Tag: 24. Family Dynamics

Complex relationships within families, like sibling rivalry or parental challenges

A tale about two girls

Two girls playing with bones on a beach wished for husbands—a girl with eagle bones married an eagle, and the other with whale bones married a whale. The eagle girl escaped using bird sinews and a kayaker’s help, while the whale girl endured captivity until her brothers built a swift boat to rescue her. She eluded the pursuing whale, who ultimately turned into whalebone upon reaching the shore.

Source: 
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo 
by Henry Rink 
[William Blackwood and Sons] 
Edinburgh and London, 1875

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The girls’ marriages to an eagle and a whale introduce interactions with supernatural entities, highlighting the mystical elements of the narrative.

Conflict with Nature: The protagonists face challenges posed by natural forces—the eagle and the whale—symbolizing struggles against the natural world.

Family Dynamics: The involvement of the brothers in rescuing their sister underscores the importance of familial bonds and the lengths family members will go to protect one another.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

The text is constructed from two manuscripts, one from Labrador and the other written down in Greenland, anterior to 1828.

Two little girls were playing with some small bones on the beach; the one with eagle-bones, the other with whale-bones. Suddenly an eagle came soaring through the air above them, and one of the girls said, “I will have an eagle for my husband;” and the other replied, “Thou mayst rejoice that thou hast already got a husband; I will have a whale for mine.” Instantly a whale was seen to spout out at sea. And the eagle took one girl up and flew away with her, and the whale took the other down to the bottom of the sea, having first made her eyes and ears impenetrable, so that the water could not enter. The eagle carried his bride to the top of a steep cliff, and brought her different sorts of little birds for food; but she gathered all the sinews of the birds’ wings, and knotted them together, in order to make a string of them. One day, when the eagle was away, she tried the length of it, and found that it reached down to the level of the sea.

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Another day she saw a kayaker rowing along the shore; and when he came just below, she called out to him to send a boat to rescue her. Soon afterwards the boat appeared, and she went sliding down by her string of sinews, and got back to her parents. But the eagle, who missed his mate, soared above the houses beating his wings; and one of the inhabitants of the place cried out to him, “If thou wantest to show thou hast been married into our family, spread out thy wings;” but when the eagle did so they shot him through the body. The other girl who had been stolen by the whale was secured to the bottom of the sea by a rope; and when he was at home, she had nothing to do but to sit picking the lice [Cyamus ceti, a parasitic crustacean, well known as the “whale louse.”] from off his body. She had two brothers living close by, and both set about building a boat of immense swiftness, in which they intended to deliver their sister; but when the boat was finished it could not match a bird in speed, and was therefore broken to pieces, and another begun. This boat proved a match for a flying bird, but was nevertheless discarded, and they again built a new one, in which they tried to overtake a gull; and on finding that this one even outdid the bird, they started from home to fetch back their sister. On becoming aware of their approach she loosened the cord that held her, and twisting it round the stone, she left with the boat. When the whale on his return drew the cord to get hold of her, and discovered that she was gone, he hurried after her. But when he came quite close to the boat she threw her outer jacket into the water to him. Having snapped at it he let it go, and again pursued her; and when he had got quite close up with them, she flung her inner jacket at him, which again detained the whale: but he soon reached them for the third time. Then she threw her long jacket, and before he could overtake them again they had already landed; but when the whale reached the shore he was transformed into a piece of whalebone.

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Kumagdlat and Asalok

This story, also well known in all parts of Greenland, has been derived from five copies, written in different parts of that country. Unlike the preceding tales, it exhibits a more historical appearance, apparently referring to certain occurrences which must have taken place during the stay of the primeval Eskimo on the shores of the American continent, and have been repeated until our day. It indicates the first appearances of culture in attempts to provide tools or weapons from seashells, stones, and metal, as well as conflicts and meetings of the Eskimo with the Indians, which in recent times have still taken place on the banks of the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers.

Source: 
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo 
by Henry Rink 
[William Blackwood and Sons] 
Edinburgh and London, 1875

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The old woman’s deceitful manipulation of Kumagdlat’s perception of his cousins drives the central conflict of the narrative.

Conflict with Authority: The tale reflects the challenges faced by the cousins as they navigate external threats and internal mistrust, leading to a breakdown in their previously harmonious relationship.

Family Dynamics: The story delves into the complexities of familial relationships, particularly how external influences and deceit can disrupt the bonds between close relatives.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Three cousins named Kumagdlat, Asalok, and Merak were very fond of one another. Kumagdlat occupied a house by himself, and had his own boat [umiak, the larger skin-boat, fit for one to three families travelling with their tents, and all the other necessaries, for the summer season]. The other two kept a house and a boat in partnership; but they all assisted each other early and late, and amused themselves in exercising and exhibiting their mutual strength. When they went out kayaking, they always accompanied each other in a friendly and amicable manner, and were on the whole much attached to one another.

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Kumagdlat had an old crone living with him, and she used to be very cross-tempered; and one day he accosted her as follows: “I won’t have cross old women living in my house, and I shall certainly put thee to death some day or other.” The old hag now behaved peacefully and quietly, until one day she exclaimed: “I can tell thee, it is not without reason that I am so quiet and low-spirited; from the first day thou began to maintain and support me I have been very sorry for thee, and this has made me silent and downhearted.” “How so?” asked Kumagdlat; and she answered: “Is it not that thy cousins love thee so very dearly? Nevertheless they now intend to put an end to thy life.” However, she had invented this lie, being so ill-natured and resentful that she could not even sleep at night. But from that time Kumagdlat began to fear his cousins; and though he never used to be parted from them all day long, he now began to shun them. One day in the spring they entered his house, saying, “Art thou not going out in thy kayak today?” But he answered, “No, I can’t go; I must leave my kayak time to dry,” — and accordingly they set out without him. In their absence he dug up his tent-poles from the snow, and had just finished when they returned. Next morning they again entered with the same question, but he answered as before: “No, I must have my kayak perfectly dry before I can use it.” They would have liked him to go with them; but as he would not be persuaded, they again went out by themselves. As soon as they were out of sight he prepared everything for leaving his old quarters: he had his boat put in the water, and as soon as it was loaded he pushed off; but at parting he said to the people on shore: “Tell them to follow as soon as possible; we intend to go out to sea to our usual reserves” (depots for provisions): and so saying, he started. Asalok and Merak at last returned, and when they discovered that Kumagdlat was gone, they made inquiries, and received the answer, “They have newly departed, and left word that they intended to go out seaward to their usual reserves, and that they wanted you to follow them as soon as possible.” They at once determined to do so; and early the next morning the boat was put right, loaded, and away they went, taking the usual direction: but they did not find him, nor any marks or traces of him along the shore. It is said that Kumagdlat had the skull of a seal for an amulet, and that now every time when he had to pass inhabited places he fixed his amulet on the prow of his boat, that the people of the places might think it to be nothing but a spotted seal diving up and down. But in one of the settlements he thus passed there happened to be a fool, who (fools or naturals being considered as clairvoyants) always had a presentiment of whatever was to take place, and being aware of the boat passing by, he cried out, “A boat! a boat!” But when the others went out to look for it, they could only see a spotted seal diving up and down, and after awhile totally disappearing. When Asalok with his company came to this place and heard these news, they knew that Kumagdlat must have passed by, because they knew of his having such an amulet. Meantime Kumagdlat travelled on night and day without going ashore; when the rowing-girls got too tired, they only made fast the boat a short time to take rest, and then continuing their voyage, until they at last stopped at a well-peopled place, where they resolved to take up their quarters. In this place they met with a very old man busily employed in making a boat. His hair was as white as the side of an iceberg, and beside him stood a bearded young man. Some time after the arrival of Kumagdlat, the old man said to him, “Before this young man here was born I commenced building that boat, and by this time I have only just finished the hull.” But right and left heaps of shells were seen piled together, these being the only tools he had had to work with. “Here we have not got so much as a single knife,” rejoined the old man; “but yonder, in the interior of the country, live people who have knives in abundance.” And when Kumagdlat went on asking, he continued, “Farther inland numerous erkileks have their abodes, and they are immensely rich. [Erkileks are a sort of fabulous beings — half men, half beasts. All sorts of inlanders in the Greenlandish tales represent fabulous or supernatural beings. The most common kind, and probably the inlanders in general, are called tornit (plural of tunek), which is what in the following pages we have translated by inlanders.] However, when any of the coast people go there they never return, being mostly killed, I suppose.” Kumagdlat now said, “I have a great mind to go out in search of them myself;” but the old man replied, “I am afeared thou wilt not be able to do aught by thyself as even several of our people going together have always been put to death. The erkileks are rare people, and neither to be matched in swiftness nor agility.” But Kumagdlat returned to his tent and set about making a small bow and arrows — the quiver he formed out of seal-skin; and having finished these, he started on his journey to the erkileks, all by himself.

