Green gecko by Little Elfs Toyshop
Showing posts with label fairy tales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fairy tales. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Natural Kids Team folk tale guest post
I've written a new post for the Natural Kids Team blog, called Life Lessons in Folk Tales. I featured three folk tale picture books by storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald, plus crafty offerings by my fellow artisans. As I worked on the post, I asked my teammates if anyone would be interested in making a gecko to go along with MacDonald's Go to Sleep, Gecko! and Little Elfs Toyshop delivered:
Green gecko by Little Elfs Toyshop
Green gecko by Little Elfs Toyshop
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Folk and Fairy Tale sets/ Life Update
A post I wrote for the NaturalKids Team blog, which you may find here, highlights some folk and fairy tale-themed creations my fellow artisans have in their shops. There should be more next month, as the team is working on a "fairy tale challenge" right now. I'm kicking around the idea of making the sun, the moon, and the stars in personified form as part of a Seven Ravens set. I suspect many of our offerings will come from retellings by Grimm and Perrault, and I would like to break from choosing Western European stories without being a culture vulture.
***
Speaking of fairy tale stories, summer is almost over, I have performances coming up next week, and I need to polish my new stories. I've enjoyed beingat home out in the world with my daughter this summer. We can actually do things together now. My aunt jokes that Lucia was in "boot camp," because Lucia walked 4-5 miles and read two books every week day during the summer.
I'm training Lucia to do stair-climbing for The Big Climb next March, and yesterday, she stair-climbed 293 steps four times. That's 1, 172 steps. Meanwhile, I'm training to run my first 5k this autumn for Run Scared, while Lucia and her daddy walk the 4k portion (almost 2.5 miles).
Out in the world, I try to be low-key about my daughter's progression, but here on this blog, let me be braggy for a moment:
GO, LUCIA, GO!
(Pretend there's a scrolling marquee tag for that.)
***
Speaking of fairy tale stories, summer is almost over, I have performances coming up next week, and I need to polish my new stories. I've enjoyed being
I'm training Lucia to do stair-climbing for The Big Climb next March, and yesterday, she stair-climbed 293 steps four times. That's 1, 172 steps. Meanwhile, I'm training to run my first 5k this autumn for Run Scared, while Lucia and her daddy walk the 4k portion (almost 2.5 miles).
Out in the world, I try to be low-key about my daughter's progression, but here on this blog, let me be braggy for a moment:
GO, LUCIA, GO!
(Pretend there's a scrolling marquee tag for that.)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Kindness to Animals in Stories
I've always been a fan of fairy tales where the main character's kindness to animals helps him or her become the hero of the story.
The Queen Bee, by the Brothers Grimm is a good example. Baba Yaga and the Girl With the Kind Heart is another. Sometimes the main character is even mighty, and displays the wisdom of having humility even when one is rich and powerful, such as the legend of King Solomon and the Bee. You'll notice that the Solomon story has a similar motif as that of "The Queen Bee."
Those are some of my favorite stories in which compassion toward animals (and in the case of Baba Yaga, toward things too!) is rewarded. What are yours?
The Queen Bee, by the Brothers Grimm is a good example. Baba Yaga and the Girl With the Kind Heart is another. Sometimes the main character is even mighty, and displays the wisdom of having humility even when one is rich and powerful, such as the legend of King Solomon and the Bee. You'll notice that the Solomon story has a similar motif as that of "The Queen Bee."
Those are some of my favorite stories in which compassion toward animals (and in the case of Baba Yaga, toward things too!) is rewarded. What are yours?
Friday, January 01, 2010
The Scullery Boy Remembers
Happy New Year! I'm pleased to announce that my short story, The Scullery Boy Remembers, is now published in Enchanted Conversation, an online journal of fairytales. The theme of the premiere issue is Sleeping Beauty. I was inspired by this passage from the Grimms' version of the story:
The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall; even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep.
The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall; even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Gold, Silk and Salt, Story #5
Today's story for (LoStoWriMo) Local Story Writing Month is based upon the Grimms' fairy tale "Love Like Salt." I welcome comments that indicate you read the story, but you need not write anything more complicated than "Marked as read." I won't respond to the comments except to thank you at the end of the day, but I will visit your blogs if you have them.
GOLD, SILK AND SALT
A king had three daughters with three set of skills. The eldest daughter worked with precious metals and designed necklaces, rings and diadems for the nobility. The middle daughter sewed silks and velvets into dresses and capes for those who could afford the costly fabrics. The youngest daughter had studied as a chef, and could prepare exquisite meals for the dignitaries and diplomats who often came to visit. However, the king’s favorite dish was a simple concoction of lentils, rice and caramelized onions flavored with olive oil, mint and a sprinkling of salt.
One day, the king called his daughters before him. “Someday, I will die and one of you will rule after me. You all have skills that prove you are willing to work for the good of your kingdom. My question to you is, how much do you love me? For by loving me, you reveal your love for the kingdom.”
The eldest daughter, who was the metalworker, said, “Father, I love you like gold.”
“That is good,” the king said, quite pleased.
The middle daughter, who was the seamstress, said, “Father, I love you like silk.”
“That too is good,” the king said, beaming.
The youngest daughter, who was the chef, said, “Father, I love you like salt.”
The king frowned. “From you I would have expected saffron. Salt was once valuable, but now it is common. Salt causes heart problems and kills people. Your love is not worthy of this kingdom. Henceforth, you are banished.”
The youngest daughter was sorrowful, but it did not matter. The king’s word was law. The youngest daughter dressed herself for travel, gathered her spices and herbs, and left the kingdom.
