father’s country via Ebony Island, ship sailed only once a year, he had just missed it. More than a year’s dangerous journey by land. Gave him home for a year. Prince worked, missed his wife.
Princess awoke to find herself deserted, discovered talisman was missing. Decided to travel on without her husband, hoping to find him at his home. Disguised herself in her husband’s clothes and took his name to make traveling safer. After long journey, arrived at Ebony Island. King liked the disguised prince, suggested he marry his only daughter, become his heir. Badoura afraid to confess her deception, agreed to marriage, telling her servants that princess Badoura had agreed to prince taking a second wife. When alone with princess of Ebony Island, Haiatelnefous, Badoura confessed whole story to her, asked her to forgive imposture. Two princesses instant friends, agreed to continue deception, Badoura to continue to play the role of prince. King of Ebony Island retired, left Badoura to rule with new wife.
Camaralzaman, waiting for ship to Ebony Island, saw two birds flying. Surprised to find Princess Badoura’s talisman on ground near bird. Filled with hope this meant he would soon find princess. While cutting down tree, he found hidden staircase leading to cave with fifty bronze jars filled with gold dust. Offered them to gardener in return for his hospitality. Gardener insisted gold belonged to prince, finally agreed to divide it. Gardener suggested prince take fifty jars, half filled with gold dust, covered by olives, highly valued in Ebony Island. Prince hid talisman in one of jars, marked it. Ship ready to leave for Ebony Island, prince had sailors carry his cargo of olives aboard. Gardener became ill and died. In waiting to bury him, prince missed the ship. Feared he had now lost talisman for good.
Ship arrived in Ebony Island. Badoura bought entire cargo of olives. Surprised to find olives mixed with gold dust, her talisman in one of the jars. Asked captain where ship had picked up olives. Believing merchant to have stolen talisman, princess ordered captain to return and fetch him, saying merchant owed her a debt. Captain returned to Island of Idolaters, seized Caramalzaman and brought him to Ebony Island. Princess recognized her husband but Caramalzaman did not recognize his wife in disguise. As king, Badoura rewarded captain, treated Caramalzaman with favor, promoted him to high office. Privately showed him talisman. Caramalzaman said it was source of all his misfortunes. Badoura withdrew, returned dressed as herself. Both rejoiced at reunion, exchanged stories, spent night together. Badoura confessed her deception to her father-in-law, told him entire story, and proposed that real prince Caramalzaman be married to princess Haiatelnefous. King, prince, and both princesses agreed. They were wed, and three lived and ruled together in great harmony.
[Lang describes jinni and ifrit as good fairy and bad fairy. However, in Arabic mythology, Jinni, the plural form of Jinn, are supernatural spirits below the level of angels and devils. Ghul (treacherous spirits of changing shape), 'ifrit (diabolic, evil spirits), and si'la (treacherous spirits of invariable form) constitute classes of jinn. Jinn are beings of flame or air who are capable of assuming human or animal form and are said to dwell in all conceivable inanimate objects—stones, trees, ruins—underneath the earth, in the air, and in fire. They possess the bodily needs of human beings and can even be killed, but they are free from all physical restraints. Jinn delight in punishing humans for any harm done them, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents; however, those human beings knowing the proper magical procedure can exploit the jinn to their advantage.]
Contributed by
Vicky Dworkin, Kailua HI
Moonlight Storytellers of Oahu
http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com/profile/VickyDworkin
~~~
#66 – Psyche and Eros (aka Cupid) – a Greek myth
[Bones taken from:
Loggia Mytholgraphy (2003) Psyche in Greek Mythology
Psyche, a mortal, was the youngest daughter of a king. (She had two older sisters). Psyche was so beautiful that her appearance rivaled Aphrodite’s (goddess) and mortals honored her instead of Aphrodite. Psyche was modest; she did not seek this honor. Aphrodite noticed the popularity of Psyche and decided to punish her. Aphrodite commanded her son Eros (god of love/ desire) to use his powers to make Psyche fall in love with the most terrible and grotesque thing on earth.
However, Eros fell for Psyche's beauty himself, and he simply could not resist her charms. He knew that loving the mortal girl would make Aphrodite angry. Eros arranged to have Psyche brought to a desolate area. Here, the innocent girl was told she would become the bride of an evil being. Psyche waited for her doom dressed in a wedding gown. In time, Zephyrus led her to a valley with a magical palace. This place was her new home.
Eros then came to Psyche when she had gone to bed that night. The bedroom was dark when the god of love entered and helped conceal his identity. He whispered in Psyche's ear that he was her husband and that she must never look upon him or seek to know who he was. Psyche enjoyed her life and her husband, but eventually became homesick. She begged to see her sisters. Eros did not want to comply, but he could not deny her. Psyche's sisters were invited to the palace.