When, meanwhile, the brothers Asalok and Merak likewise had wandered about the country for a long time, they at length discovered an extensive plain below them, where the erkileks lived in many tents, and only had a lake for their sea. They now hid themselves, awaiting the fall of night, and watching the return of the erkileks from their day’s hunting. Beneath the rays of the setting sun they espied a very tall man carrying a burden on his back. They were just in the act of discharging their arrows at him, when both exclaimed, “Why, is not that man like Kumagdlat?” and when he answered, “Yes, so it is,” they said to each other, “Well, since we have so happily met, one of the hateful erkileks shall fall.” Having thus again met and recognised each other, Kumagdlat told his cousins how the old hag had calumniated them to him. When it had grown quite dark, and all was silent in the camp of the erkileks, the cousins rose up and first set out in search of some place of security for themselves. At the further side of the lake the erkileks had pitched their tents, and right opposite was a small island, which they fixed upon as a place of refuge. On arriving at the spot they observed that the distance of the island might be about a stone’s-throw. Kumagdlat, with the burden on his back, was the first to venture the leap, and succeeded in gaining the island; Asalok, too, reached the opposite shore; but Merak exclaimed, “I really cannot do it.” When, however, the others prevailed upon him to try the leap, he, too, reached the island, though not without touching the water in crossing. In this place they now deposited their arrows, each providing himself with only two, after which they returned to the mainland, Merak, as before, almost touching the water. They now advanced towards the tents, where the inmates had all retired to rest. Having reached the largest, Kumagdlat said to his companions, “I’ll jump up on the cross-beam above the entrance, while ye pass through the fore-room.” Having passed the entrance, and peeping through the skin curtain of the main room, they beheld an old married couple inside, who were still awake. The woman, who was in the family way, was sitting upright, whilst the man was leaning forward, resting his head on his hands. All of a sudden the man gave a howl like a dog, at which the woman arose to her feet. He then commenced licking her belly, and she handed him some reindeer-tallow. Kumagdlat now said, “Next time he begins to lick her, I’ll take aim and shoot her.” When the old man had finished eating he gave a howl as before, and the woman again got up; but just as he was in the act of licking her, Kumagdlat shot her right through the body. A fearful yell was now heard, and Kumagdlat jumping quickly down, they all hurried across to their hiding-place, while the erkileks in great crowds issued out of their tents. The cousins, meantime, reached the island in the same manner as before. Having safely arrived there, they at once lay down in a row on the ground, each behind the other, Kumagdlat in front, then Asalok, and Merak hindmost. The erkileks began to arm and discharge their arrows at them, which they carried in quivers at their backs; but the women pulling out the arrows from above, were enabled to discharge them much quicker than the men, who pulled them out sideways. While the cousins were watching the archers on shore, always diving down before their arrows, they noted one whistling through the air, and having slightly touched the two, they heard it strike behind them; and looking round, they saw that Merak had been dangerously hit in the throat through venturing to raise his head. Then Asalok said to Kumagdlat, “Dost not thou know any spell for restoring life?” He answered, “Yes, I believe I do;” whereupon he began to murmur some words. When he had finished, they looked round and observed that the arrow had already gone half-way out of Merak’s throat, and when Kumagdlat spoke the third time, Merak was alive and unhurt. The erkileks continued shooting; but when they had used up all their arrows, Kumagdlat had only the skin of his temple grazed a little, and the cousins now arose to pay them back with their bows. When a great number of the erkileks had been shot, they pursued the rest along a river, until they reached a waterfall, where they had a hiding-place; but there Kumagdlat killed them all by throwing stones at them, as they issued forth one by one. Afterwards the friends returned to the tents, where the children had remained immovable, and stunned with terror, feigning to be dead; but the cousins caught hold of them nevertheless, and having pierced them through the ears, they quickly killed them — only one boy and a girl being left alive. They examined the furniture of the erkileks, and found pots of copper, with copper handles to them, and no requisites of any kind wanting. On opening the boxes, the covers unlocked of themselves, because of the great quantity of clothes they contained. These boxes they again closed, but opened others containing knives with beautiful handles, of which they took as many away with them as they could possibly carry, and then again made their way towards the coast. In the meantime the people with whom Kumagdlat had left his family often used to mock them, saying, “Look ye, those who go to the erkileks won’t fail to bring back many fine things, such as beautiful knives, with pretty hafts to them.” On hearing this, Kumagdlat’s wife would run outside, believing her husband to be coming; but they only said so because they believed him to have been killed. An old bachelor had taken her into his house and provided for her, considering her to be a widow. At the time when Kumagdlat was actually returning to the coast, the people were again ridiculing his family, crying out as before. But at the same moment the old boat-builder turned round and beheld Kumagdlat descending the hill, and carrying great loads on his back; and on his approach he discovered his burden to consist of knives with beautiful hafts. On entering the tent Kumagdlat found his mother and wife mourning his absence, and he said, “I expected to have found you with the lamps extinguished” (viz., at the point of starvation). They made answer, “The old bachelor has provided for us, that we might not perish from hunger.” Kumagdlat rejoined, “Many thanks to him, then, and let him come and choose himself a knife.” But the old bachelor would not enter, but wanted the knife to be brought to him; whereupon Kumagdlat said, “Having such great cause to be thankful towards him, I must have him come in.” But the old man, fearing some mischief (viz., suspecting jealousy), insisted on having the knife brought out to him. Kumagdlat, however, continued calling from within; and now at last the old man just crossed the threshold, saying, “Well, then, let me have the knife:” but Kumagdlat still entreated him to come further into the room; and having at length made him sit down, said, “Thou hast provided well for these poor creatures; I thank thee very much, and hope thou wilt accept of these knives,” and he offered him two with beautiful handles. It is said that the cousins afterwards returned to their old home, and that they grew very renowned for their vigour and dexterity, and killed bears as well as kilivfaks (fabulous beasts).

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The blind man who recovered his sight

The text of this story has been collated from eight copies, among which two have been received from Labrador, the rest from different parts of Greenland, three of them having been written down before 1828. Like the former, it seems to have no historical, but only a moral or mythological reference.

Source: 
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo 
by Henry Rink 
[William Blackwood and Sons] 
Edinburgh and London, 1875

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The protagonist undergoes a significant change, regaining his sight after a period of blindness.

Family Dynamics: The narrative explores complex relationships within the family, highlighting the mother’s jealousy and the sister’s loyalty.

Trials and Tribulations: The blind man’s journey is marked by challenges, including his initial blindness and the subsequent hardships he faces, which he overcomes with determination and support from his sister.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

A widow had a son and a daughter. When the son grew up, he made himself useful in different ways, and also commenced seal-hunting. One day in the beginning of winter he caught a thong-seal (a very large species, Phoca barbata [or bearded seal — “the ground-seal” of the English sealers: also called a “thong-seal,” because the Eskimo cut their thongs and lines out of its hide]). On bringing it home, his mother wanted the skin for a ledge-cover, but he insisted on having it for making hunting-lines [line or thong attached with one end to the harpoon, with the other to the hunting-bladder, an inflated entire seal-skin, which prevents the harpooned seals running away].

