THREE STRONG WOMEN
(excerpts from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure to obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain)

1) Searching for the source of a Japanese tale "Three Strong Women". The plot synopsis is a wrestler who is held tight by a young girl when he tickles her and ends up following her to her home where both her mother and grandmother spend some time teaching him how to be the strongest man in the world. When he can throw the grandmother in a fight, they know he is ready.

2) Ethel Johnston Phelps, Tatterhood, Feminist Press, 1978
ISBN 0-912670-50-9
Years ago I heard Heather Forest tell this one back in Rochester, New York. At the time she was about 8 months pregnant - which seemed perfect for the tale.

3) Also an edition by Claus Stamm, illustrated by Kazue Mizumura.

4) Have been scouring my collections for more ideas on Asian tall tales and have come up with the types one might imagine: strong men/women (with a lot of strong wrestler tall tales), animals of incredible size and powers, boast /lying tales or contests (of amazing misers, lazy people, thieves, etc.), the unbelievable event or journey (eg. the tree growing from top of man's head, the umbrella maker's trip to sky), and more. But here's an interesting aside re Three Strong Women: Years ago, Macmillan asked me to research the source for that folktale because they wanted me to tape it and Viking was charging a LARGE copyright fee. I faxed many Japanese folklore scholar and storyteller friends of mine, seeking a source. They didn't seem to find one. My fax machine hummed constantly with other versions of strong men or women in Japan, but nothing with three strong female characters together in a related manner. I ended up using some wonderful material about a strong women named Oiko, who also made a huge Sumo wrestler feel like a puppy.

(This web page updated 8/9/03)