Once there, they became jealous of Psyche's good fortune. The sisters told Psyche that her husband was dangerous and that she must rid herself of him. Psyche believed them. That night, Psyche took a lamp with her to bed. When she was sure her husband was asleep, she lit it and gazed upon the god. She immediately was surprised because he was divine, not a monster. A drop of oil fell from the lamp, and woke Eros. Eros immediately departed. Psyche was grief-stricken. She was alone. She searched for Eros, but could not find him anywhere. Psyche even asked (the goddesses) Demeter and Hera for help, but neither would risk angering Aphrodite. So Psyche went to see Aphrodite.
Aphrodite decided to punish Psyche by making her into a slave and required Psyche to perform nearly impossible tasks. Psyche had to sort a room full of seeds in a single day. With the help of ants, Psyche accomplished this task. One other task was for Psyche to fetch a jar that contained beauty from Persephone (goddess of the Underworld). Psyche was given instructions on how to descend to the Underworld while still alive and approach Persephone.
Eros suffered as well. He went to Zeus. Zeus listened to Eros, and decided the couple should be joined in marriage. Eros and Psyche were allowed to be together, and Aphrodite finally gave up her hatred to welcome her son’s new wife.
Contributed by
Mel Edwards
Educational Consultant, Storyteller
http://votrevray.blogspot.com/
~~~
#67 – Pygmalion – a Greek myth
[Bones taken from these and other sources: Pygmalion and Galatea in Greek Myth
Loggia Mythography. (2003) .
Gill, N. S. (2002) About.com Ancient / Classical History: Pygmalion Dryope Venus and Adonis - Apollo and Hyacinthus Chapter VIII. From Thomas Bulfinch (1796–1867). Age of Fable: Vols. I & II: Stories of Gods and Heroes. 1913. Full text may be found at:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_bullfinch_8.htm
[This is the premise for George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion (1916) and the My Fair Lady musical (1950s).]
Pygmalion hated women and resolved to live unmarried. (Pygmalion also means pygmie, so perhaps women didn’t find him attractive as he wasn’t tall, dark and handsome?) He was a sculptor and had made with wonderful skill a statue of ivory (some versions say marble from the island of Paros), more beautiful than any woman. The statue was so detailed that it seemed to be alive. Pygmalion fell in love with the statue. He touched it to see if it was alive, caressed it, and gave it presents. He dressed it in jewels. He laid it on a couch, and called it his wife, and put its head upon a pillow.
The festival of Aphrodite came. Victims were offered, the altars smoked, and the odor of incense filled the air. When Pygmalion had performed his part in the ceremonies, he stood before the altar and timidly prayed for a wife like his statue.
Aphrodite heard him and knew the thought he would have uttered; and, as an good omen, she caused the flame on the altar to shoot up in the air three times. When he returned home, he leaned over the couch, gave a kiss to the mouth of his statue. It seemed to be warm. He kissed her again and touched her limbs. He was amazed, delighted but feared he might be mistaken. Again and again he touched the statue. She WAS alive! Then he thanked Aphrodite. The virgin awoke from the kisses. She was timid and blushed. Aphrodite blessed the union, and from this union, Paphos was born.
This is where the city got its name, and Aphrodite is said to bless this place.
Contributed by
Mel Edwards
Educational Consultant, Storyteller
http://votrevray.blogspot.com/
~~~
#68 – The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen (1837)
[Bones taken from Andersen, Hans Christian. (1837.) Fairy Tales From Hans Christian Andersen (1910)
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/littlemermaid/index.html
Far from shore, deep under the ocean lived the Sea King, a widower, whose wise mother kept house for him and cared for his six daughters, the youngest of whom was prettiest. All day long they played in the castle or the nearby garden. Each girl had a unique plot of ground in the garden to call her own. The youngest’s plot was round like the sun. A strange child, she cared only for red flowers, like the setting sun, and a marble statue of a boy, which had come from a shipwreck. This statue sat in her garden.
The young princess loved to listen to her old grandmother tell her all about ships, towns, people, animals—anything about the world above the sea. Her grandmother told her that when she turned 15, she would be allowed to rise up out of the sea and sit on the rocks in the moonlight while ships sailed by. And then she could see towns and forests for herself. One of her sisters would be 15 the following year, but the youngest mermaid would have to wait five more years before her turn would come. Each night she looked up, dreaming of the land and people beyond the sea.
The eldest girl turned 15, rose to the surface of the ocean. When she returned, she told of a city with music, carriages, humans, church bells. The youngest gazed up through the dark blue water, thinking only of that great city.