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The mother grew angry, and in preparing the skin and removing the hairs, she practised some witchcraft on it, and spoke thus: “When he cuts thee into thongs, when he cuts thee asunder, then thou shalt snap and smite his face;” and she rejoiced in the thought that it would hit him. When she had finished her preparations, and he had cut out the first thong, he stretched and strained it; but in scraping it with a shell, a small blister burst, and hitting both his eyes, blinded him.

The winter coming on, they were destitute of their main provisions, and had to live entirely upon mussels (Mytilus edulis); and the blind boy took his place on the ledge, unable to go out hunting any more. Thus he passed the first half of the winter. A great bear then appeared, which began to eat away their (skin) window-pane, and next thrust its head into the room. [In modern times, most of the Eskimo huts in Danish Greenland have got glass window-panes; but through Eskimo-land generally, the semi-transparent entrail of some animal serves this purpose.] The mother and the sister fled in great terror to the inmost retired part of the ledge; but the blind man said to his sister, “Please bring my bow;” and she having given it to him, he bent it, and asked her to take the right aim for him. Levelling it at the animal, she gave him the signal, whereon he shot, and the arrow struck the bear so that it fell to the ground. The mother said, “Thou hitst the window instead of the beast;” but his sister whispered, “Thou hast killed a bear.” They had now provisions for the coming days; but the mother never gave her son any of the boiled bear-flesh, but only a few shell-fish instead, and never let him taste a meal from his own hunting, but, in order to starve him, concealed her having any flesh. His sister, however, gave him his portion when the mother was absent, and he swallowed it in haste before her return. In this manner the greater part of the winter passed away. At last the days lengthened; and one day, in the spring, the sister said, “Dost thou remember how very delightful the time was when thou hadst still got thy sight, and wast able to go out hunting, and how we used to roam about the country?” The brother answered, “To be sure; let us be off again. I can take hold of thee.”

And the next morning at daybreak they went out together, he taking hold of her garments; and all day long they wandered about, the sister occupied in gathering shrubs for fuel.

One day they came to a large plain beside a lake, and the brother then said, “I think I will lie down a little, while thou goest away to find more fuel;” and accordingly she left him. Whilst he was thus resting himself, he heard some wild geese flying in the air above him, and when they were right over his head, he heard one of them crying out, “Look at the poor young man down there; he is blind: would we could make him see.” When the birds approached him he never stirred, but lay quietly on his back. At this moment he had a sense of something warm falling down on his eyes, one of the wild geese having dropped its excrement upon them, and heard a voice saying, “Keep thy eyes shut till the sound of our wings has altogether passed away, then thou mayst try to open them.” Again he lay down motionless; while the wild goose, sweeping its wings across his face, repeated, “Mind thou dost not open thy eyes.” The sound of their wings now dying away, he already observed a certain brightness; but when the noise had altogether passed away, he opened his eyes wide, and had his sight restored to him. He now called out, “Nayagta!” (so he called his sister). But she did not return till evening, when she was seen coming across the country, moody and downhearted, with one arm drawn out of the sleeve of her jacket, and her chin hidden in the fur collar. Perceiving her, he again called out, “Nayagta, now thou needst not be in want of food or anything else; I shall give thee clothes, for now I have my sight again.” But she only gainsaid him, and would not believe him until she looked into his reopened eyes, and saw their sound and healthy appearance. They both agreed not to let their mother know what had happened. In descending the hills, and approaching the house, he caught sight of his bear-skin stretched out to dry, and in front of the entrance its bones, and on entering the main room he got a glimpse of its paws. Shutting his eyes, he now took his usual place on the ledge, and feigning to have been asleep, he started up, saying, “I dreamt I saw a bear-skin stretched out behind the house;” but the old woman merely replied, “Thou must surely have been thinking about somebody who happened to hurt thee some time ago.” Again the son feigned sleeping, and starting up, he said, “Methinks I also saw a lot of bear-bones outside the entrance.” The old woman repeated her first answer; but the third time, on seeming to awake, the son said, “I dreamt I saw two bear’s paws here underneath the couch;” and the mother again giving the same answer, suddenly opening his eyes, he said, “Mother, I mean these;” and then she knew that he had regained the use of his eyes, and she exclaimed, “Eat them, just eat them!” He now took up his old habits, and again commenced seal-hunting; but, after some time, the idea grew upon him to take revenge on his detestable old mother. The season was at hand when the white whales [a large sort of dolphin, Beluga or Delphinus albicans, captured in great abundance in Greenland] began to appear along the ice-bound shore, and he used to catch them in the following manner: he went out on the ice with his sister, and having fastened his hunting-line round her waist, he threw the harpoon which was attached to the line into the fish, thus making her serve him instead of a hunting-bladder [the inflated skin or bladder attached to the line to bring up the animal, as well as the weapon when it has missed its mark and fallen into the sea.]. After which, they hauled together till they had safely landed the fish on the ice, where they afterwards killed it.

One day, returning home, he asked his sister, “Dost thou like our old mother?” She made no answer; but on his repeating the question she only answered, “I am more fond of thee than of her; thou art the only one I do love.” “Well, then, tomorrow she shall serve us for a bladder. I’ll pay her off for having made me blind.” They both agreed upon the plan; and returning to the house where they found the mother busy mending boots, he said, “Oh dear, how tired we are with hauling in the fish! Now let my sister have a rest tomorrow; meantime thou mightst serve me as a hunting-bladder. I suppose thou canst keep thy footing when the fish pull the line.” The mother declaring herself willing, they all went down to the open sea the next morning; but when the white whales appeared, and he was preparing to harpoon them, she said: “Take one of the smallest, and not the large ones;” and perceiving some very little fish coming up, she cried, “Look out and try for one of these;” but be answered, “They are still too big.” At the same instant, however, one of the very largest fishes rose to the surface; and harpooning it, he let go his hold of the line, and when the animal had drawn his mother pretty close to the water, he cried out, “Dost thou remember the time thou madest me blind?” and while she endeavoured to hold back, he pushed her on, saying, “That fellow will give me my revenge.” When she was close to the very edge of the water, she cried, “My ullo!” (woman’s knife) — “it was I who nursed thee;” and with these words she was plunged into the sea, which soon covered her. Still she reappeared on the surface, crying, “My ullo, my ullo; I nursed thee!” but then disappeared for ever. It is said that she was afterwards transformed into a fish, and that her spreading hair turned into long horny teeth, from which the narwals [Monodon monoceros] are said to have their origin. The white whales having all disappeared, brother and sister returned to the house, and lamented the loss of their mother, feeling conscious that she had nursed them, and taken care of them. They now began to be terrified at their deed, and dared not stay in their little house; they therefore fled on eastward, far away to the large continent, roaming about the interior parts of the country. [People who fled from mankind in order to live in the desolate interior of Greenland were called kivigtoks, and believed to acquire supernatural qualities — such as clairvoyance, immense swiftness, and longevity.] At first he would not even kill a bird, feeling pity towards them for having restored the use of his eyes to him; but at last he killed a swan, because his sister wanted to have it, and it is said that this was the only bird he caught for the remainder of his life. Far away from the coast they built their house; they grew to be immensely old, and were always without friends. At length they determined to show themselves among other people, and he resolved upon going to some place which had an angakok (priest of the heathens). After a while he found such people, and decided to await the time when the angakok was going to conjure his spirits. He then went up to the house; but ere he reached it, the angakok began to complain, and cried, “I am going to let a spirit out upon you; a large fire is just outside” (viz., the kivigtok, supernatural beings in general making their appearance like a flame or brightness). The man who was standing outside now made his inquiry: “Do you not know me? — have ye heard of him who used his mother for a hunting-bladder?” and as no one answered him, he repeated the same question over again. An old woman now rejoined: “I remember to have heard in my childhood that many many years ago there lived a brother and a sister who fastened their poor mother as a bladder to a white whale.” The stranger outside then said: “I am that very man; I have come to denounce myself: do come out and see what I am like.” The angakok went out, followed by his auditors, and they saw him standing erect in the bright moonlight beside the boat. The hair of his head was snowy white, as if he had been covered with a hood of white hare-skins; but his face was black, and his clothes were made of reindeer-skins, and he told them that his sister was not able to move from old age, and that they had their hut far away in the interior of the country, and that their house-fellows were terrible beings with heads like seals; and lastly he added: “After this, I will not show myself any more to human creatures; those to whom I wanted to denounce myself I have done it to.” After having said these words he turned away, and has never been seen afterwards.

