Category: Thursday’s Tales

Today's tale, "The Story of a Female Shaman," is from the Reindeer Chukchee people of northeastern Siberia. It was retold in Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from around the World edited by Kathleen Ragan. A female shaman had an only son who was sick, but she had to leave to visit other people who lived at the end of the sea. Her husband complained, calling her a bad mother for leaving her sick child. She said she understood his concern, but that other people needed her, as they too had a son who was suffering. When she got to the other people, they told her the boy was dead. She asked what payment they were going to give her and they told her two reindeer teams. She told them she would try to bring the boy back. She hit her drum and restored the boy to life. She spent a year there. When she returned home, she learned her...

Today, I've got another of Roald Dahl's poems. This time, Little Red Riding Hood doesn't need a woodcutter to save her, she takes care of the wolf all on her own. Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf As soon as Wolf began to feel That he would like a decent meal, He went and knocked on Grandma's door. When Grandma opened it, she saw The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin, And Wolfie said, 'May I come in?' Poor Grandmamma was terrified, 'He's going to eat me up!' she cried. And she was absolutely right. He ate her up in one big bite. But Grandmamma was small and tough, And Wolfie wailed, 'That's not enough! I haven't yet begun to feel That I have had a decent meal!' He ran around the kitchen yelping, 'I've got to have a second helping!' Then added with a frightful leer, 'I'm therefore going to wait right here Till Little Miss Red Riding Hood Comes home from walking in the wood.' He quickly put on Grandma's clothes, (Of course he hadn't eaten those). He dressed himself...

Today I've got another one of Aesop's fables. I usually associate Aesop with animals but this one features the god Mercury and a sculptor. Mercury, wanting to know how much he was esteemed among men, disguised himself as a traveler. He went into a sculptor's workshop and saw figures of Jupiter, Juno, himself, and most of the other gods and goddesses. Pretending that he wanted to buy one, he said to the sculptor, pointing to the figure of Jupiter, “What do you ask for that?” “A drachma,” answered the man. “And what for that?” meaning Juno. The man named a higher price for that one. Mercury's eye now caught his own image. "Now, will this fellow," thought he, "ask me ten times as much for this, for I am the messenger of heaven, and the source of all his gain?" Mercury asked the price, laying his hand on the figure of himself, with wings, rod, and all. “Why,” replied the man, “if you really mean...

Today I've got one of Aesop's fables, "The Dancing Monkeys." A prince had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally  great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt  pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they  danced as well as any of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing  spectacle thus came to an end amidst the laughter and ridicule of the audience. I guess there are two possible morals: "Not everything you see is what it appears to be" or "It is difficult to change who you are." I found this cute video...

Today's story comes from Wales. It was published by Walter Y. Evans-Wentz in his book The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries. One day when it was cloudy and misty, a shepherd boy going to the mountains lost his way and walked about for hours. At last he came to a hollow place surrounded by rushes where he saw a number of round rings. He recognized the place as one he had often heard of as dangerous for shepherds, because of the rings. He tried to get away from there, but he could not. Then an old, merry, blue-eyed man appeared. The boy, thinking to find his way home, followed the old man, and the old man said to him, "Do not speak a word till I tell you." In a little while they came to a long stone. The old man tapped it three times, and then lifted it up. A narrow path with steps descending was revealed, and from it emerged a...