That's one of my favorites as well! ^_^ That and "Katie Crackernuts" (which is a rarity in fairy tales in that the titular Katie is the stepsister of the fairytale and instead of being wicked and petty, she is kind, loves her sister, and is the heroine who sets off on the quest to save her sister from the curse the mother put on her) and Tatterhood (where the heroine is not the pretty, demure princess, but the one who is not afraid to fight, get dirty, and make it clear to the prince that he must accept that she does things on her own terms).
Also, the version of that fairy tale that I read was a little different, and explains why the princess didn't dive in after the prince: it was a swamp that the prince was knocked into, and he had a rope tangled around his legs (I believe the dog knocked him off of his horse). The princess cuts the ropes so that he can get himself out of the bog without drowning.
Oh, YES! I love Katie as well. It's great seeing two sisters in a fairy tale who care about one another, and Katie and her sister are fantastic in that respect.
Tatterhood was one of the first fairy tales I can remember. It was the first one in a collection I had, which was full of stories that celebrated strong heroines. Some of my other favorites from that story were
( ... )
I remember the story of Janet and Tam Lin--though I didn't run into it until I was in college--but I never heard of the others before. What was the name of this collection?
I also just remembered - when she's told about the fates, she's the only one who points out that given that Death By Dog is on the menu, it's really not very wise of him to keep a pet dog. When the prince refuses to give up the dog, she makes him promise to at least keep a sword with him at all times.
Yes! Here's the passage:
Several weeks later the prince said to his wife, "My life is in the hands of three creatures--a crocodile, a serpent and a dog
( ... )
Another collection I would highly recommend is "Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters", which is possibly the largest compilation of fairy tales celebrating strong women, sorted by what parts of the world each one is from, and each story being finished with a small note from the woman who compiled it all, explaining why she chose each tale. There are a number of very obscure ones, and it's a fantastic read
Also, the version of that fairy tale that I read was a little different, and explains why the princess didn't dive in after the prince: it was a swamp that the prince was knocked into, and he had a rope tangled around his legs (I believe the dog knocked him off of his horse). The princess cuts the ropes so that he can get himself out of the bog without drowning.
Reply
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/twelvedancing/stories/katiecrackernuts.html
I'd read Tatterhood before today, but I'd forgotten it, and I'm sorry to say that. It's a great story.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/norway122.html
And thank you for the explanation. That does clarify things. Good for the princess, cutting the ropes--like as not, pulling him to safety.
Reply
Reply
I also just remembered - when she's told about the fates, she's the only one who points out that given that Death By Dog is on the menu, it's really not very wise of him to keep a pet dog. When the prince refuses to give up the dog, she makes him promise to at least keep a sword with him at all times.
Yes! Here's the passage:
Several weeks later the prince said to his wife, "My life is in the hands of three creatures--a crocodile, a serpent and a dog ( ... )
Reply
http://www.amazon.com/Tatterhood-Other-Tales-Johnston-Phelps/dp/0912670509
Another collection I would highly recommend is "Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters", which is possibly the largest compilation of fairy tales celebrating strong women, sorted by what parts of the world each one is from, and each story being finished with a small note from the woman who compiled it all, explaining why she chose each tale. There are a number of very obscure ones, and it's a fantastic read
http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Girls-Women-Beloved-Sisters/dp/0393045986
Reply
Leave a comment