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The Mermaid And The Boy
The Mermaid and the Boy (''Gutten, Havfruen og Ridder Rød''; German: ''Der Knabe, die Meerfrau und Ritter Roth'') is a Sámi fairy tale collected by Josef Calasanz Poestion in '' Lapplandische Märchen'' (Wein; 1886). Andrew Lang included an English-language version in ''The Brown Fairy Book'' (1904). It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other tales of this type include ''Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful'', '' Corvetto'', ''King Fortunatus's Golden Wig'', and ''The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa''. Another, literary variant is Madame d'Aulnoy's ''La Belle aux cheveux d'or'', or ''The Story of Pretty Goldilocks''. Synopsis A king, having been married a year, set out to settle disputes among some distant subjects. His ship, caught in a storm, was about to founder on the rocks when a mermaid appeared and promised to save him if he, in turn, would promise to give her his firstborn child. As the sea became more and more threatening, the king finally agreed. On his ...
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German Language
German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italy, Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a co-official language of Luxembourg and German-speaking Community of Belgium, Belgium, as well as a national language in Namibia. Outside Germany, it is also spoken by German communities in France (Bas-Rhin), Czech Republic (North Bohemia), Poland (Upper Silesia), Slovakia (Bratislava Region), and Hungary (Sopron). German is most similar to other languages within the West Germanic language branch, including Afrikaans, Dutch language, Dutch, English language, English, the Frisian languages, Low German, Luxembourgish, Scots language, Scots, and Yiddish. It also contains close similarities in vocabulary to some languages in the North Germanic languages, North Germanic group, such as Danish lan ...
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False Hero
The false hero is a stock character in fairy tales, and sometimes also in ballads. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is usually of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By testing, it is revealed that the claims are false, and the hero's true. The false hero is usually punished, and the true hero put in his place. Vladimir Propp identified it as one of the seven roles he found in an analysis of Russian folktales, but the figure is widely found in many nations' tales. Traits In some tales, the false hero appears early, and constitutes the main obstacle to the hero. These include ''The Goose Girl'' where a serving maid takes the princess's place, and makes her a goose girl, ''The White and the Black Bride'' where the stepmother pushes the bride into the river and puts her own daughter in her place, and ''The Lord of Lorn and the False Steward'', where the steward robs the you ...
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The White Dove (Danish Fairy Tale)
The White Dove (Danish: ''Den hvide Due'') is a Danish fairy tale.Grundtvig, Sven. ''Danish fairy tales''. Translated from the Danish of Svendt Grundtvig by J. Grant Cramer. Boston: The four seas company. 1919. pp. 100-108. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Pink Fairy Book''. A version of the tale also appears in ''A Book of Witches'', by Ruth Manning-Sanders. Synopsis Two princes were caught in a storm at sea when the sky had no sun. An old woman rowed up in a dough-trough and said she could save them in return for the next returning son their mother bore. They said they could not trade him, and the woman said that their mother might prefer the sons she had to the one she did not, and rowed off. They shouted after her that they agreed, and the storm ended. They told no one what had happened, even when their younger brother was born and grew up. But a witch came to him one day in a storm and told him his brothers had promised him in return for their lives. He said if she had saved ...
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The Nixie Of The Mill-Pond
"The Nixie of the Mill-Pond" (german: Die Nixe im Teich) is a German fairy tale that tells the story of a man captured by a nix (water spirit) and his wife's efforts to save him. The Brothers Grimm collected the tale in their ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (1857) as tale number 181. A note in the volume indicated that it was current in Upper Lusatia when the story was collected. Andrew Lang included a version in ''The Yellow Fairy Book'', citing his source Hermann Kletke and titling it ''The Nixy''. It is classified as Aarne-Thompson Type 316, "The Nix of the Mill-Pond". This fairy tale type that falls under the larger category of "Supernatural Adversaries" and is characterized by a hero's parents being promised wealth or gifts in exchange for their child. This tale type is most common in Northern Europe and some variants have been recorded in Scotland. Synopsis A poor miller and his wife are at risk of losing their mill which is their livelihood. One day while passing by the mill pond, ...
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The Grateful Prince
The Grateful Prince ( et, Tänulik Kuninga poeg) is an Estonian fairy tale. This fairy tale has been included in various collections of literature, such as Friedrich Kreutzwald in ''Eestirahwa Ennemuistesed jutud'', by W. F. Kirby in ''The Hero of Estonia'', and by Andrew Lang in ''The Violet Fairy Book''. The latter mentions his source as ''Ehstnische Märchen'': the German translation of Kreutzwald's work, adapted by F. Löwe. Synopsis A king is travelling through the forest, but quickly gets lost. While wandering, he meets an old man who offers to help guide him home in exchange for the first thing that comes out of the king's palace upon his arrival. Recalling that his faithful and beloved dog always greeted him first on his return, the king is displeased with the proposed deal. However, having no other other choices he accepts. Unexpectedly, when he reaches his palace, the first thing that comes out is his wife. Overjoyed, the king orders for a lavish celebration. Suddenly ...
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The Battle Of The Birds
The Battle of the Birds is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in his ''Popular Tales of the West Highlands''. He recorded it in 1859 from a fisherman near Inverary, John Mackenzie and was, at the time, building dykes on the Ardkinglas estate. Joseph Jacobs took it from there for his ''Celtic Fairy Tales'' and added some additional elements. It is also included in ''The Lilac Fairy Book'' by Andrew Lang and '' A Book of British Fairy Tales'' by Alan Garner. Synopsis A king's son set out to see a battle, where every animal fought; he promised to bring back to his father the news of who would be the king of the animals that year. He arrived when the fight was almost over, but a snake and a raven still fought. He cut off the head of the snake. The raven, in gratitude, flew him to a castle where his sister lived, and the prince spent the night there. The raven then flew to another castle, where he also spent the night, but the next morning he met a handsome ...
