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Author
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Comment
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pamina
Unregistered User
(7/18/06 1:58 pm)
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Need some help ID'ing a few fairytales
Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew the title of the following fairytales. I remember reading them as a child, and all were picture books with beautiful images.
The first is similar to the swan maidens, only the hunter must free his beloved from her father. She tells him her father will put him through a series of tests but she will help him each time. One of the tests, the man must be able to pick his bride out from among her sisters--and they all look alike; however the bride says that a fly will land on her face and that's how he'll recognize her. The youth passes all the tests and wins his bride though her father really has no intention of giving her up. The maiden knows this and tells her beloved they must flee, but before they do, she pricks herself, leaving three drops of blood behind in the man's room. The couple escape undetected for a time because each time the father knocks on the door to ask if the youth is ready to be married a drop of blood answers not yet. This goes on three times, and then the king realizes eventually he's been had and pursues the couple. The daughter posesses magic of some sort and turns her beloved and her into a forest and duck, then lake and sky, and a church and steeple. I think the father eventually gives up pursuit and the two head back the man's kingdom are married.
The second is a story of a selfish, greedy prince who decides to take a bride. All these princesses come before him, and he's not attracted to any, although the princess covered head to toe in diamonds did hold his attention for a time. He somehow meets and decides he wants to marry this one girl, I believe her name is Rosamund (or something along the lines of Rose) and I think she's the daughter of a miller. She says she'll marry him, but on the condition he spends some span of time during winter in this hut she has in the mountains by himself. He agrees, and goes to find two lambs outside and grain inside. He's hungry and doesn't know how to grind the grain to make flour to make bread, so he just eats the grain. It's snowing outside and the lambs are bleating; the prince goes outside to find a wolf and tries to beat him off with a stick(I think protecting the lambs is part of his deal with the girl). The wolf and lambs take this opportunity to dash inside, leaving the prince in the cold. He beats on the door and demands to be let in, but he isn't let in for a long time. And when he finally does get back in to the hut, it's because as the wolf says, "paws and hooves are no use for grinding grain." The lambs and wolf apparently coexist peacefully, and teach the prince how to grind the grain to make flour and bread and humility in the process. Eventually the prince comes back; since he looks so ragged, he is sent to the kitchen entrance where he sees Rosamund baking bread. She doesn't recognize him at first, and when she realizes it's him in a more humble and kind form they two embrace and she agrees to marry him.
The third, I vaguely remember. It relates to a white stag and a king's three sons. All three pursue the stag into these woods, but they are told never to stray from the path. The two oldest do, but the youngest doesn't. I believe he finds the stag and learns that it is an enchanted princess or maiden. The youngest son has to go back and save his two brothers with help from the maiden. I don't remember if there was any ill will from the older brothers, I don't think so... Anyhoo, I believe the youngest goes back and is named the King's successor and his two brothers are made dukes...
I know this is a long post. However, I would be eternally grateful to the person who could name these stories and possibly elaborate on some of the missing details, especially for the third.
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janeyolen
Registered User
(7/19/06 1:54 am)
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Re: Need some help ID'ing a few fairytales
The first story is a Russian tale, one of the Vasilissa stories, and I retold it in the picture book THE SEA KING (Interlink.)
The other two sound like combinations of a lot of fairy tale elements, so no help there.
Jane
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pamina
Unregistered User
(7/19/06 11:51 am)
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Re: Need some help ID'ing a few fairytales
Thanks for your help on the first. Several fairy tales mix and match elements, that sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which. :D
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Heather KT
Registered User
(7/27/06 1:27 am)
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Re: Need some help ID'ing a few fairytales
I think the first one is Aarne-Thompson Tale Type 313, "The Girl as Helper in the Hero's Flight."
Some examples:
Grimm Brothers
# 51 Foundling-Bird
# 56 Sweetheart
Roland
# 79 The Water
Nixie
# 113 The
Two Kings' Children
# 186 The
True Bride
# 193 The Drummer
French examples:
The Bee
and the Orange Tree (d'Aulnoy)
The Devil's Daughter
Belle Eulalie
It's a complicated story, and has many versions (Delarue's _Le Conte Populaire Francais_ lists 118!), so I hope you find the one you're looking for.
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Lyndynw
Registered User
(8/6/06 6:30 pm)
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Re: Need some help ID'ing a few fairytales
The third sounds like The White Deer by James Thurber published, originally, I believe, in the 40's.
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