The second sister, at age 15, rose as the sun set; she said it was the most beautiful sight of all. She saw wild swans flying toward the sun. She swam toward the sun but it sank into the waves, and all the colors faded from the clouds and sea. The third sister, when it was her turn, swam up a river, heard birds sing, found human children, naked, playing in the river water. When she offered to play with them, they fled in fright, leaving behind a little black animal (dog) who barked at her. Frightened, she rushed back to the open sea.The fourth sister remained in the sea, which was beautiful; she could see ships from a great distance, watch dolphins play in the water and whales spout water from their nostrils. The fifth sister had her birthday in winter, so she saw a green sea with icebergs; she sat on one of the largest, noticed ships sailing by rapidly. Toward evening, a storm arose, the ship’s sails trembled while she watched the lightning. The older girls soon grew indifferent and lost interest in the world above
Some evenings, the five older sisters would twine their arms around each other, rise to the water’s surface in a row and sing more beautifully than any mortals could. When storms approached they sang of the delights of the sea to approaching vessels; telling them to have no fear. But sailors believed the songs to belong to the howling winds, and if their ships sank, the men drowned, their dead bodies reaching the Sea King.
On her 15th birthday, the grandmother dressed the youngest girl for her rise to the surface. The sun was setting, the sea calm; she saw a large ship nearby with a party going on. She swam close, seeing a handsome prince celebrating his 16th birthday. A vicious storm blew in suddenly, the ship sank. The mermaid looked for prince, found him, held his head above water until the storm subsided. She took him to shore, laid him on the sand in the sunshine. He reminded her of the statue in her garden.
The prince lay there without opening his eyes. The mermaid watched from a distance as young girls appeared. One girl approached him. The prince awoke, smiled. He did not know who had saved him; the little mermaid was unhappy. She returned home, but would not tell what she had seen. She went to the surface many times after that, but did not see the prince. She sat in her garden, staring at her statue. When she finally told all, a friend of the sisters told them where the prince lived. The little mermaid visited his castle waters often, gazing up at him, wondering many things.
Her grandmother told her that humans did not live as long as mermaids; the mermaid vowed to give up 100 years of her life if she could live one day as a mortal. Grandmother said that the only way to gain a human soul was if a man would love her more than his father, mother, anyone. But men thought fish tails were ugly, and she would need legs to gain love.
The desperate mermaid visited the sea witch, taking a dark, scary trip to get there, with skeletons of humans and even of mermaids scattered in the seaweeds along the way. The sea witch called the mermaid stupid, said she would only get sorrow in return. She warned that if she drank the potion and lay on the beach, the next morning she would have legs, but be in great pain, feeling like swords were running through her with every step. Further, she could never return to the sea kingdom again and must give up her family. Finally, if the prince married another, the little mermaid would die the next morning and become foam upon the waves. In exchange, the sea witch demanded the mermaid’s beautiful voice. The mermaid agreed; the sea witch gave her the potion.
She drank the potion, laid on the beach like dead. When she awoke, she was in terrible pain, but the prince stood over her. She had legs and feet; she was naked, covered only by her hair. Her voice now belonged to the sea witch, so she could not answer any of the prince’s questions. Swords seemed to pierce her body with every step, but she walked gracefully with the prince to the castle.
That night, the princess could not sing, but she danced like no other, enchanting the crowd. The prince invited her to stay forever; she slept at his door on a velvet cushion. He had her clothed in a page’s dress; she laughingly rode horseback with him to the highest mountains, while her feet bled. At night she bathed her feet in sea-water, missing her family. Her whole family rose to the surface to see her. The prince told the mermaid she had the best heart, was loyal and kind, but he loved a girl from the temple, whom he believed had saved him from drowning. The mermaid still hoped he would love her.
The time came for the prince to marry. The king and queen arranged a marriage with the beautiful daughter of a neighboring king. The mermaid sailed with the prince to meet his new bride-to-be. Now the prince believed that this was the girl who had saved him. The little mermaid’s heart was broken.
The marriage took place. On the ship, the mermaid saw all her sisters with short hair, which they had given the sea witch to help their sister. They gave her a knife and instructions to kill the prince. When his blood hit the ground, her tail would be restored and she could return to them in the sea. She could not bring herself to murder her prince, threw the knife into the sea. The water turned blood red; she hurled herself into the water. She joined the daughters of the air where she could do good deeds for 300 years and earn an immortal soul.
From the air, the little mermaid saw the prince and his bride searching for her in the sea; her eyes filled with tears.
She believed she would reach heaven in 300 years. Her companions told her it could be even sooner. They were unseen and could enter homes. Every day on which they found a good child, their time was shortened by a year. Since the children could not see them, they did not know they were being watched. Ah, but when they found a wicked child, a day would be added to their wait.
