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Author
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Comment
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luckiski
Registered User
(7/25/06 11:17 pm)
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looking for a specific story
If anyone can help me locate this story/folktale/fairytale/whatever I would be greatly appreciative. My mother is actually looking for it. She's certain she read it to my daughter from a book in my house, and I've never heard of it. She remembers she had to alter the words since my daughter is only 3. All she could remember was that she believed it was a single storybook, either chinese or japanese, about a sword maker who made the most beautiful swords in the land and an emperor who wanted the best sword and so called upon this swordmaker to make him one. When the sword maker presented the sword to the emperor, the emperor then gouged the eyes of the sword maker so that he could no longer make swords therefore the sword the emperor possessed would be the best forever.
I have looked at all of the books I have on my 3-year old's shelves and can't find anything. It may have been a book my two older children have or borrowed from their school library. I've asked them if they are familiar with the story, and they aren't. I've looked online for a few days now trying to find it with no luck. I hope someone here can help.
Thanks in advance for your efforts.
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pinkolaestes
Registered User
(7/26/06 6:43 pm)
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Re: looking for a specific story
hello there: I do not know the story you speak of, but a related motif(not the same as the one in the tale you put forth) is in some tales, that 'the one who lives by/creates the sword, dies by the sword...' Regarding that motif, for instance, in a film about Nazi's where the antagonist goes to an old man who is a master weapons' maker, and comissions an unusual but murderous weapon. When it is built, the Nazi, before he leaves to use it on others, murders the weapon maker with it. There are also figures in mythos who are blinded for seeing or doing something that only the Gods are supposed to govern. In some parts of Asia, the Emporer was thought to be God, and that may be one of the underlying ties in the story you are speaking about. I realize I am moving away from your question, so will cease talking about mythos... but
I am sorry I cannot be of help. And, just want to mention, as a mother, grandmother and a psychoanalyst for 35 years, that such an intense story about eyes being gouged out might be more appropriate when a child is a little bit older. Although it is true that children are exposed to much via television and video, a three year old still lives between the worlds of dreams and concrete reality, and cannot often differentiate which is which until age 6 or seven when they /we all learn to not take all things so literally.
This is only my two cents worth.
With kindest regards,
cpe
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luckiski
Registered User
(7/26/06 7:50 pm)
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Re: looking for a specific story
Thank you for your help, and I agree with your two cents worth. I didn't spend much time explaining in my original post (only mentioned the altering of words) but, that was why my mom thinks she read it at my house because she had to change the story, and skip parts, etc., because it was so far beyond the type of story for a 3 year old. I'm assuming it probably belonged to my 12 or 14 year old, with which I would've redirected my youngest to her own shelves. Oh well, I'll have to keep looking. Thanks for trying.
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