The son’s name has in Greenland been called Tutigak; in Labrador, Kemongak. According to the Labrador tale, the birds make him dive into the lake; according to the Greenland readings, the mother cried, “It was I who cleared away thy urine” — instead of “nursed thee.”

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

The Beast Slayer

A poor man sold his three daughters under duress, gaining immense wealth but later facing their loss. Years later, his son sought the sisters, using magical items to find them married to kings of fishes, rams, and pigeons. After reuniting, he defeated a beast threatening his youngest sister and married a giant princess. Transforming into a giant, his legend endured for generations.

Source
Tales of Giants from Brazil
by Elsie Spicer Eells
Dodd, Mead and Co. – New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Quest: The protagonist embarks on a journey to find his three sisters, demonstrating determination and bravery.

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on the relationships between the brother and his sisters, highlighting themes of familial loyalty and sacrifice.

Sacrifice: The father initially sacrifices his daughters under duress, and later, the son risks his life to reunite and protect his family.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about Brazilian peoples

Once upon a time there was a man and his wife who were very poor. The man earned his living making wooden bowls and platters to sell and worked early and late, but wooden bowls and platters were so very cheap that he could barely support his family no matter how hard he worked. The man and his wife were the parents of three lovely daughters. They were all exceedingly beautiful, and the man and his wife often lamented the fact that they did not have money enough to educate them and clothe them fittingly.

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One day there came to the door of the poor man’s house a handsome young man mounted on a beautiful horse. He asked to buy one of the poor man’s daughters. The father was very much shocked at this request. “I may be poor,” said he, “but I am not so poor that I have to sell my children.”

The young man, however, threatened to kill him if he refused to do his bidding; so finally, after a short struggle, the father consented to part with his eldest daughter. He received a great sum of money in return.

The father was now a rich man and did not wish to make bowls and platters any longer. His wife, however, urged him to keep on with his former occupation. Accordingly he went on with his work. The very next day there came to his door another young man, even handsomer than the other, mounted upon even a finer horse. This young man made the same request that the other had done. He wanted to buy one of the daughters.

The father burst into tears and told all the dreadful happenings of the day before. The young man, however, showed no pity and continued to demand one of the daughters. He made fearful threats if the man would not yield to his request, and the father became so frightened that he at length parted with his second daughter. The first young man had paid a great sum of money, but this one paid even more.

Though he was now very rich the father still went on making bowls and platters to please his wife. The next day when he was at work the handsomest young man he had ever seen appeared riding upon a most beautiful steed. This young man demanded the third daughter. The poor father had to yield just as before, though it nearly broke his heart to part with his only remaining child. The price which the young man paid was so very great that the family was now as rich as it had once been poor.

Their home was not childless very long, for soon a baby son came to them. They brought up the boy in great luxury. One day when the child was at school he quarrelled with one of his playmates. This taunt was thrown in his face: “Ah, ha! You think your father was always rich, do you? He is a rich man now, it is true, but it is because he sold your three sisters.” The words made the boy sad, but he said nothing about the matter at home. He hid it away in his mind until he had become a man. Then he went to his father and mother and demanded that they should tell him all about it.

His parents told the young man the whole story of the strange experiences through which they had obtained their wealth. “I am now a man,” said the son. “I feel that it is right that I should go out into the world in search of my sisters. Perhaps I might be able to find them and aid them in some way. Give me your blessing and allow me to go.”

His father and mother gave him their blessing, and the young man started out to make a search through all the world. Soon he came to a house where there were three brothers quarrelling over a boot, a cap, and a key. “What is the matter?” asked the young man. “Why are these things so valuable that you should quarrel over them?”

The brothers replied that if one said to the boot, “O Boot, put me somewhere,” the boot would immediately put him anywhere he wished to go. If one said to the cap, “O Cap, hide me,” immediately the cap would hide him so he could not be seen. The key could unlock any door in the whole world. The young man at once wanted to own these things himself, and he offered so much money for them that at last the three brothers decided to end their quarrel by selling the boot, the cap, and the key and dividing the money.

The young man put the three treasures in his saddle bag and went on his way. As soon as he was out of sight of the house he said to the boot, “O Boot, put me in the house of my eldest sister.”

Immediately the young man found himself in the most magnificent palace he had ever seen in his life. He asked to speak with his sister, but the queen of the palace replied that she had no brother and did not wish to be bothered with the stranger. It took much urging for the young man to gain permission from her to relate his story; but, when she had once heard it, everything sounded so logical that she decided to receive him as her brother. She asked how he had ever found her home, and how he had come through the thicket which surrounded her palace. The young man told her about his magic boot.

In the afternoon the queen suddenly burst into tears. Her brother asked what the trouble was. “O dear! O dear! What shall we do! What shall we do!” sobbed the queen. “My husband is King of the Fishes. When he comes home to dinner tonight he will be very angry to find a human in his palace.” The young man told her about his magic cap and comforted her fears.

Soon the King of Fishes arrived, accompanied by all his retinue. He came into the palace in a very bad temper, giving kicks and blows to everything which came in his way, and saying in a fierce, savage voice, “Lee, low, lee, leer, I smell the blood of a human, here. I smell the blood of a human, here.”

It took much persuasion on the part of the queen to get him to take a bath. After his bath he appeared in the form of a handsome man. He then ate his dinner, and when he had nearly finished the meal his wife said to him, “If you should see my brother here what would you do to him?”

“I would be kind to him, of course, just as I am to you,” responded the King of the Fishes. “If he is here let him appear.”

The young man then took off the magic cap by which he had hidden himself. The king treated him most kindly and courteously. He invited him to live for the rest of his life in the palace. The young man declined the invitation, saying that he had two other sisters to visit. He took his departure soon, and when he went away his brother-in-law gave him a scale with these words: “If you are ever in any danger in which I can help you, take this scale and say, ‘Help me, O King of the Fishes.'”

The young man put the scale in his saddle bag. Then he took out his magic boot and said, “O Boot, put me in the home of my second sister.” He found his second sister queen of even a more wonderful palace than his eldest sister. Her husband was King of Rams and treated the newly found brother of his queen with great consideration. When the young man had finished his visit there the King of Rams gave him a piece of wool saying, “If you are ever in any peril in which I can help you pull this wool and ask help of the King of Rams.”

With the aid of his magic boot the young man went to visit the home of his youngest sister. He found her in the most magnificent palace of them all. Her husband was King of Pigeons. When the young man departed he gave him a feather telling him if he was ever in any danger that all he had to do was to pull the feather and say, “Help me, O King of the Pigeons.”

All three of the young man’s brothers-in-law had admired the power of his magic boot and they had all advised him to visit the land of the King of Giants by means of it. After having left each of his three sisters full of happiness in her costly palace he felt free to act upon this advice, so by means of his magic boot he again found himself in a new country.

He soon heard on the street that the King of the land of Giants had a beautiful giantess daughter whom he wished to give in marriage if she could be persuaded to choose a husband. She was such a famous beauty that no one could pass before her palace without eagerly gazing up in hopes of seeing her lovely face at the window. The giant princess had grown weary of being the object of so much attention, and she had made a vow that she would marry no one except a man who could pass before her without lifting his eyes.