Contributed by
Mel Edwards
Educational Consultant, Storyteller
http://votrevray.blogspot.com/
~~~
#69 – Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell
[Bones taken from these and other sources:
The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell.
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/ragintro.htm
Pasini-Beekman, Janine. Of the Lady Ragnell and How She Delivered the Queen’s Nephew.
Leininger, Erin. (5/11/01) A Closer Look at the Legendary Sir Gawain: An Analysis of three tales - The Weddyng of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell for Helpyng of Kyng Arthoure, The Marriage of Sir Gawain, and Gawain on Marriage.
Arthur goes hunting; sees a stag. Arthur shoots an arrow through it, but does not have permission to do so. Suddenly a powerful, dark man appears (Sir Gromer Somer Joure, meaning “ummer’s day”) and challenges Arthur to answer one question within a year or pay with his life. (For he took the life of the stag without permission.) The question was: "What is it that women most desire, above all else?"
For twelve months Arthur and Gawain, search the kingdom, questioning women as to what they truly want. As the anniversary draws near, Arthur feels that though he had been told a variety of answers, none of them was the correct one. Arthur rides out alone to think and there, at an oak grove, meets Lady Ragnell, Sir Gromer’s stepsister. She is loathsome and without restraint. She tells him that she knows the answer that he is seeking and she will give it to him on one condition – that Gawain becomes her husband in all manners of the word. Ragnell tells Arthur the answer to the riddle. Sovereignty. [To have their own choice in all their own matters, just as men do.]
Arthur returns to the castle. Gawain, being loyal to the king, immediately agrees to marry Ragnell in order to save his King’s life. This is no small thing because she is as foul as Beelzebub. The women of the kingdom are saddened, as Gawain is handsome and noble.
On the appointed day, Arthur rides out to meet Sir Gromer, he offers a few answers to the question, all of them wrong and then answers: "What a woman desires above all else is the power of sovereignty—the right to exercise her own will." Sir Gromer knows that Ragnell has given Arthur the answer; however, Arthur has answered the riddle so he is allowed to leave.
Back at the castle, the public wedding of Ragnell and Gawain takes place that night, though there is not much of a mood of festivity. Gawain acts the perfect gentleman, meanwhile, Ragnell is genteel as she eats, but her behavior is repulsive to many.
The newlyweds retire to their chambers and Ragnell asks for a kiss. Gawain kisses her and she turns into a beautiful young woman. Ragnell explains that Sir Gromer is a powerful shape-shifter and turned her into a grotesque creature because she refused to do his bidding The spell could only be broken if the most valiant knight in the kingdom was willing wed her.
Ragnell then asks Gawain if he would prefer her to have her attractive shape during the day and her grotesque shape at night, or vice versa. Gawain responds that this is a choice only Ragnell can make, as it concerns her only. Gawain’s statement breaks the final part of the spell, Ragnell is changed completely back into her youthful, attractive self, and they live happily ever after.
Contributed by
Mel Edwards
Educational Consultant, Storyteller
http://votrevray.blogspot.com/
~~~
#70 – Tam Lin
[Bones taken from these and other sources:
Childe Ballad 39 A, thought to be the earliest version of this tale.]
Acland, Abagail. (1997-2003). Tam Lin Balladry: Tam Lin Dictionary
http://www.tam-lin.org/dict.html
Tam Lin Balladry: Interpreting
http://www.tam-lin.org/interp.html
Tam Lin Balladry: Tracking Minor Variations Across Versions
http://www.tam-lin.org/tamlin1a.html
Tam Lin. Communicated by Burns. Johnson's Museum. 1729. Tam Lin Balladry: Tam Lin Child, 39 A
http://www.tam-lin.org/front.html
Tam Lin guards the Carterhaugh forest and collects [either a possession or] the virginity of any maidens who pass through Carterhaugh.
A young maiden with golden braided hair, named Janet, comes to Carterhaugh and picks [a rose] two roses. This causes Tam Lin, who is at the well, to appear and ask why she is in Carterhaugh and why she has taken what is his, without his command. She states that she owns Carterhaugh, as her father has given it to her. He says that he himself owns Carterhaugh, then grabs her by the hand, tells her she must pay the price for stealing from him. His hand is cold, but it lights a fire within her soul. She falls in love.
She then goes home, and discovers she is pregnant, announces that her lover is elfin and she loves him. She returns to Carterhaugh, once again encountering Tam Lin. He reveals he is not elfin, but a mortal captured by the Queen of Faeries. [He’d been captured when he’d fallen from his horse and she saved him.] He tells Janet that he is about to be sacrificed to hell as part of the faerie tithe. [Every seven years, the fairies paid a tithe to Hell by giving up one of their people.]