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Nix Nought Nothing
"Nix Nought Nothing" is a fairy tale included in Joseph Jacobs's anthology, ''English Fairy Tales'' (1898). ''Nix Nought Nothing'' is a translation of the Scottish tale "Nicht Nought Nothing", originally collected by Andrew Lang from an old woman in Morayshire, Scotland. The story is of Aarne-Thompson folktale type 313, and has numerous cognates, very widely distributed. It also has close similarities to the Greek myth of Jason and Medea. Editions Lang transcribed the tale dictated by "Miss Margaret Craig of Darliston, Elgin" in the dialect of Morayshire, and published the tale, "Nicht Nought Nothing", in ''Revue Celtique'' III (1876–8) The tale was also reprinted later and incorporated in his essay "A Far-travelled Tale" (1885). Jacobs' version "Nix Nought Nothing" (1898) with the altered title derives from Lang's Scottish tale. Synopsis (Jacobs' modified version, except where otherwise noted—L indicates Lang's text, and J Jacobs' version) A queen gave birth to a son wh ...
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The Sea-Maiden
The Sea-Maiden (Scottish Gaelic: ''A Mhaighdean Mhara'') is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in ''Popular Tales of the West Highlands'', listing his informant as John Mackenzie, fisherman, near Inverary. Joseph Jacobs included it in ''Celtic Fairy Tales''. Translations Campbell's tale was translated into German language as ''Die Seejungfrau'' ("The Sea-Maiden") by translator . Synopsis A mermaid offered a fisherman much fish in return for his son. He said he had none. In Campbells' version, she offered him grains: three for his wife, three for a mare, three for a dog, three to plant in the yard; then there would be three sons, three foals, three puppies, and three trees, and she should have one son when he was three. In Jacobs's version, she merely said he would have a son, and when the boy was twenty, she would take him. In Campbell's version, the mermaid let him put her off until the boy was twenty. In both, the father grew troubled. The son (o ...
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Donor (fairy Tale)
In fairy tales, a donor is a character who tests the hero (and sometimes other characters as well) and provides magical assistance to the hero upon their success. The fairy godmother is a well-known form of this character. Many other supernatural patrons feature in fairy tales; these include various kinds of animals and the spirit of a dead mother. In fairy tale and legend In his analysis of fairy tales, Vladimir Propp identified this role as the ''donor'' and listed it as one of the seven roles found in fairy tales. Before giving the hero magical support or advice, the donor may also test the hero, by questioning him, setting him tasks, or making requests of him. Then, the donor may directly give the hero a magical agent, advise him on how to find one, or offer to act on his behalf. If the character itself acts on behalf of the hero, it also takes on the role of ''helper'' in Propp's analysis. Because a donor is defined by acts, other characters may fill the role, even the vi ...
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Fairy Godmother
In fairy tales, a fairy godmother () is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's ''Cinderella'', he concludes the tale with the moral that no personal advantages will suffice without proper connections. The fairy godmother is a special case of the donor. In fairy tale and legend Actual fairy godmothers are rare in fairy tales, but became familiar figures because of the popularity of the literary fairy tales of Madame d'Aulnoy and other précieuses, and Charles Perrault. Many other supernatural patrons feature in fairy tales; these include various kinds of animals and the spirit of a dead mother. The fairy godmother has her roots in the figures of the Fates; this is especially clear in ''Sleeping Beauty'', where they decree her fate, and are associated with spinning. In the tales of précieuses and later successors, the fairy godmother acts in a manner atypi ...
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The Gold-bearded Man
The Gold-bearded Man ( Hungarian: ''Az aranszakállú embör'') is a Hungarian fairy tale collected by Laszlo Arany. It was translated and published as ''Der goldbärtige Mann'' by Elisabeth Rona-Sklárek in ''Ungarische Volksmährchen''. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Crimson Fairy Book''. Origin The tale was collected in dialectal form in the region of Nagykőrös.Sklarek, Elisabet. ''Ungarische Volksmärchen''. Einl. A. Schullerus. Leipzig: Dieterich 1901. p. 291. Synopsis A dying king asked of his queen that she would never remarry, but rather devote the rest of her life to caring for their only son. She promised to do as he requested, but no sooner was her husband dead than she remarried and had her new husband made king instead of her son. The stepfather was a wicked man and treated his stepson very cruelly. By the castle, there was a brook that was of milk rather than water, which had plenty for everyone, but the new king forbade anyone to take the milk. The guards ...
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The Death Of Koschei The Deathless
The Death of Koschei the Deathless or Marya Morevna (russian: Марья Моревна) is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in ''Narodnye russkie skazki'' and included by Andrew Lang in ''The Red Fairy Book''. The character Koschei is an evil immortal man who menaces young women with his magic. Plot Ivan Tsarevitch had three sisters, the first was Princess Maria, the second was Princess Olga, the third was Princess Anna. After his parents die and his sisters marry three wizards, he leaves his home in search of his sisters. He meets Marya Morevna, a beautiful warrior princess, and marries her. After a while she announces she is going to go to war and tells Ivan not to open the door of the dungeon in the castle they live in while she will be away. Overcome by the desire to know what the dungeon holds, he opens the door soon after her departure and finds Koschei, chained and emaciated. Koschei asks Ivan to bring him some water; Ivan does so. After Koschei dr ...
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