The young man became interested when he heard this and at once rode past the palace with his eyes fixed steadily on the ground. He did not give a single glance upward in the direction of the window where the beautiful giant princess was watching him. The princess was overcome with joy at the sight of the handsome stranger who appeared as if in response to her vow. The king summoned him to the palace at once and ordered that the wedding should be celebrated immediately.

After the wedding the giant princess soon found out that her husband carried his choicest treasures in his saddle bags. She inquired their significance and her husband told her all about them. She was especially interested in the key. She said that there was a room in the palace which was never opened. In this room there was a fierce beast which always came to life again whenever it was killed. The giant princess had always been anxious to see the beast with her own eyes, and she suggested that they should use the key to unlock the door of the forbidden room and take a peep at the beast.

Her husband, however, gave her no encouragement to do this. He decided that it was too risky a bit of amusement; but one day when he had gone hunting with the king and court the princess was overjoyed to find that the magic key had been left behind. She at once picked it up and opened the forbidden door. The beast gave a great leap, roaring out at her, “You are the very one I have sought,” as he seized her with his sharp claws.

When her husband and father returned from their hunting trip they were very much worried to find that the princess had disappeared. No one knew where she was. After searching through the palace and garden all in vain they went to the place where the beast was always kept. The prince recognized his magic key in the door, but the room was empty. The beast had fled with the giant princess.

Once more the young man made use of his magic boot and soon was by the side of the princess. The beast had hidden her in a cave by the sea and had gone away in search of food. The giant princess was delighted to find her husband whom she had never expected to see again and wanted to hasten away from the cave with him at once.

“You have got yourself into this affair,” said her husband. “I can get you out again, I think, but I believe that it is your duty to at least make an effort to take the beast’s life. Perhaps when he comes back to the cave you can extract from him the secret of his charmed life.”

The princess awaited the return of the beast. Then she asked him to tell her the secret of his charmed life. The beast was very much flattered to have the giant princess so interested in him, and he told it to her at once. He never thought of a plot. This is what he said: “My life is in the sea. In the sea there is a chest. In the chest there is a stone. In the stone there is a pigeon. In the pigeon there is an egg. In the egg there is a candle. At the moment when that candle is extinguished I die.”

All this time the prince had remained there, hiding under his magic cap. He heard every word the beast said. As soon as the beast had gone to sleep the prince stood on the seashore and said: “Help me, O King of the Fishes,” as he took out the scale which his brother-in-law had given him. Immediately there appeared a great multitude of fishes asking what he wished them to do. He asked them to get the chest from the depths of the sea. They replied that they had never seen such a chest, but that probably the sword-fish would know about it.

They hastened to call the sword-fish and he came at once. He said that he had seen the chest only a moment before. All the fishes went with him to get it, and they soon brought the chest out of the sea. The prince opened the chest easily with the aid of his magic key, and inside he found a stone.

Then the prince pulled the piece of wool which his second brother-in-law had given him and said, “Help me, O King of the Rams.” Immediately there appeared a great drove of rams, running to the seashore from all directions. They attacked the stone, giving it mighty blows with their hard heads and horns. Soon they broke open the stone, and from out of it there flew a pigeon.

The beast now awoke from his sleep and knew that he was very ill. He remembered all that he had told the princess and accused her of having made a plot against his life. He seized his great ax to kill the princess.

In the meantime the prince had pulled the feather which his third brother-in-law had given him and cried, “Help me, O King of the Pigeons.” Immediately a great flock of pigeons appeared attacking the pigeon and tearing it to pieces.

Just as the beast had caught the princess and was about to slay her, the prince took the egg from within the slain pigeon. He at once broke the egg and blew out the candle. At that moment the beast fell dead, and the princess escaped unharmed.

The prince carried the giant princess home to her father’s kingdom and the king made a great festa which lasted many days. There was rejoicing throughout the whole kingdom because of the death of the beast and because of the safety of the lovely princess. The prince was praised throughout the kingdom and there is talk of him even unto this very day. The prince had cut off the head of the great beast and the tip of its tail. The head he had given to the king, but the tip of the tail he kept for himself. The beast was so enormous that just the tip of its tail made a great ring large enough to encircle the prince’s body. One day, just in fun, he twined the tip of the beast’s tail around his waist. He immediately grew and grew until he became a giant himself, almost as tall as the king of the land of giants, and several leagues taller than the princess. It is not strange that a man who became a giant among giants should be famous even until now.

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The Princess of the Springs

The Moon Giant and the Giantess of the Great River had a daughter, the Spring Princess, who became a ruler of rivers and lakes. She married the Sun Giant but spent three months yearly with her mother. After rescuing her imprisoned mother, the Spring Princess returned late, finding her son mistreated by the Sun Giant’s new wife. Heartbroken, she fled to the sea, birthing the Rain Giant, who now rules thunderstorms.

Source
Tales of Giants from Brazil
by Elsie Spicer Eells
Dodd, Mead and Co. – New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Love and Betrayal: The narrative explores the deep love between the Spring Princess and her mother, as well as the betrayal she feels upon discovering her son’s mistreatment by the Sun Giant’s new wife.

Family Dynamics: The story delves into complex relationships within the family, highlighting the bond between mother and daughter, marital challenges, and the impact on their offspring.

Conflict with Authority: The Spring Princess faces opposition from the Sun Giant regarding her decisions, such as visiting her mother and concerns over her son’s well-being, illustrating struggles against dominant powers.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about Brazilian peoples

Once, long ago, the Moon Giant wooed the beautiful giantess who dwells in the Great River and won her love. He built for her a wonderful palace where the Great River runs into the sea. It was made of mother-of-pearl with rich carvings, and gold and silver and precious stones were used to adorn it. Never before in all the world had a giant or giantess possessed such a magnificent home. When the baby daughter of the Moon Giant and the Giantess of the Great River was born it was decreed among the giants that she should be the Princess of all the Springs and should rule over all the rivers and lakes.

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The light of her eyes was like the moonbeams, and her smile was like moonlight on still waters. Her strength was as the strength of the Great River, and the fleetness of her foot was as the swiftness of the Great River.

As the beautiful Spring Princess grew older many suitors came to sing her praises beneath the palace windows, but she favoured none of them. She was so happy living in her own lovely palace with her own dear mother that she did not care at all for any suitor. No other daughter ever loved her mother as the Spring Princess loved the Giantess of the Great River.

At last the Sun Giant came to woo the Spring Princess. The strength of the Sun Giant was as the strength of ten of the other suitors of the fair princess. He was so powerful that he won her heart.

When he asked her to marry him, however, and go with him to his own palace, the Spring Princess shook her lovely head. “O Sun Giant, you are so wonderful and so powerful that I love you as I never before have loved a suitor who sang beneath my palace window,” said she, “but I love my mother, too. I cannot go away with you and leave my own dear mother. It would break my heart.”

The Sun Giant told the Spring Princess again and again of his great love for her, of his magnificent palace which would be her new home, of the happy life which awaited her as queen of the palace. At length she listened to his pleadings and decided that she could leave home and live with him for nine months of the year. For three months of every year, however, she would have to return to the wonderful palace of mother-of-pearl where the Great River runs into the sea and spend the time with her mother, the Giantess of the Great River.

The Sun Giant at last sorrowfully consented to this arrangement and the wedding feast was held. It lasted for seven days and seven nights. Then the Spring Princess went away with the Sun Giant to his own home.

Every year the Spring Princess went to visit her mother for three months according to the agreement. For three months of every year she lived in the palace of mother-of-pearl where the Great River runs into the sea. For three months of every year the rivers sang once more as they rushed along their way. For three months the lakes sparkled in the bright sunlight as their hearts once more were brimful of joy.

When at last the little son of the Spring Princess was born she wanted to take him with her when she went to visit her mother. The Sun Giant, however, did not approve of such a plan. He firmly refused to allow the child to leave home. After much pleading, all in vain, the Spring Princess set out upon her journey alone, with sorrow in her heart. She left her baby son with the best nurses she could procure.