It is Halloween, the night of the tithe. Tam Lin is to ride as part of a company of knights, and Janet will recognize him by the white horse upon which he is riding. He then details how she can save him to be her mate, if she will undergo a trial on Halloween night. He warns her that when she catches him the fairies will attempt to make her drop him by turning him into all manner of wild beasts, but he will do her no harm and when he is finally turned into burning lead [brand of fire], she is to throw him into a well, whereupon he will reappear as a naked man. When he regains his own naked shape, she must cover him with her green mantle, and he will be free.
Janet does exactly as she is told, and after she pulls him from his horse, Tam Lin changes from bear to lion to snake and, finally, to molten lead. All the while Janet holds him tight, though the increasing heat is unbearable. She throws the burning lead into the well, Tam Lin reappears as a naked man, Janet throws her mantle around him, and thus wins her knight.
The Queen of the Fairies is not best pleased, but acknowledges Janet’s claim.
Contributed by
Mel Edwards
Educational Consultant, Storyteller
http://votrevray.blogspot.com/
~~~
#71 – The Noisy House
[I don’t have a written source, but the first tellers from whom I heard it, Annette Harrison and Dianne Banks, told me it was an old Jewish tale. It’s great for participation and settling down a rowdy group, and can be varied for the situation. I heard Dianne change it to "Santa’s Noisy House" for a Christmas program, with elves working and Mrs. Claus mixing up cookies. The father comes home, just wanting some peace and quiet, but the house is too noisy. Mother is stirring soup, the children are playing, the baby is crying, the dog is barking, the cat is meowing (enlist volunteers -- I usually have a pan and a wooden spoon for the mom. I also usually have a signal to stop the noise.]
Father goes to the wise woman (rabbi, . . . .) for advice on what to do about his noisy house (do the sounds for mother, children, baby, dog, cat, etc.). “I love my family,” he says, “but there’s too much noise!” She tells him to bring their horse into the house. So now when he comes home, he hears (repeat all the sounds of the household) and also, the neighing horse..
Back to wise person, “I really love my family, but...” This time bring your cow into the house.” Now when he comes home, he hears (repeat all the sounds), the neighing horse, and the mooing cow.
Next, “I really love my family, but...” “Now bring your chickens into the house” . . . add clucking chickens. (I usually have the father remark on the state of the floors as well).
Finally, the wise person says to take the animals back to the barn and the chicken house. This time when the father comes home, Mother is stirring soup, and it smells delicious. The children are playing, so cute. The baby is crying, but stops when Daddy picks him up. The dog is barking and is good at keeping trouble away. The cat is meowing, and there haven’t been any mice in the house. The father sits down and enjoys his nice, quiet, happy home. “I love my family,” he thinks and smiles.
(I once had a student ask to be the monkey, so he was, and the family liked the monkey so much that they let him stay in the house when the other animals went back).
Contributed by
Mary Garrett
http://www.storytellermary.com/Garrett/Welcome.html
~~~
#72 – The Two Brothers
[Originally learned from Stories for Telling
Two brothers work the same land. One has wife and many children. Other lives alone. Each has house and granary on opposite sides of land. Work and profits shared equally.
Single brother decides it's not fair he gets half of the profits. His brother has so many mouths to feed. Begins to take a bag of grain from his granary to brother's each night.
His brother decides not fair he gets half: His children will take care of him in old age. Begins to take a bag of grain from his granary each night. Neither brother understands why the amount of grain remains the same.
One night brothers meet in field carrying grain. Put down sacks and embrace. A legend says God declared that a sacred place, and it became site of King Solomon's temple.
Contributed by :
Yvonne Young, Eugene, OR
Teller of Truth Tales
http://www.truthtales.com/node/2
~~~
#73 – The Princess and the Dervish
[Bones taken from Arabian Fairy Tales, retold by Amina Shah. London: The Octagon Press, 1989.]
King had beautiful daughter, Leyla, who was his favorite, even over his three sons. One day King told Leyla she was to be married soon, he had sent invitations to all the princes in the world, and she was to choose her bridegroom. Layla fainted and lay as if dead.
All the ladies of the court gathered around, the royal doctor was summoned, his prescription of burning peacocks’ feathers under the Princess’s nose and swallowing of a pearl a day did no good; Layla never moved, eyes closed, pulse nearly absent.
Seven days, seven nights, all watched over Princess. No signs of life. King sent sons out to find a cure. On eighth day, ancient man in tatters arrived at palace, claiming he could cure Princess. King promised old man anything he wanted if he did so. The dervish (a pious traveling man) knelt beside Leyla.
