Books 13-21
All but the first are Grimm Brothers tales.
13. Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, by Claire Pooley. I loved this book! It is so charming and warm. I laughed several times (one time I had to put down the book for a few minutes I was laughing so hard- without giving away any spoilers I will just say it involves the can-can). There were a couple times, including the last chapter, where I got a bit teary-eyed. Yes, the book is a bit predictable, there weren't a lot of major surprises, but this predictability is like having one's favorite sweater or warm blanket. It's escapism, and pure fun watching the lives of the characters unfold.
As the title hints, the story involves several commuters on a train as they go to and from their jobs. They first just have nicknames for each other but never really talk, until one day an errant grape goes down the wrong way and one of the commuters starts choking. Thankfully for him there's a medical professional on board. Slowly, the characters all get to know each other and form their own family which winds up coming together and supporting each other on several instances.
This book does deal with some serious issues (one teen character takes some very unwise photos and gets bullied as a result, for example.)
What's interesting and pertinent are the themes of community and the need to look past the initial impressions. Highly recommend to just about anyone needing an uplifting escape.
14. The Donkey. This is similar to another Grimm Brothers tale I read earlier, although this one is more light-hearted. Here, a king and queen long for a child but when one does arrive, it's a donkey. The queen is horrified but the king embraces him as a son. The donkey thrives in court life and even learns to play the lute but he runs away when he sees his reflection one day. He goes to another kingdom and falls for the princess there. Along the way he reveals an interesting secret. It's a cute tale, not sure how memorable it will be.
15. The Dog and the Sparrow. An interesting tale with an unambiguous moral: wanton violence is never warranted and never underestimate even the smallest of creatures. Here, a dog has run away from its cruel owner. He befriends a sparrow, who helps the dog find food. They journey together until the dog is tired. The sparrow tries to watch over the dog but the poor canine is run over by a cruel and thoughtless wine seller. The sparrow, furious over the wanton slaughter of the dog, enacts a savage level of vengeance.
16. The Ear of Corn. A sort of origin story. Once, far more corn grew on the stalks than it does today but an act of carelessness raises the wrath of the Almighty, who cuts down on the abundance. Mixed feelings on this one. On one hand the lesson of not taking too much for granted is a good one, but the "crime" in this case seemed rather minor.
17. The Ditmarsch Book of Wonders. This mercifully short story read like a fever dream. This is not a compliment. I can't even give a summary because I don't understand what the point was. It's possible that this would have been understood by contemporary audiences but I didn't get it.
18. The Duration of Life. I've read something similar but the ending made me laugh. Here, God is giving the allotted lifespan of the various animals. This is essentially a parable about why creatures live such short lives and mankind lives a comparatively long life - but perhaps not as they would always like.
19. The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs. I can see this adapted for a modern audience. Here, a child is born in a caul, which is a sign of incredible good fortune. It is prophesied that this child, from a poor family, will go on to marry the princess. The king finds out about it and is furious, and he does everything in his power to get rid of this unwanted future son-in-law. Needless to say, the king's attempts only brings the marriage about. But the king, even after the wedding, seeks to get rid of the boy and sets him to accomplish an impossible task: get three hairs from the devil's own head.
20. The Devil's Sooty Brother. I think this may be the first time I've read a story where the devil is almost a friend to the protagonist. Indeed, the devil is more decent and forgiving than most of the characters in the story. Rather unexpected. Here, we have a soldier who (as typical in these stories) has been discharged from service with nothing. He runs across a devil, who makes a bargain with the soldier: serve him faithfully for seven years, and then he will be free. What's more the devil keeps his promise and even aids the soldier when an innkeeper double-crosses him.
21. The Devil and his Grandmother. It's interesting that most portrayals of the devil are negative- but his grandmother is usually much kinder in these tales. Three soldiers have deserted but find themselves trapped and risk being found and hanged. They are rescued by the devil, who gives them a whip which gives them as much gold as they wish for the next seven years. At the end of that time, they must join the devil - unless they can answer his riddles. Two of the soldiers are despondent but the third finds his way to the devil's grandmother.