The king divided his kingdom between his eldest and the middle daughters to see how they would lead the people in his absence. The eldest daughter, whose love was like gold, ruled with a devotion untarnished by ambition or greed, but proved to be too malleable to the demands of the nobles and gentry below her. The middle daughter, whose love was like silk, made sure that everyone was well-clothed, but the people grew resentful that the clothes given to them could not be easily washed and suspected the middle daughter of having a special arrangement with the dry-cleaners.
Through all this, the king watched and kept himself apart despites the pleadings of the kingdom for him to intervene. He was listless and gloomy, and if anyone dared to suggest that his sorrow lay in the banishment of his youngest daughter, the king would grow furious. Nonetheless, the king occasionally allowed himself to wonder where his youngest daughter had gone. As the years passed, he reconciled himself to the certainty that she had gone to heaven.
One day, the king and his daughters were invited to a wedding in a neighboring kingdom. At the banquet, a wide array of sumptuous delicacies made their way around the table. To the king’s surprise, one of the dishes was his favorite concoction of lentils and rice. He took a generous helping and lifted the fork to his mouth.
Something was not right. The king took another bite. The lentils were bland, the rice was tasteless, and although the mint and thyme were blended thoroughly, something was wrong with the seasonings. As the king took a third bite, he realized that the lentils and rice lacked the sprinkling of salt that made the dish complete.
The king began to weep. His two daughters left their seats to comfort him, but he could not stop crying. “Now I understand what my youngest daughter meant when she said she loved me like salt. I have wronged her, and now she is lost to me forever.”
“Not lost,” said a voice near his ear. “Not forever.” The king looked up and there was his daughter, wearing the clothes of a chef and smiling down at him.
The king hugged his daughter. He asked, “Can you ever forgive me?”
And because this is a fairy tale, the answer was as simple as “Yes.”
GOLD, SILK AND SALT
A king had three daughters with three set of skills. The eldest daughter worked with precious metals and designed necklaces, rings and diadems for the nobility. The middle daughter sewed silks and velvets into dresses and capes for those who could afford the costly fabrics. The youngest daughter had studied as a chef, and could prepare exquisite meals for the dignitaries and diplomats who often came to visit. However, the king’s favorite dish was a simple concoction of lentils, rice and caramelized onions flavored with olive oil, mint and a sprinkling of salt.
One day, the king called his daughters before him. “Someday, I will die and one of you will rule after me. You all have skills that prove you are willing to work for the good of your kingdom. My question to you is, how much do you love me? For by loving me, you reveal your love for the kingdom.”
The eldest daughter, who was the metalworker, said, “Father, I love you like gold.”
“That is good,” the king said, quite pleased.
The middle daughter, who was the seamstress, said, “Father, I love you like silk.”
“That too is good,” the king said, beaming.
The youngest daughter, who was the chef, said, “Father, I love you like salt.”
The king frowned. “From you I would have expected saffron. Salt was once valuable, but now it is common. Salt causes heart problems and kills people. Your love is not worthy of this kingdom. Henceforth, you are banished.”
The youngest daughter was sorrowful, but it did not matter. The king’s word was law. The youngest daughter dressed herself for travel, gathered her spices and herbs, and left the kingdom.
The king divided his kingdom between his eldest and the middle daughters to see how they would lead the people in his absence. The eldest daughter, whose love was like gold, ruled with a devotion untarnished by ambition or greed, but proved to be too malleable to the demands of the nobles and gentry below her. The middle daughter, whose love was like silk, made sure that everyone was well-clothed, but the people grew resentful that the clothes given to them could not be easily washed and suspected the middle daughter of having a special arrangement with the dry-cleaners.
Through all this, the king watched and kept himself apart despites the pleadings of the kingdom for him to intervene. He was listless and gloomy, and if anyone dared to suggest that his sorrow lay in the banishment of his youngest daughter, the king would grow furious. Nonetheless, the king occasionally allowed himself to wonder where his youngest daughter had gone. As the years passed, he reconciled himself to the certainty that she had gone to heaven.
One day, the king and his daughters were invited to a wedding in a neighboring kingdom. At the banquet, a wide array of sumptuous delicacies made their way around the table. To the king’s surprise, one of the dishes was his favorite concoction of lentils and rice. He took a generous helping and lifted the fork to his mouth.
Something was not right. The king took another bite. The lentils were bland, the rice was tasteless, and although the mint and thyme were blended thoroughly, something was wrong with the seasonings. As the king took a third bite, he realized that the lentils and rice lacked the sprinkling of salt that made the dish complete.
The king began to weep. His two daughters left their seats to comfort him, but he could not stop crying. “Now I understand what my youngest daughter meant when she said she loved me like salt. I have wronged her, and now she is lost to me forever.”
“Not lost,” said a voice near his ear. “Not forever.” The king looked up and there was his daughter, wearing the clothes of a chef and smiling down at him.
The king hugged his daughter. He asked, “Can you ever forgive me?”
And because this is a fairy tale, the answer was as simple as “Yes.”
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Enchanted Conversation: Call for Submissions
Enchanted Conversation, "a journal where lovers of fairy tales can write and read and find community" is calling for submissions for its first issue! The theme for the first issue is focused on the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale. Guidelines for submissions can be found on the site and authors will be paid for their work. The deadline for this first issue is November 15, 2009, so you have some time to create and revise.
Monday, July 20, 2009
"Sleeping Beauty" Rewrite Contest
I can't believe I didn't blog this before: Diamonds and Toads is hosting a Sleeping Beauty rewrite contest. The deadline for entries is July 31, so at least I've not totally dropped the ball on alerting you to this contest. Please read the guidelines and rules here. This contest is open only to residents of the United States; however, future contests of this ilk will open up to the rest of the world. (Keep in mind that the prize is from KateW's own funds, and she is not compensated in any way except for the enjoyment of your entries.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