Taking her limp hand in his, he whispered these words: “Damascus. Beirut. Jeddah.” No response. But the word “Samarkand” made the Princess’s pulse leap. “Write down Samarkand, Scribe” he demanded.
Then the dervish then whispered “Silk, Ivory, Brass, Copper, Diamonds, Rubies, Pearls.” At “Pearls,” the girl’s pulse quickened. “Write down Pearl-Merchant, Scribe.” King was displeased at slow progress. Old man urged patience, continued his whisperings: “Short. Fat. Bald. Rich.” Princess lay unmoving. But “Tall. Dark. Handsome,” brought immediate stirring, eyelashes fluttering. Old man spoke: “Scribe, write ‘In Samarkand there is a tall, dark and handsome pearl-merchant...” King threatened to murder such a man. Dervish continued: “Mahmud, Omar, Ibrahim,” naming names. When he got to “Ahmad,” Princess opened her eyes, finally awake.
In answer to King, Princess said that Ahmad, the pearl-merchant, supplied jewels to the Court the previous year for her brother’s wedding; they met and fell in love. She wanted to marry him, but that was when her father told her about all the princes. Her heart belonged to Ahmad, and he was the only man she would ever marry. She loved him, he loved her; without him, she would die.
King was beside himself; he reminded Layla that one day she must be a Queen, not married to some commoner. He turned deaf ears to his daughter’s pleas. Turning to the dervish, he asked what the payment would be for bringing his daughter back to life. In his gratitude, the King would give him anything he asked. “Anything?” smiled the dervish. “Anything!” replied the King. The dervish wanted one thing only. “Give the Princess her wish.” He looked deeply into the King’s eyes. “This and only this will I accept as my payment.”
King relented, sent messenger to Samarkand to fetch the young Ahmad. Lavish wedding was held, Princess married her pearl-merchant. Allah sent them many sons.
~~~
#74 – The Goldsmith's Daughter and the Prince of Darkness
[Bones taken from Arabian Fairy Tales
In city of Damascus, goldsmith became famous for his jewelry, his fame spreading even to the ears of Eblis, the Evil One. As goldsmith sat in his shop one day, he saw dark-eyed Evil One looking through window. Terrified, man thought his final moment had come. Eblis assured him it was not so; rather, he wanted to own what he had seen in the window, for he had heard much of the goldsmith’s exquisite craftsmanship. The goldsmith agreed readily, offering to wrap pieces up immediately—the jeweled bear, the golden fish with ruby eyes. “Oh, no,” the Evil One sneered, “I do not want them now. I will come back another time. Keep everything as it is in the window for me.” Goldsmith agreed.
Goldsmith told all to wife. She gasped, clapping her hands to her head, weeping. “Our little girl Zorah was playing in the window; no doubt the Evil One intends to take her too when he returns.” Goldsmith saw his little Zorah sitting on the window sill, playing with the golden objects. Goldsmith asked wife to go to silversmith and bring back an ounce of virgin silver; she did so. Goldsmith took holy Koran from bookshelf, read verse from it, fashioned silver talisman as thin as paper, engraved it with holy words. Put it around his daughter’s neck, telling her never to remove it or Eblis would carry her away.
Years passed, Evil One did not return. Goldsmith and wife almost forgot threat. But one day, Eblis appeared to collect his treasures. He prepared to take girl, remarking that she was now 17, his evil eyes glinting with love and lust. He refused to listen to goldsmith’s pleas to take him instead. “No, no, I cannot possibly do that. It’s the girl I want, only her,” but he also snatched the golden objects from the window. Girl summoned; arising from bathtub she dressed, forgot her talisman, ran into the shop. The Evil One stared at her passionately; she shrunk from fear. The goldsmith said that Eblis could not force her to go against her will, for she was protected by the magic talisman. She clasped her empty neck.
The Evil One raged, “How dare you trick me like this! I will not be robbed of my desire!” He reached out for girl, but she ran quickly for the bathroom and the talisman. The Evil One pursued, his fiery hot breath streaking down her back. She reached the talisman in time, threw it around her neck. Eblis roared fiercely but had to back away. Promised to return in seven days to claim his prize.
Goldsmith had plan; he carved a waxen model of his daughter, concealing a machine inside that could make the model walk and talk like a human being. For seven days/nights, he worked feverishly, until a life-like representation of his daughter was perfect to the last detail. Then he waited for the Evil One.
