This week, I read the English Fairy Tales unit. It was a fine collection of classics retold, and I enjoyed reading the different versions of well-known fairy tales.
Tom Tit Tot: This was an interesting retelling of the classic Grimm fairy tale, Rumplestiltskin. Whereas in the well-known version of the story, the childhood of the girl is not always told, this story gave more background as to why the woman was married to the king and had to spin so many skeins of yarn each day. Every time I read this story, I wonder why the creature--Rumplestiltskin, Tom Tit Tot, or any other being--would be so silly as to absentmindedly sing his name.
The Rose Tree: This was one of the few stories in this first part of the unit that I hadn't heard before. It reminded me vaguely of the story of Cinderella in which Cinderella's mother is buried in a plot of land, and when the girl cries, her tears water the land and a tree eventually grows from it. In this story, the girl's brother does this. Overall, this story was very morbid--it is somewhat alarming to see how wicked the stepmother is, and how the little bird gets her revenge.
The Old Woman and Her Pig: Cumulative stories like this make me laugh, but mostly only because of their ridiculousness. I always love reading the odd series of events that must happen for a simple act to occur, and this story was no exception to the rule. This story is a strong contender for a storytelling post this week; it is based off of a nursery rhyme, which can be easily elaborated, and the themes are silly, so I can have fun with them.
Cap o' Rushes: Yet another story that reminds me of Cinderella. This, again, has slight changes to the classic--the girl is thrown out of her own home and finds shelter with another family in return for cleaning their pots and pans. She is not mistreated; she has the opportunity to go to the dance but she claims she is too tired (yet she goes anyway). The ending was the best part--one doesn't normally think about fresh meat and salt being a combination that defines love, but Cap o' Rushes is a clever one. In the end, I'm glad everyone was happy.
Henny-Penny: What a throwback to my childhood when I first heard the story of Chicken Little! I loved the names in this story; they were silly but effective in describing what the animals are like. Again, this is a cumulative story, which I find entertaining in their length and repetition.
Molly Whuppie: Yet another story that is similar to a classic fairy tale. In this case, this tale reminds me of Jack and the Beanstalk in that the main antagonist is a giant with a rhyming couplet for a chant and a taste for young children. It was heartening to see Molly as a caretaker who helps the children.
Mr. Fox: Another morbid story. This reminds me of a horror story that my friends and I used to tell around a campfire on summer evenings. I certainly am glad that Lady Mary discovered who Mr. Fox was before they got married and that she got out of what might have become a horrid situation!
Johnny-cake: I'm not sure exactly what a Johnny-cake is, but this Gingerbread Man-like story made me chuckle. This tale really goes to show that hubris and being too vocally prideful can be one's worst downfall--as the Johnny-cake discovers when the wolf snatches him up and eats him in one bite.
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