World Folklore for storytellerS This page intentionally left blank World Folklore for storytellerS Tales of Wonder, Wisdom, Fools, and Heroes Josepha Sherman First published 2009 by M.E. Sharpe Published 2015 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2009 Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use of operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds , orexperiments described herein. In using such information or methods they sh ouldbe mindful of their own safety an d the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data World folklore for storytellers: tales of wonder, wisdom, fools, and heroes / Josepha Sherman, editor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7656-8174-4 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Folklore—Classification. 2. Folk literature—History and criticism. 3. Storytelling. 4. Oral tradition. I. Sherman, Josepha. GR72.56.W67 2010 398.09—dc22 2009010525 Cover image: Rumpelstiltskin spinning, illustration from “Once Upon a Time” published by Ernest Mister, c.1900 (color litho) by G.H. Thompson (twentieth century). Private Collection/ The Bridgeman Art Library. Publisher: Myron E. Sharpe Vice President and Director of New Product Development: Donna Sanzone Vice President and Production Director: Carmen Chetti Executive Development Editor: Jeff Hacker Project Manager: Laura Brengelman Program Coordinator: Cathleen Prisco Assistant Editor: Alison Morretta Text Design: Carmen Chetti and Jesse Sanchez Cover Design: Jesse Sanchez ISBN 13: 9780765681744 (hbk) C ontents Introduction ......................................................................................................................xv WONDER TALES Beauty and the Beast ............................................................................................3 The Transformed Female ............................................................................................3 Fox Brides ........................................................................................................................................4 The Fox Wife: A Folktale from Japan .......................................................................................4 The Fox Woman: A Folktale from the Inuit of Labrador, Canada .......................................4 The Fox Wife: A Folktale from Korea ......................................................................................5 Frog Brides .......................................................................................................................................6 The Frog Maiden: A Folktale from Burma ..............................................................................6 The Frog Tzarina: A Folktale from Rus sia ...............................................................................8 The Little Singing Frog: A Folktale from the Czech Republic ...........................................10 The Frog Wife: A Folktale from the Cochiti of New Mexico .............................................12 Silkies/Selchies and Seal Brides ........................................................................................................13 Tom Moore and the Seal Woman: A Folktale from Kerry, Ireland ....................................13 MacCodrum and His Seal Wife: A Folktale from Scotland ................................................14 Mermaid Brides................................................................................................................................15 The Lady of Gollerus: A Folktale from Ireland ....................................................................15 Ne Hwas, the Mermaids: A Folktale from the Passamaquoddy of New En gland ...........16 Swan Brides and Other Bird Maidens .............................................................................................17 The Swan Maiden: A Folktale from Sweden ..........................................................................18 The Swan Princess: A Folktale from Finland ........................................................................18 The Crane Maiden: A Folktale from Japan ............................................................................21 The Geese Maidens: A Folktale from the Smith Sound Inuit of Greenland ....................22 Other Animal Brides ......................................................................................................................23 The White Cat: A Folktale from France .................................................................................23 The Snail Lady: A Folktale from Korea ..................................................................................26 White Snake: A Folktale from Zhejiang Province, China ...................................................28 v vi C ONTENTS Fairy Brides ....................................................................................................................................29 The Farmer’s Son and His Fairy Bride: A Folktale from Wales..........................................29 The Huldre Bride: A Folktale from Norway ..........................................................................30 The Fairy Woman of Takitimu Mountain: A Folktale from the Maori of New Zealand ......................................................................................................................31 The Feather Robe: A Folktale from Japan ..............................................................................32 Undead And Demon Brides ............................................................................................................33 The Undead Princess: A Folktale from Germany .................................................................33 The Demon Bride: A Jewish Folktale......................................................................................35 A Nonliving Bride ..........................................................................................................................36 The Man Who Married a Branch: A Folktale from the Salish of British Columbia, Canada ..................................................................................................................36 The Transformed Male .............................................................................................37 Beauty and the Beast: A Basque Folktale ................................................................................37 Snake and Crocodile Husbands .......................................................................................................40 The Crocodile Husband: A Folktale from Botswana, Africa ..............................................40 The Fairy Serpent: A Folktale from China .............................................................................41 Yu Duo and the Snake Husband: A Folktale from the Dai of China ................................43 