Eblis arrived, snarling, “Bring your daughter to me instantly, old man, or my fiends will burn down your house. I will not be trifled with.” So goldsmith put his head behind curtain, called to his daughter, his wife wound the wax model up with a key, and out glided the beautiful “Zorah” with a rose-pink veil over its head. Eblis crooned, “Come with me now, my love, my beloved, to my wonderful kingdom of darkness, where you will be crowned queen of eternal night.” He pulled off the veil, there she was, breathtaking. His heart pounded. She murmured: “Take me with you, my darling, and let me live with you in your Everlasting Fiery Kingdom forever.” And away they went.
A feast was waiting for their arrival, nothing but the finest food, wine. The fire was too hot, though, and as the Evil One drank, made merry, the lovely wax maiden began to melt. Fiends stoked the fire, girl fell forward into fire, was devoured in an instant. Fiends terrified of their Master’s reaction, but he simply snorted, “These human beings are hopeless. Imagine! She burned up in only a few hours. How did she ever think she could stay with me for all Eternity?” The festivities grew wilder and continued far into the night. The Evil One never even thought of Zorah again.
~~~
#75 – My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World
[My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, A Russian Folktale
Harvest season in the Ukraine. Marfa, Ivan and all their children worked each day to cut and gather the wheat. Six-year-old Varya couldn't keep up, rode on Ivan's shoulders. Helped gather cut wheat into sheaves to be picked up and taken to threshing barn. After harvest there was a great feast.
Varya remembered being allowed to help prepare feast when she was five. Rolled dough for the piroghki, filled blini with jelly or cheese. Whole village came from babies to the babushka, the grandmothers. Village leader Tolya played his accordion and asked for more noise and dancing to celebrate.
Last day before feast seemed endless, and hotter than ever before. She crawled into row of uncut wheat and let blessed coolness surround her. Called Mama, Mamochka, when she came out. No one still in field; she fell asleep. Sun told her it was almost evening. She ran through last of wheat into clearing where villagers were gathered, chatting after day’s work.
Someone noticed her and she began to cry. Tallest of the men, Tolya, the village leader, asked who she was, where she lived, who her parents were, etc. Cried harder. Finally sobbed out, "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world."
Tolya sent boys to bring back most beautiful women in village. As one after another arrived, Varya cried harder. When women stopped coming, Tolya said, "One of us must take this child home for the night. Perhaps tomorrow will bring fresh wisdom." Just then, breathless, excited woman ran up. She was short with big, broad body. Eyes two pale slits, great lump of a nose between. Mouth almost toothless.
Varya cried "Mamochka!" and they fell into each other's arms. After Varya cuddled into ample, familiar bosom she looked up and said with joy: "See! I told you my mother is the most beautiful woman in the world!" Tolya reminded the others of well-known proverb Varya had just proved: "We do not love people because they are beautiful. They seem beautiful to us because we love them." Next night after the feast, Varya sat with mother watching the dancing. She felt so safe, she could talk about being lost. Told her mother, "Mamochka, some of the other children laughed at me because I said you are the most beautiful woman in the world. But, Mamochka, to me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world."
Marfa kissed Varya and said happily, "Some people, Varyachka, see with their eyes alone. Others see with their hearts as well. I am grateful and lucky that you see with your heart, as well as your eyes."
Contributed by:
Yvonne Young, Eugene, OR
Teller of Truth Tales
http://www.truthtales.com/node/2
~~~
#76 – The Three Sillies
[Bones taken from The Three Sillies
Other sources and websites include:
Chase, Richard. Jack and the Three Sillies
Jack and the Three Sillies. Told by Richard Chase. Richard Chase Tells Three "Jack" Tales from the Southern Appalachians. LP. Sharon, Conn: Folk-Legacy Records, 1962.
Jack and the Three Sillies. Told by Orville Hicks. Carryin’ On: Jack Tales for Children of All Ages. Audio cassette. Whitesburg, KY: June Appal Recordings, 1990.
http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/tales/sillies.htm
http://www.authorama.com/english-fairy-tales-4.html
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/eft/eft03.htm
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=steel&book=english&story=sillies ]
A farmer and wife had one daughter. A gentleman came to court her every evening and he would stay for supper. Every night the girl would go down to the cellar to draw beer for the supper.
One night when she was in the cellar, she noticed a mallet stuck in a beam and she started to think about being married and having a son. When he was older, he would come down to draw beer and the mallet would fall on his head and kill him. She sat down and started to cry.
Everyone upstairs wondered where she was and her mother went to look for her. She found her daughter in the cellar crying with the beer running all over the floor. She told her mother about the dreadful thing that could happen. The mother started crying too. Then the father came down and they told him about the mallet. He sat down and started to cry.
The gentleman upstairs got tired of waiting for everyone so he came down into the cellar. They told him their sad tale; he started to laugh. “I've traveled many miles, and I never met three such big sillies as you three before; and now I shall start out on my travels again, and when I can find three bigger
sillies than you three, then I'll come back and marry your daughter.” He said good-bye and left them crying because now she had lost her sweetheart.