Now it happened that the Giantess of the Great River had not expected that her daughter would be able to visit her that year. She had thought that all the rivers and lakes, the palace of mother-of-pearl, and her own mother heart would have to get along as best they could without a visit from the Spring Princess. The Giantess of the Great River had gone away to water the earth. One of the land giants had taken her prisoner and would not let her escape.

When the Spring Princess arrived at the beautiful palace of mother-of-pearl and gold and silver and precious stones, where the Great River runs into the sea, there was no one at home. She ran from room to room in the palace calling out, “O dear mother, Giantess of the Great River, dear, dear mother! Where are you? Where have you hidden yourself?”

There was no answer. Her own voice echoed back to her through the beautiful halls of mother-of-pearl with their rich carvings. The palace was entirely deserted.

She ran outside the palace and called to the fishes of the river, “O fishes of the river, have you seen my own dear mother?”

She called to the sands of the sea, “O sands of the sea, have you seen my darling mother?”

She called to the shells of the shore, “O shells of the shore, have you seen my precious mother?”

There was no answer. No one knew what had become of the Giantess of the Great River.

The Spring Princess was so worried that she thought her heart would break in its anguish. In her distress she ran over all the earth.

Then she went to the house of the Great Wind. The Giant of the Great Wind was away, but his old father was at home. He was very sorry for the Spring Princess when he heard her sad story. “I am sure my son can help you find your mother,” he said as he comforted her. “He will soon get home from his day’s work.”

When the Giant of the Great Wind reached home he was in a terrible temper. He stormed and raged and gave harsh blows to everything he met. His father had hid the Spring Princess in a closet out of the way, and it was fortunate indeed for her that he had done so.

After the Great Wind Giant had taken his bath and eaten his dinner he was better natured. Then his father said to him, “O my son, if a wandering princess had come this way on purpose to ask you a question, what would you do to her?”

“Why, I’d answer her question as best I could, of course,” responded the Giant of the Great Wind.

His father straightway opened the closet door and the Spring Princess stepped out. In spite of her long wanderings and great anguish of mind she was still very lovely as she knelt before the Giant of the Great Wind in her soft silvery green garments embroidered with pearls and diamonds. The big heart of the Giant of the Great Wind was touched at her beauty and at her grief.

“O Giant of the Great Wind,” said the Spring Princess, as he gently raised her from her knees before him, “I am the daughter of the Giantess of the Great River. I have lost my mother. I have searched for her through all the earth and now I have come to you for help. Can you tell me anything about where she is and how I can find her?”

The Giant of the Great Wind put on his thinking cap. He thought hard. “Your mother is in the power of a land giant who has imprisoned her,” he said. “I happen to know all about the affair. I passed that way only yesterday. I’ll gladly go with you and help you get her home. We’ll start at once.”

The Giant of the Great Wind took the Spring Princess back to earth on his swift horses. Then he stormed the castle of the land giant who had imprisoned the Giantess of the Great River. The Spring Princess dug quietly beneath the castle walls to the dungeon where her mother was confined. You may be sure that her mother was overjoyed to see her.

When the Spring Princess had led her mother safely outside the castle walls she thanked the Giant of the Great Wind for all he had done to help her. Then the Giantess of the Great River and the Spring Princess hastened back to the wonderful palace of mother-of-pearl set with gold and silver and precious stones, where the Great River runs into the Sea. As soon as she had safely reached there once more the Spring Princess suddenly remembered that she had stayed away from her home in the palace of the Sun Giant longer than the three months she was supposed to stay according to the agreement. She at once said good-bye to her mother and hastened to the home of the Sun Giant, her husband, and to her baby son.

Now the Sun Giant had been very much worried at first when the three months had passed and the Spring Princess had not come back to him and her little son. Then he became angry. He became so angry that he married another princess. The new wife discharged the nurses who were taking care of the tiny son of the Spring Princess and put him in the kitchen just as if he had been a little black slave baby.

When the Spring Princess arrived at the palace of the Sun Giant the very first person she saw was her own little son, so dirty and neglected that she hardly recognized him. Then she found out all that had happened in her absence.

The Spring Princess quickly seized her child and clasped him tight in her arms. Then she fled to the depths of the sea, and wept, and wept, and wept. The waters of the sea rose so high that they reached even to the palace of the Sun Giant. They covered the palace, and the Sun Giant, his new wife, and all the court entirely disappeared from view. For forty days the face of the Sun Giant was not seen upon the earth. The little son of the Spring Princess grew up to be the Giant of the Rain. In the rainy season and the season of thunder showers he rules upon the earth. He sends upon the earth such tears as the Spring Princess shed in the depths of the seas.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

The Lords of the Forest

A lazy man neglects offerings to the forest lords, leading to poor harvests and a weakening fever. Warned by a sorcerer-priest, he repents and recovers but later lapses again. Enraged, the forest lords abduct his son, raising him in the wild. As an adult, the son defies their command by marrying. On his wedding night, the lords reclaim him, and he vanishes forever.

Source
Ethnology of the Mayas of
Southern and Central British Honduras
by John Eric Thompson
Field Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Series, Pub.274, Vol.17.2
Chicago, 1930

► Themes of the story

Divine Punishment: The man’s neglect of offerings leads to his illness and the abduction of his son by the forest lords, reflecting retribution from higher powers for transgressions.

Family Dynamics: The abduction of the man’s son and his eventual return, coupled with the condition imposed by the forest lords, highlight complex familial relationships and obligations.

Conflict with Authority: The son’s decision to marry, defying the forest lords’ command, illustrates a challenge to oppressive powers and the repercussions of such defiance.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about Maya people

Once upon a time there was a man who was too lazy and ignorant to make his offering to the lords of the forest that he might have a good harvest of corn.

As a result his crops were always poor, and eventually the lords of the forest visited on him a wind (weakening fever).

Greatly alarmed, he called in the local Hmen (sorcerer- priest), who told him that his visitation was a result of his neglect of the lords of the forest, and he would only recover if he promised to amend, and make his offerings in future.

► Continue reading…

The man promised, and accordingly rapidly recovered. However, a few years later he again began to neglect his annual offerings in the milpa. Then the lords of the forest were indeed filled with wrath, and awaiting an opportunity they stole his young son, and, taking him to their home in the depth of the forest, they brought him up among themselves.

When the boy had become a young man, they sent him back to the human world, on condition that he should never have relations with a human woman. But after a while the young man married a girl.

On their marriage night he had just shut the door of the hut when he heard a series of long low whistles. Now every one knows that that is the way the lords of the forest let human beings know of their presence, but the boy, as he had been away from human beings most of his life, did not know this.

Accordingly he stepped out of the hut to see what was the matter. The lords of the forest immediately seized him and carried him away with them.

Since then he has never been seen by human eyes.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

The Ants and the Milpa

An old man directed his three sons to marry and make milpa (fields). The lazy youngest son, T’up, relied on ants to clear, burn, and plant his milpa after they stole his food. While his hardworking brothers failed due to misunderstanding their tasks, T’up’s immense milpa impressed his skeptical father-in-law. Ultimately, T’up triumphed, was celebrated, and his brothers were expelled for their failure.

Source
Ethnology of the Mayas of
Southern and Central British Honduras
by John Eric Thompson
Field Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Series, Pub.274, Vol.17.2
Chicago, 1930

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: T’up uses his wit to persuade the ants to do his work, showcasing cleverness in achieving his goals.

Trickster: T’up embodies the trickster archetype by outsmarting others to succeed, despite his laziness.

Family Dynamics: The relationships between T’up, his brothers, and their father-in-law highlight familial expectations and judgments based on work ethic and success.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about Maya people

There was once an old man with three sons. When they grew up, he told them it was time they got married. Accordingly the eldest took food and, obtaining his father’s blessing, set forth in search of a wife. After a while he met a man who had three grown-up daughters. He married the eldest.

