The Three Sisters-An Italian folktale

      The Three Sisters - Part 2

            -An Italian Folktale

   When Nella heard the cause of the Prince's illness, she cried and wept angrily and said to herself, "Who is the wicked soul who has broken the passage and caused so much sorrow?" But as the Demon’s wife now went on speaking Nella was as silent as a mouse and listened.

"And is it possible," said the Demon’s wife, "that the world is lost to this poor Prince, and that no medicine can be found for his crisis?"

"Hark-ye, Granny," replied the Demon, "the doctors are not called upon to find remedies that may pass the bounds of nature. This is not a fever that will yield to medicine and diet, much less are these ordinary wounds which require lint and oil; for the charm that was on the broken glass produces the same effect as onion juice does on the iron heads of arrows, which makes the wound incurable. There is one thing only that could save his life, but don't ask me to tell it to you, for it is a thing of importance."

"Do tell me, dear old Long-tusk," cried the Demon lady; "tell me, if you would not see me die."

"Well then," said the Demon, "I will tell you provided you promise me not to confide it to any living soul, for it would be the ruin of our house and the destruction of our lives."

An Italian Folktale-The Three Sisters

   This Italian folktale story is collected from the famous ancient Italian folktales collection, named “Stories from Pentamerone”. This book was first published at Naples and it was written by - Giambattista Basile.

        The Three Sisters - Part 1

           - An Italian Folktales

   There was at one time a woman who had three daughters, two of whom were so unlucky that nothing ever succeeded with them, all their projects went wrong, all their hopes were turned to tease. But the youngest, who was named “Nella”, was born to good luck, and I verily believe that at her birth all things conspired to present on her the best and choicest gifts in their power. The Sky gave her perfection of its light; Venus, matchless beauty of form; Love, the first dash of his power; Nature, the flower of manners. She never set about any work that it did not go off to a nicety; she never took anything in hand that it did not succeed to a hair; she never stood up to dance, that she did not sit down with praise.

   On which account she was envied by her jealous sisters and yet not so much as she was loved and wished well to by all others; as greatly as her sisters desired to put her underground, so much more did other folks carry her on the palms of their hands.

   Now there was in that country a charming Prince who was so attracted by Nella’s beauty that he secretly married her. And in order that they might enjoy one another's company without exciting the doubt of the mother, who was a wicked woman. The Prince made a crystal passage which led from the royal palace directly into Nella's apartment, although it was eight miles distant.

A Fairy tale Story-Donkey Skin

This fairy tale story is collected from the book named, Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault. This fairy tale story book was translated by A. F. Johnson and published from New York, Dodd Mead and Company, 1921.

Donkey Skin

  Donkey Skin (Part 2)

  -A Fairy tale story

One day the young prince, seeking adventure from court yard to court yard, came to the vague hallway where Donkey Skin had her humble room. By chance he put his eye to the key hole. It was a feast-day and Donkey Skin had put on her dress of gold and diamonds which shone as brightly as the sun. The prince was breathless at her beauty, her youthfulness, and her modesty. Three times he was on the point of entering her room, but each time renounced.

   On his return to his father's palace, the prince became very thoughtful, sighing day and night and refusing to attend any of the balls and carnivals. He lost his appetite and finally sank into sad and deadly grief. He asked who this beautiful maiden was that lived in such dirtiness and was told that it was Donkey Skin, the ugliest animal one could find, except the wolf, and a certain cure for love. This he would not believe, and he refused to forget what he had seen.

   His mother, the queen, begged him to tell her what was wrong. Instead, he moaned, wept and sighed. He would say nothing, except that he wanted Donkey Skin to make him a cake with her own hands.

"Oh! Heavens," they told the queen, "this Donkey Skin is only a poor, drab servant."

"It makes no difference," replied the queen. "We must do as the prince says. It is the only way to save him."

Folk Tale Story - The Most Beautiful Princess

   This is a Folk tale story from Brazil. Brazil is the largest country in South America. Brazil is very well-known for its culture and the game ‘Football’. The world biggest river Amazon and the Amazon Rain-forest is here. This Brazilian folk tale story is collected from the folk tale story book named, “Tales of Giants from Brazil”. This book was written by- Elsie Spicer Eells, published- 1918.

The Most Beautiful Princess

   The Most Beautiful Princess (Part-2)

  - A Folk tale story from Brazil

 

   The king was astonished at the fisherman’s words, for he had not thought that a poor fisherman like him knew many princesses. However, he allowed him to depart in search of the princess.

   Then the prince hurried home and once more walked toward the forest by the same path he had gone the day he went in search of the hare for his father’s hare soup. He soon found the place where the hare had crossed his path, and he did his best to remember the way they had followed as he pursued her into the forest.

   In the forest he saw evidences of what looked like a flood. The water had washed away every trace of the entrance of the cave. He dug and dug at the place where he thought it would to be. He found nothing which seemed like the cave’s entrance.

   The prince dug and dug at a new place near by and soon he found his way shut by a massive door. The entrance to the cave was securely shut by it. The prince knocked at the door with all his might.

   Soon the door was opened a tiny bit and the face of a little old woman looked out. “I am the nurse of the princess,” she said. “I think you are the prince she was expecting to return to deliver her from all the terrible misfortunes which have befallen her.”

Folk Tale - The Most Beautiful Princess

   This is a Folk tale from Brazil. Brazil is the largest country in South America. Brazil is very well-known for its culture and the game ‘Football’. The world biggest river Amazon and the Amazon Rain-forest is here. This Brazilian folk tale is collected from the folk tale story book named, “Tales of Giants from Brazil”. This book was written by- Elsie Spicer Eells, published- 1918.

The Most Beautiful Princes

The Most Beautiful Princess - Part 1

      - A Folk Tale from Brazil

    
   Long ago there was a king who was very ill. He wanted a hare killed to make him some soup. His only son, the prince, set out to find one a hare. As the prince walked along the path to the forest a pretty little hare ran out of the hedge and crossed his path. He at once started in following. The hare was a very swift runner. The prince followed the hare into the deep forest. Suddenly the hare ran into a hole in the ground. The prince kept in sight of her and soon found to his fear that he was in a big cave. At the very rear of the cave there was the most enormous giant he had ever seen in his life.

   The prince was terribly frightened. “Oh, ho!” said the giant in such a deep savage voice that the cave echoed and re-echoed with his words. “You thought you will catch my little hare, did you? Well, I have caught you instead!”

   The giant seized the prince in one of his huge hands and tossed him lightly into a box at one end of the cave. He put the cover on the box and locked it down with a big key. The prince could get only a tiny bit of air through a little hole in the top, and he thought that he never could live. Hours passed, sometimes the prince slept, but more often he lay there thinking about his sick father and what he could ever do to get out of the box and back once more to his father’s side.