Reading Notes: Stories from Europe, Reading A
1. Czech Folktales: The Bear, the Eagle, and the Fish by Josef Baudis (1922).
There was once a count who had three beautiful daughters. The count had a gambling issue and lost all his money, so to pass the time he went hunting. One day when he was hunting he was lost in the forest. A bear said he would show him the way out if he promised one of his daughters to him in marriage; the count agreed.
Time passed and, broke again, he went out to go hunting once more. He became lost again but this time an eagle said he would help him out if he promised him his second daughter. The count agreed to this, and so it happened.
Again after more time had passed and he had little to no money left, so he sold his last daughter to a fish.
So the count and countess were home alone, but they eventually had a son. The son had noticed his mother was sad all the time and asked her why, to which she told him everything. After hearing this, he decided to set off and go find his lost sisters.
He found his oldest sister with three bear cubs--her children, and his brother-in-law who was a bear. The bear gave him three hairs and told him to rub the three hairs with his fingers if he ever needed help.
He found his second sister with two eaglets and his brother-in-law who was an eagle. The eagle gave him three feathers and said they would be of help to him in time of need.
He found his last sister under the water, after dropping into her home through a chimney. She had a pretty baby fish and her husband was a giant fish. His brother-in-law gave him three fish scales to use if he were ever in trouble.
The son learned that the bear, eagle, and the fish were all brothers, sons of a powerful king who had been enchanted by a jealous sorcerer. This sorcerer could take on different forms, but in order to defeat him he must get his gold egg hidden inside him and throw it on the ground.
The son found and fought the magician who first took shape as a bull. The son rubbed the bear's hair and the bear appeared and tore up the bull into pieces.
Then the bull shape-shifted into a wild duck in order to escape, but the son rubbed the eagle feathers and the eagle came, and tore the duck to pieces.
At this, a golden egg fell from the duck and it rolled into a nearby pond. The son rubbed the fish scales and the fish threw the egg onto the bank. The son got the egg and then threw it to the ground so that it smashed into pieces.
After this, everything had changed. The land became more beautiful and the bear, eagle, and fish had all turned back into the princes they were, and their children back to humans. They all lived in the castle happily ever after.
Bibliography:
The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922).
There was once a count who had three beautiful daughters. The count had a gambling issue and lost all his money, so to pass the time he went hunting. One day when he was hunting he was lost in the forest. A bear said he would show him the way out if he promised one of his daughters to him in marriage; the count agreed.
Time passed and, broke again, he went out to go hunting once more. He became lost again but this time an eagle said he would help him out if he promised him his second daughter. The count agreed to this, and so it happened.
Again after more time had passed and he had little to no money left, so he sold his last daughter to a fish.
So the count and countess were home alone, but they eventually had a son. The son had noticed his mother was sad all the time and asked her why, to which she told him everything. After hearing this, he decided to set off and go find his lost sisters.
He found his oldest sister with three bear cubs--her children, and his brother-in-law who was a bear. The bear gave him three hairs and told him to rub the three hairs with his fingers if he ever needed help.
He found his second sister with two eaglets and his brother-in-law who was an eagle. The eagle gave him three feathers and said they would be of help to him in time of need.
He found his last sister under the water, after dropping into her home through a chimney. She had a pretty baby fish and her husband was a giant fish. His brother-in-law gave him three fish scales to use if he were ever in trouble.
The son learned that the bear, eagle, and the fish were all brothers, sons of a powerful king who had been enchanted by a jealous sorcerer. This sorcerer could take on different forms, but in order to defeat him he must get his gold egg hidden inside him and throw it on the ground.
The son found and fought the magician who first took shape as a bull. The son rubbed the bear's hair and the bear appeared and tore up the bull into pieces.
Then the bull shape-shifted into a wild duck in order to escape, but the son rubbed the eagle feathers and the eagle came, and tore the duck to pieces.
At this, a golden egg fell from the duck and it rolled into a nearby pond. The son rubbed the fish scales and the fish threw the egg onto the bank. The son got the egg and then threw it to the ground so that it smashed into pieces.
After this, everything had changed. The land became more beautiful and the bear, eagle, and fish had all turned back into the princes they were, and their children back to humans. They all lived in the castle happily ever after.
 |
| Bear. Source: Pixnio. |
Bibliography:
The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922).
Comments
Post a Comment