Later the second son arrived and married the second daughter. Lastly the youngest son asked his father for his blessing and, preparing food for the journey, set out too in search of a bride. He fell in with his two elder brothers, and soon married the youngest daughter of the old man.

► Continue reading…

Now T’up (the youngest boy) was very lazy, as his father-in-law soon found out. T’up was always being scolded for being so lazy, and his mother-in-law was always upbraiding her youngest daughter for having such an idle husband.

When the time came to make milpa, the old man called his three sons-in-law together, and told them to go out the next day and make holche. Next morning the three brothers started out to work. They carried tortillas and posol to last them for three days, but T’up only carried a little, for his mother-in-law would not waste corn on so worthless a son-in-law. The two elder sons started to work at one place, but T’up went farther on until he was some way beyond where his brothers had decided to work. He sat down to rest and went fast asleep. Later, when he woke it was quite late in the afternoon, so he decided not to do any work except collect some guano palm leaves to make himself a shelter. After he had eaten some of his tortillas and drunk some of the posol, he went to sleep again.

Next morning when he woke all his tortillas and posol had disappeared. Looking around, he espied a large ant (Spanish sampopo, Maya sai) which was carrying off the last piece of tortilla. He realized then that while he slept the ants had robbed him of his food. He seized the ant and threatened to kill it unless it would lead him to its nest. The ant consented. On arriving at the nest, T’up knocked three times, and the lord of the nest appeared (he was considered to be a snake; see p. 109). “What do you want?” he asked.

“Your people have stolen all my tortillas and posol,” replied T’up. “Either you must return it to me or you must do my work.”

The lord of the nest considered for a few moments, and then agreed to do the work. So T’up instructed him where to make the milpa, and said its size was to be a square league, and returned to his shelter to sleep while the forest was being cleared. All the ants turned out to work that night, and with their huge numbers and powerful jaws they had cut down all the trees and bush at the end of three days.

T’up returned to his father-in-law’s hut. On the way he passed his two brothers, but instead of clearing the forest for the milpa they were busily engaged in making holes in the larger tree-trunks, for they had misunderstood what their father-in-law had said. Whereas he had told them to make holche, that is, cut down swathes in the forest for milpa, they thought he had told them to make hoolche, that is, make holes in the tree-trunks.

When T’up arrived home, his father called out, “Here comes Idle- bones, the last to go and the first to return. Don’t give him anything to eat.” But his wife managed to get some maize, and made him tortillas. Later the other two brothers arrived, and the old man ordered chickens to be cooked for them, as they had worked hard.

Later when he judged the milpas to be dry, the old man sent the three brothers to burn the dry felled bush. The elder brothers were given large supplies of posol and honey, but poor T’up, as he was so lazy, was only given a little of each. The two elder boys collected all the loose rubbish and burnt it, but the column of smoke that rose up to the sky was miserably thin. T’up took his honey and posol to the ants’ nest, and gave it to the lord of the nest on condition he burnt the milpa. Accordingly T’up rested all day, while the ants hurried about their task of burning the milpa. The dense columns of smoke that resulted were so huge that even the sun was hidden. But the old man thought that the smoke of T’up’s milpa was caused by the burning of the milpa of the other two brothers; so when T’up returned he again scolded him.

When all was ready for sowing, the elder brothers took three mules laden with maize seed; T’up took only a quart. The elder brothers sowed a little of the maize in the forest, but most of it they left in the store hut, and the rest they hid in one of the tree-trunks they had hollowed out. T’up took his seed to the ants, but they said it was not enough, for the fire had spread far beyond the cleared area, and the extent to be sown was enormous. T’up then showed them a storehouse where they could get more seed, and when they had started to work, as usual, T’up went to sleep. On the return of the brothers, T’up received his usual contemptuous welcome, while the elder brothers were feasted.

When the corn was in ear, the old man sent his three sons-in-law to their milpas to prepare the young corn in the pib. The elder made a small hole in the ground, into which they put the few small yellow ears that had just managed to survive in the shade of the forest. T’up again summoned the lord of the ants’ nest to his assistance. They brought fifteen loads, made the pib, heated it, and put in the food while T’up slept.

On the following day the old man and his wife, his three daughters and their husbands set out with four mules to bring in the young corn and to eat the pibil. When they arrived at the milpa of the two elder brothers, the father-in-law was very angry, for there was no clearing visible and no corn except the few miserable plants that were growing in the shade of the forest, and they resembled grass rather than corn. Then he espied the heap of rotting corn in the hollow tree. “Well, where is the pib?” cried the old man. When the tiny pib had been uncovered and a mere handful of tamales shown him, the old man was still more furious, and refusing even to speak to the two elder boys, he sneeringly bid T’up show them his milpa. They started off again, T’up leading the way, until they struck the path the ants had made from their nest to the milpa. This path gradually widened as they advanced until it became a wide highway. “Where does this fine road go?” asked the old man, and T’up replied, “To my milpa.” Eventually they reached a huge milpa, the end of which was lost to view in the distance, and T’up indicated that this was his milpa. But the old man, knowing full well T’up’s indolent habits, was incredulous. They ascended a small hill at the edge of the milpa when his mother-in-law inquired where the pib was, thinking thereby to discover if this huge milpa was really the work of her youngest daughter’s husband. “You are standing on it,” replied T’up. “This hill is the pib.” Then the old man said, “You’ve worked enough, let your two brothers uncover the pib.” While they were doing this, the mother-in-law started out to find the extent of the milpa, but it was so immense she got lost. Then T’up summoned his friends, the ants, who, on being informed of the loss of the old lady, began to search through the milpa until they located her. After they had all eaten, the mules were loaded, and they started off home. That night chickens were killed in honor of T’up. As for the other two brothers, they were ordered out of the house, and bidden never to return.

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The King and His Son

A prince embarks on a mystical journey marked by divine interventions and trials orchestrated by his father, the King. He extinguishes a fire, gains a wife, and creates a city with her prayers. His father, driven by jealousy, challenges him with impossible tasks, ultimately leading to the discovery of a treasure and a mysterious figure summoned through an ancestral book, resulting in the city’s doom.

Source
Moorish Literature
   romantic ballads, tales of the Berbers,
   stories of the Kabyles, folk-lore,
   and national traditions
The Colonial Press,
   London, New York, 1901

► Themes of the story

Divine Intervention: The prince’s journey is marked by divine assistance, such as when his plea to God brings rain to extinguish the fire blocking his path.

Quest: The prince embarks on a journey to fulfill his father’s demands, seeking his mother’s spirit and a mysterious figure, embodying the quest motif.

Family Dynamics: The complex relationship between the prince and his father, driven by jealousy and the setting of arduous tasks, highlights intricate familial interactions.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Berber peoples

Translated by J. Rivière
and Chauncey C. Starkweather

He had a son whom he brought up well. The child grew and said one day to the King, “I am going out for a walk.”

“It is well,” answered the King. At a certain place he found an olive-tree on fire.

“O God,” he cried, “help me to put out this fire!”

Suddenly God sent the rain, the fire was extinguished, and the young man was able to pass. He came to the city and said to the governor: “Give me a chance to speak in my turn.”

“It is well,” said he; “speak.”

► Continue reading…

“I ask the hand of your daughter,” replied the young man.

“I give her to you,” answered the governor, “for if you had not put out that fire the city would have been devoured by the flames.”

He departed with his wife. After a long march the wife made to God this prayer:

“O God, place this city here.”

The city appeared at the very spot. Toward evening the Marabout of the city of which the father of the young bridegroom was King went to the mosque to say his prayers.

“O marvel!” he cried, “what do I see down there?”

The King called his wife and sent her to see what was this new city. The woman departed, and, addressing the wife of the young prince, asked alms of him. He gave her alms. The messenger returned and said to the King:

“It is your son who commands in that city.”

The King, pricked by jealousy, said to the woman: “Go, tell him to come and find me. I must speak with him.”