The Woman and the Snake: A Folktale from Kerala Province, India ...............................44 Frog Husbands ...............................................................................................................................45 The Frog Prince: A Folktale from Germany ..........................................................................45 The Frog and the Starry Girl: A Folktale from the Mishmi of Lohit Valley, India .........47 The Two Orphans: A Folktale from Kerala Province, India ..............................................48 The Toad Husband: A Folktale from the Hmong of Laos ..................................................49 Fish Husbands ................................................................................................................................50 The Fish Man: A Folktale from the Salish of British Columbia, Canada ..........................50 Seal and Sea Lion Husbands ...........................................................................................................52 Ahewauwen and the Woman: A Folktale from the Selknam of Tierra del Fuego ...........52 The Woman Who Married a Seal: A Folktale from the Coos of Oregon .........................53 The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry: A Folktale from Scotland .................................................54 Other Animal Husbands ................................................................................................................55 The Small- Tooth Dog: A Folktale from En gland .................................................................55 Hans My Hedgehog: A Folktale from Germany ...................................................................57 Other Odd Husbands ......................................................................................................................60 The Dragon Prince: A Folktale from Turkey .........................................................................60 Princess Kemang and Her Tree Husband: A Folktale from Bengkulu, Indonesia ..........61 Habogi: A Folktale from Iceland .............................................................................................63 The Invisible Man: A Folktale from the Micmac of Nova Scotia, Canada .......................65 The Lord of the Winds: A Folktale from the Nenets of Siberia .........................................66 C ONTENTS vii The Heroine’s Quest .................................................................................................68 The Black Bull o’ Norroway: A Folktale from Scotland ......................................................68 East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon: A Folktale from Norway ......................................71 Cinderella and Cinderlad ...................................................................................77 Cinderella ...............................................................................................................77 Ashey Pelt: A Folktale from En gland ......................................................................................77 Aschenzuttel: A Folktale from Serbia .....................................................................................78 Burenushka, the Little Red Cow: A Folktale from Rus sia ...................................................80 The Story of Tam and Cam: A Folktale from Vietnam ........................................................83 An American Cinderella: A Folktale from New Hampshire ...............................................85 The Donkey Skin Tale Type ............................................................................................................86 Peu d’Ane (Donkey Skin): A Folktale from France.................................................................86 La Sendraoeula (Cinderella): A Folktale from Italy..................................................................88 Love Like Salt: A Folktale from the Hottentot of South Africa .........................................91 Cap o’ Rushes: A Folktale from En gland ...............................................................................92 All- Kinds- of- Fur: A Folktale from Germany ........................................................................94 Rashin- Coatie: A Folktale from Scotland ..............................................................................97 The Princess Who Would Not Marry Her Father: A Folktale from Portugal ..................99 The Woman with Two Skins: A Folktale from Nigeria ......................................................102 Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell: A Folktale from Medieval En gland ...............................104 Cinderella and Father Frost Variants ...........................................................................................107 Father Frost: A Folktale from Rus sia ....................................................................................107 The Twelve Months: A Folktale from the Czech Republic ................................................109 Cinderlad ..............................................................................................................113 Cinders: A Folktale from Finland and America ..................................................................113 The Frog Who Became an Emperor: A Folktale from China ............................................114 The Boy Who Knew No Fear ...........................................................................117 The Boy Who Searched for Fear: A Folktale from Slovenia ..............................................117 The Fearless Merchant’s Son: A Folktale from Rus sia ........................................................119 The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Learn Fear: A Folktale from Germany ..................120 The Fearless Young Man: A Folktale from Sicily, Italy ......................................................124 Dragon- Slayers and Monster- Slayers .............................................................127 The Lucky Ruble: A Folktale from Estonia .........................................................................127 The Dragon- Slayer: A Folktale from Mexico .......................................................................128 Chin Timur and Mehtumsala: A Folktale from the Uighur of Central Asia ...................130 viii C ONTENTS Law Da and the Dragon: A Folktale from the Akha People of Southeast Asia .............133 The Dragon of Kinabalu: A Folktale from Borneo ............................................................134 Urumba the Water Monster: A Folktale from the Mbarakwena Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert .........................................................................................................136 The Wanderer and the Dragon: A Folktale from the Gypsies of Slovakia .....................136 The Three Dragons: A Folktale from the Gypsies of Bohemia .......................................137 Iya: A Folktale from the Lakota Sioux of the American West...........................................139 The Hunter and the Monster Bird: A Folktale from the Cherokee of Tennessee ..........................................................................................................................140 The Fairy’s Midwife .........................................................................................143 The Fairy’s Midwife: A Folktale from En gland ..................................................................143 The Midwife of Hafoddydd: A Folktale from Wales ..........................................................144 The Clergyman’s Wife: A Folktale from Sweden ................................................................145 Cherry of Zennor: A Folktale from Cornwall, En gland ....................................................146 The Demon’s Midwife: A Folktale from the Jews of Morocco .........................................148 Rumpelstiltskin .................................................................................................151 Rumpelstiltskin: A Folktale from Germany .........................................................................151 Tom Tit Tom: A Folktale from En gland ...............................................................................152 Mistress Beautiful: A Folktale from Germany ....................................................................155 The Gold Spinner: A Folktale from Hungary ......................................................................156 The Three Aunts: A Folktale from Norway .........................................................................158 The Building of the Kalundberg Church: A Folktale from Denmark .............................160 Sleeping Beauty .................................................................................................163 Little Briar Rose: A Folktale from Germany .......................................................................163 The Ninth Captain’s Tale: A Folktale from the Arabian Nights .......................................165 Snow White ........................................................................................................167 Snow White: A Folktale from Germany ...............................................................................167 Myrsina: A Folktale from Modern Greece ...........................................................................169 The Crystal Casket: A Folktale from Italy ............................................................................171 Transformation Folktales ..................................................................................175 The Hedley Kow: A Folktale from En gland ........................................................................175 The Soul That Lived in the Bodies of All Beasts: A Folktale from the Inuit of Greenland ..........................................................................................................................176 C ONTENTS ix The Transformation Chase .....................................................................................177 Master and Pupil: A Folktale from Denmark ......................................................................178 Master and Pupil (or the Dev il Outwitted): A Folktale from the Republic of Georgia ............................................................................................179 The Pupil Who Bested the Master: A Folktale from Libya ...............................................181 The Magician and His Disciple: A Folktale from India .....................................................182 The Master- Maid: A Folktale from Norway ........................................................................187 The Grateful Prince: A Folktale from Estonia ....................................................................194 The Obstacle Flight: A Folktale from the Native Peoples of Alabama ...........................204 The Girl and the Evil Spirit: A Folktale from the Tundra Yukaghir of Siberia ..............206 Fundevogel (Foundling Bird): A Folktale from Germany ................................................207 The Story of Aja: A Folktale from the Krobo of Ghana ....................................................209 The Four Sisters and the Mountain Lion: A Folktale from the Osage of the American Midwest ....................................................................................................210 Undersea Kingdoms: Adventures in the Lands Under the Waves.............213 The Sea Nymph: A Folktale from Sweden ...........................................................................213 Sadko: A Folktale from Rus sia ...............................................................................................214 Urashima Taro: A Folktale from Japan .................................................................................215 Hasang: A Folktale from the Hui Muslims of China ..........................................................216 The Ruler of the Sea: A Folktale from the Yupit of Siberia ...............................................218 HERO TALES Folklore Heroes .................................................................................................223 Ilya Murometz and the Robber Nightingale: A Folktale from Medieval Rus sia ............223 St. George and the Dragon: A Folktale from En gland ......................................................224 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A Folktale from the Arthurian Cycle of En gland .............................................................................................................................226 Hayk, Found er of Armenia: A Folktale from Armenia ......................................................227 Kandebayi the Hero: A Folktale from Kazakhstan ............................................................228 The Girl Who Avenged Her Uncles: A Folktale from the Chippewa of Wisconsin ..........................................................................................................................232 Sam Hart and His Brave Gray Mare: A Folktale from Massachusetts.............................233 Legendary Heroes ............................................................................................235 Davy Crockett: A Folktale from the American Frontier ....................................................235 Daniel Boone: A Folktale from Kentucky ............................................................................236 George Washington: A Folktale from Virginia ...................................................................236 Abraham Lincoln: A Folktale from Washington, D.C. ......................................................237