He traveled for a bit and finally came to cottage. There was grass growing on the roof and a woman was trying to get her cow up the ladder to the grass. The gentleman asked the woman what she was doing. She told him she was trying to feed the cow. He suggested she throw the grass down to the cow. She thought this was easier, and the man went on his way. That was one silly.
Next, he stopped at an inn for the night. They were full so he bunked with another traveler. When they were getting dressed in the morning, he saw the other man hang his trousers on the knobs of the chest of drawers and run across the room and try to jump into them. He never succeeded. The gentleman laughed and showed him how to put them on. That was a second silly.
He continued his travels and came to a village. A crowd of people were gathered around a pond. They had rakes, brooms, pitchforks, etc. The gentleman asked what they were doing. They answered, "Moon's tumbled into the pond, and we can't rake her out anyhow!'" The gentleman told them to look up into the sky, it was only the moon’s shadow, but they wouldn't listen to him.
He decided that these folks were a whole lot sillier than those other folks, so he went back home and married the farmer’s daughter.
Contributed by
Karen Chace, East Freetown, MA
Storyteller–Teaching Artist–Web Researcher
storybug@aol.com
http://www.storybug.net
~~~
#77 – Barrington Bunny
[Source: Bell, Martin, Way of the Wolf
Barrington, a brown bunny with one lop-ear is only bunny in the forest. Very furry and warm. Can hop and make tracks in the snow. Doesn’t want to be home alone on Christmas Eve. All other animals with their families. Hops in clearing, admires designs he makes Tells himself bunnies can hop and are furry and warm.
Starts home when snow begins. Hears squirrels. Asks if they are having party. Can he come? Squirrels welcome him if he can climb up and join them. Barrington looks up at them, shakes his head, then wishes them Merry Christmas from below. Hears beavers. Asks to come to their party. Beaver asks if he can swim. No, but furry and warm. Sorry, can't come if you can't swim. Barrington goes on. Hears field mice. Asks to come to their party. Wind howling. They don't hear him.
Barrington sits in snow. Cries till no more tears, then sits chewing little bunny foot. Silver Wolf appears. Asks Barrington why he’s sitting in snow. "It's Christmas Eve, I'm all alone, and bunnies are no good for anything."
Wolf tells Barrington bunnies are furry and warm, and they can hop.Those are free gifts with no strings attached. But no one is given a gift without a reason. Someday you’ll know why you have this gift. Barrington again says he has no family. Wolf tells Barrington that all the animals in the forest are his family. Wolf disappears.
Barrington decides to take gifts to his family. Digs under snow by squirrels’ tree. Leaves pile of leaves and grass to make squirrels' nest warmer; attaches note: “A gift. A free gift from a member of your family.” Finds best stick he can, leaves it for the beavers with note. “ Here’s a stick for your house. A gift, no strings attached. From a member of your family.”
Blizzard going on now. Barrington hurries toward home. Hears baby field mouse crying in snow. Wraps himself around baby mouse. All night he tells himself, "Bunnies are very furry and warm. That is a gift. No one is given a gift without a reason." And, "All the animals of the forest are my family."
Field mice find their lost baby alive and well under the carcass of dead brown bunny in the morning. No one sees the great Silver Wolf come and stand vigil next to Barrington's brown, lop-eared carcass. But the Wolf did come. It kept vigil all Christmas day before disappearing into the forest.
Contributed by:
Yvonne Young, Eugene, OR
Teller of Truth Tales
http://www.truthtales.com/node/2
~~~
Contributing Storytellers: |
Audrey Kopp Richard Marsh Richard Martin Cathy Mosley Rose Owens Neppe Pettersson Linda Spitzer Sheila Wee Yvonne Young |
If you're interested in a printed book, here are the details:
Size: 8-1/2
x 11
Spiral bound
Plastic covers front and back
77 detailed story skeletons about True Love in all its aspects
Recurring Subjects Index
Keyword Index
Includes nine 5 x 7 glossy prints ready to frame
#1 - Ivan and the Chestnut Horse (Edmund Dulac 1916)
#2 - Bearskin (Anonymous a. 1900)
#3 - The Peony Lantern (Warwick Goble 1910)
#4 - Prince Cherry (Anonymous 1900)
#5 - The Nix of the Mill-Pond (Ella Dolbear Lee 1920)
#6 - The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Eleanor Abbott 1920)
#7 - Tattercoats (Arthur Rackham 1918)
#8 - The Little Mermaid (Margaret Tarrant 1920)
#9 - Cinderella (Edmund Dulac 1916)
$20
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