Friday’s Tale: The Story of Tuan Mac Cairill told by James Stephens

by Carol10 Comments
This is actually a fascinating tale of the history of early Ireland, told by James Stephens in Irish Fairy Tales. Tuan Mac Cairill is visited at his home by a monk, St. Finnian, who converts Tuan to Christianity. After spending time with Tuan, the monk asks him to tell him his story. The monk is at first amazed and bewildered by the story, but then just listens to Tuan's narrative. I know absolutely nothing about ancient Irish history, but Tuan's tale is fascinating. Tuan came to Ireland with Partholon, the first group of settlers to come to Ireland after the great Biblical flood. All of Partholon's people died from a plague; Tuan was the only survivor. He continues to survive, each time he becomes old and tired he is transformed into a new animal, first a stag, then a boar, a hawk, and a salmon. He sees invader after invader come to Ireland. Through his long life he saw battles, storms...
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Friday’s Tale: The Boy Who Wanted the Moon retold by Donna L. Washington

by Carol9 Comments
"The Boy Who Wanted the Moon" retold by Donna L. Washington This tale from the Congo starts with a very spoiled little boy. He is a prince, the son of a great king who gives him everything he wants. At 6, he has his own house, gorgeous clothes and is carried around on a chair instead of having to walk. The king made this boy the king of all the children, and the young prince made the other children sit in the marketplace watching him eat, nap, whatever. One day, the prince states that he is the greatest child and has everything. A little girl in the crowd speaks up, telling him that he doesn't have the moon. The boy, of course, gets his heart set on having the moon, and the father, indulgent beyond reason, sets about getting it for him. It takes 10 years, but finally a scaffold is built to the sky and the king, prince, and their subjects...
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Friday’s Tale: Vasilissa the Beautiful

by Carol14 Comments
"Vasilissa the Beautiful" Baba Yaga is a witch-like character from Slavic folklore that I don't remember from the fairy tales I heard as a child. Actually the first picture I have in my mind is from when I was watching the PBS cartoon Arthur with Amber a few years ago. I don't remember the plot of the episode, but for some reason one of the kids was imagining Baba Yaga's hut, complete with its chicken legs. Actually, Baba Yaga is a rather scary old woman. Apparently there are many tales that feature her, but the one I read for today is "Vasilissa the Beautiful." As happens to so many beautiful young fairy tale women, Vasilissa's mother dies early in the story. On her deathbed, she gives Vasilissa a little wooden doll. This wooden doll is magic. When Vasilissa feeds her, she comes alive, listens to Vasilissa's griefs and problems, and offers advice and assistance. Eventually, Vasilissa's father remarries and, surprise, surprise, the...
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The Ballad of Belle Dorcas by William H. Hooks

by Carol5 Comments
The Ballad of Belle Dorcas by William H. Hooks, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Suggested reading level: Grades 2 - 4) This is a wonderful re-telling of a traditional American story, but one I've never heard before. According to the author, this is one of the many "conjure" tales he was told when he was a child in the tidewater area of rural North Carolina. He remember listening with "awe and tantalizing shivers." Belle Dorcas is free issue, the daughter of a slave woman and her master who was granted her freedom at birth. She works in the master's home, but her mom is dreaming of the day when Belle will marry a free issue man and live in her own home on her own land. Despite being courted by a number of eligible free men, Belle falls in love with a slave, Joshua, and gains permission to marry him. She gives up everything for love. When a new master plans to sell Joshua,...
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The Turnip by Pierr Morgan

by Carol3 Comments
The Turnip by Pierr Morgan (Suggested age range: Preschool) This is an old Russian folktale that I actually ran across when I talking about a Halloween book , Big Pumpkin. Somewhere I read that it was based on a Russian tale, so i had to find it. In this story, Dedoushka grew a huge turnip, so big that he couldn't pull it out of the ground. His wife, Baboushka, comes to help, but even the two of them together can't pull out the turnip. They call their granddaughter and eventually, with the help of the granddaughter, the dog and cat and a tiny filed mouse, they finally pull the turnip free. I love the bright illustrations, the characters stand out well against the more pastel farm background. The story itself has a nice rhythm and the names give it a distinct Russian flavor. Deduchka pullat the turnip, Baboushka pulled at Dedoushka, Mashenka pulled at Baboushka, Geouchka pulled at Masehnka, Keska pulled at Geouchka, the little...
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The Story of the Two Devils

by Carol5 Comments
"The Story of the Two Devils" Today's folk tale comes from Tibet, a land whose stories I am completely unfamiliar with. A long time ago, there was a plateau high in the mountains on which were situated several cites, all ruled over by a king with seven sons. One day, when the sons were playing in the forest, they found a beautiful girl who was herding a yak. "The seven sons thought that she was very pretty to look at, so they proposed to her that she become the wife of the seven, which was the custom of the country." (pg. 70) The girl consented and went home with the brothers, bringing her yak along. Every year, one of the brothers died, starting with the oldest until only the youngest was left. He of course became very ill and the head-men of the villages decided to send for a fortune teller. The fortune teller they chose may have been a fake,...
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