The woman went away and returned with the King’s son. His father said to him:

“If you are the son of the King, go and see your mother in the other world.”

He regained his palace in tears.

“What is the matter with you,” asked his wife, “you whom destiny has given me?”

He answered her: “My father told me, ‘Go and see your mother in the other world.'”

“Return to your father,” she replied, “and ask him for the book of the grandmother of your grandmother.”

He returned to his father, who gave him the book. He brought it to his wife, who said to him, “Lay it on the grave of your mother.” He placed it there and the grave opened. He descended and found a man who was licking the earth. He saw another who was eating mildew. And he saw a third who was eating meat.

“Why do you eat meat?” he asked him.

“Because I did good on earth,” responded the shade. “Where shall I find my mother?” asked the prince.

The shade said, “She is down there.”

He went to his mother, who asked him why he came to seek her.

He replied, “My father sent me.”

“Return,” said the mother, “and say to your father to lift up the beam which is on the hearth.” The prince went to his father. “My mother bids you take up the beam which is above the hearth.” The King raised it and found a treasure.

“If you are the son of the King,” he added, “bring me someone a foot high whose beard measures two feet.” The prince began to weep.

“Why do you weep,” asked his wife, “you whom destiny has given me?”

The prince answered her, “My father said to me, ‘Bring me someone a foot high whose beard measures two feet.”

“Return to your father,” she replied, “and ask him for the book of the grandfather of your grandfather.”

His father gave him the book and the prince brought it to his wife.

“Take it to him again and let him put it in the assembly place, and call a public meeting.” A man a foot high appeared, took up the book, went around the city, and ate up all the inhabitants.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

The Crow and the Child

A rich merchant had two wives, one with a son marked by a distinctive forelock. Favoritism sparked jealousy, leading the childless wife to scheme. The boy was traded to another merchant in exchange for a crow, sparking a series of dramatic revelations. Ultimately, through cunning and perseverance, the child revealed his identity and reunited with his true family, restoring justice and harmony.

Source
Moorish Literature
   romantic ballads, tales of the Berbers,
   stories of the Kabyles, folk-lore,
   and national traditions
The Colonial Press,
   London, New York, 1901

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The narrative explores complex relationships within the family, including jealousy and favoritism between the two wives.

Cunning and Deception: The childless wife’s deceitful actions drive the plot, highlighting themes of manipulation and betrayal.

Revenge and Justice: The story culminates in the restoration of justice as the boy uncovers the deceit and reclaims his rightful place in the family.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Berber peoples

Translated by J. Rivière
and Chauncey C. Starkweather

A man had two wives. He was a rich merchant. One of them had a son whose forehead was curved with a forelock. Her husband said to her:

“Don’t work any more, but only take care of the child. The other wife will do all the work.”

One day he went to market. The childless wife said to the other, “Go, get some water.”

“No,” she answered, “our husband does not want me to work.”

“Go, get some water, I tell you.”

► Continue reading…

And the woman went to the fountain. On the way she met a crow half dead with fatigue. A merchant who was passing took it up and carried it away. He arrived before the house of the woman who had gone to the fountain, and there found the second woman.

“Give something to this crow,” demanded the merchant.

“Give it to me,” she answered, “and I will make you rich.”

“What will you give me?” asked the merchant.

“A child,” replied the woman.

The merchant refused, and said to her, “Where did you steal it?”

“From whom did I steal it?” she cried. “It is my own son.”

“Bring him.”

She brought the child to him, and the merchant left her the crow and took the boy to his home and soon became very, rich. The mother came back from the fountain. The other woman said:

“Where is your son? Listen, he is crying, that son of yours.”

“He is not crying,” she answered.

“You don’t know how to amuse him. I’ll go and take him.”

“Leave him alone,” said the mother. “He is asleep.”

They ground some wheat, and the child did not appear to wake up.

At this the husband returned from the market and said to the mother, “Why don’t you busy yourself looking after your son?” Then she arose to take him, and found a crow in the cradle. The other woman cried:

“This is the mother of a crow! Take it into the other house; sprinkle it with hot water.” She went to the other house and poured hot water on the crow.

Meanwhile, the child called the merchant his father and the merchant’s wife his mother. One day the merchant set off on a journey. His mother brought some food to him in the room where he was confined.

“My son,” she said, “will you promise not to betray me?”

“You are my mother,” answered the child; “I will not betray you.”

“Only promise me.”

“I promise not to betray you.”

“Well, know that I am not your mother and my husband is not your father.”

The merchant came home from his journey and took the child some food, but he would not eat it.

“Why won’t you eat?” asked the merchant. “Could your mother have been here?”

“No,” answered the child, “she has not been here.”

The merchant went to his wife and said to her, “Could you have gone up to the child’s chamber?”

The woman answered, “I did not go up to the room.”

The merchant carried food to the child, who said: “For the love of God, I adjure you to tell me if you are my father and if your wife is my mother.”

The merchant answered: “My son, I am not your father and my wife is not your mother.”

The child said to her, “Prepare us some food.”

When she had prepared the food the child mounted a horse and the merchant a mule. They proceeded a long way, and arrived at the village of which the real father of the child was the chief. They entered his house. They gave food to the child, and said, “Eat.”

“I will not eat until the other woman comes up here.”

“Eat. She is a bad woman.”

“No, let her come up.” They called her. The merchant ran to the child.

“Why do you act thus toward her?”

“Oh!” cried those present, “she had a child that was changed into a crow.”

“No doubt,” said the merchant; “but the child had a mark.”

“Yes, he had one.”

“Well, if we find it, we shall recognize the child. Put out the lamp.” They put it out. The child threw off its hood. They lighted the lamp again.

“Rejoice,” cried the child, “I am your son!”

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

The Little Child

This whimsical tale follows a child’s refusal to eat dinner, triggering a chain of escalating commands where each element refuses to act until the cycle loops back to the child. Ultimately, the child agrees to eat, resolving the playful standoff. The story humorously illustrates interconnectedness and the futility of stubbornness, using repetition and personification to entertain while delivering its lesson.

Source
Moorish Literature
   romantic ballads, tales of the Berbers,
   stories of the Kabyles, folk-lore,
   and national traditions
The Colonial Press,
   London, New York, 1901

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The story showcases a clever sequence where each character attempts to outwit the next, highlighting the use of wit in problem-solving.

Family Dynamics: The interaction between the child and the commanding figures mirrors familial relationships and the challenges within.

Community and Isolation: The interconnectedness of the characters emphasizes the importance of community and the consequences of isolation or non-cooperation.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Berber peoples

Translated by J. Rivière
and Chauncey C. Starkweather

“Come, little child, eat your dinner.”

“I won’t eat it.”

“Come, stick, beat the child.”

“I won’t beat him.”

“Come, fire, burn the stick.”

“I won’t burn it.”

“Come, water, quench the fire.”

“I won’t quench it.”

► Continue reading…

“Come, ox, drink the water.”

“I won’t drink it.”

“Come, knife, kill the ox.”

“I won’t kill him.”

“Come, blacksmith, break the knife.”

“I won’t break it.”

“Come, strap, bind the blacksmith.”

“I won’t bind him.”

“Come, rat, gnaw the strap.”

“I won’t gnaw it.”

“Come, cat, eat the rat.”

“Bring it here.”

“Why eat me?” said the rat; “bring the strap and I’ll gnaw it.”

“Why gnaw me?” said the strap; “bring the blacksmith and I’ll bind him.”

“Why bind me?” said the blacksmith; “bring the knife and I’ll break it.”

“Why break me?” said the knife; “bring the ox and I’ll kill him.”

“Why kill me?” said the ox; “bring the water and I’ll drink it.”

“Why drink me?” said the water; “bring the fire and I’ll quench it.”

“Why quench me?” said the fire; “bring the stick and I’ll burn it.”

“Why burn me?” said the stick; “bring the child and I’ll strike him.”

“Why strike me?” said the child; “bring me my dinner and I’ll eat it.”

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page