Yeah I finally decided to post something in here! I thought long and hard about what should I write - you know, first post...very special thing ^^ - and I've decided on a traditional tale!
So I've searched the web from top to bottom and found this really cool website (http://www.cln.org/themes/fairytales.html) which contains a lot of tales from all over the world.
I've choosen a British one. Enjoy!
The Changeling Twins of Corwrion
John Rhys, Celtic Folklore
John Rhys, Celtic Folklore
"Are you sure that they are your children?" asked the witch, adding that it did not seem to her that they were like hers.
"I have my doubts also," said the mother.
"I wonder if somebody has exchanged children with you," said the witch.
"I do not know," said the mother. "But why do you not seek to know?" asked the other.
"But how am I to go about it?" said the mother.
The witch replied, "Go and do something rather strange before their eyes and watch what they will say to one another."
"Well, I do not know what I should do," said the mother.
"Well," said the other, "take an eggshell, and proceed to brew beer in it in a chamber aside, and come here to tell me what the children will say about it."
She went home and did as the witch had directed her, when the two children lifted their heads out of the cradle to find what she was doing--to watch and to listen.
Then one observed to the other, "I remember seeing an oak having an acorn," to which the other replied, "And I remember seeing a hen having an egg"; and one of the two added, "But I do not remember before seeing anybody brew beer in the shell of a hen's egg."
The mother then went to the witch and told her what the twins had said one to the other; and she directed her to go to a small wooden bridge not far off, with one of the strange children under each arm, and there to drop them from the bridge into the river beneath.
The mother went back home again and did as she had been directed. When she reached home this time, she found to her astonishment that her own children had been brought back.
So, the moral of the story is that witches are good at giving advice. - ?!
Maybe the traditional Celtic tales have no moral...
Well, that's all.
Take care!
3 comments:
Hey Tamira!
Interesting (weird) tale ;D...
Here is the vocab unknow to me:
changeling - a baby which secretely is used to occupy another's place;
to get on - to have a good relationship;
brew - to make beer! I've also found this definition at Cambridge's dic: If you brew tea or coffee, you add boiling water to it to make a hot drink, and if it brews, it gradually develops flavour in the container in which it was made. If an unpleasant situation or a storm is brewing, you feel that it is about to happen.
eggshell This one is needless to explain, but I'd never seen the word, so I decided to count it.
acorn dictionary again: an oval nut that grows on an oak tree and has a cup-like outer part
to go about sth - to begin doing something, or dealing with something;
That's it for the vocabulary.
Really weird tale...
Good opening post!
You kwow, I like fairy tales. Folkloric tales. And I like the celts also. I'v bought an album of celtic-inspired music, and it's pretty good. I'll keep this tale in mind, even though I can't find the lesson in it.
Hey Tamira ! ! !
This tale reminds me of... a logic problem. so maybe the meaning (or meanings) can be found rationaly...
First, some things are still not clear... Are they real twins? ^^
I can understand the acorn and the egg connection with the brewing. but after... I get confused... anyway I shouldn't torture your minds. ^^
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