Favorite Fairy Tales

Favorite Fairy Tales: to be read again & again
Princess & the Salt by Shreya Sharma	*The Princess and the Salt* (2018)— by Shreya Sharma One day, the king wanted to find out which of his three daughters loved him the most. So, he called his daughters and asked, "How much do each of you love me, my dears?" The eldest daughter replied, "I love you as much as I love gold!" The King was happy. The second one replied, "I love you as much as I love diamonds!" On hearing this King was even happier. But the youngest daughter said, "I love you as much as I love salt, dear father!" On hearing this, the King was furious, and banished her to the forest. "The Salt Princess" by Patricia Herzog (2017); "The Salt Princess" by Grimm Brothers; Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes, 1879). Watch this story on YouTube 3:38; YouTube 3:47
The Crane Wife by Odds Bodkin	*The Crane Wife* (2002) by Odds Bodkin— Tsuru no Ongaeshi ("Crane's Return of a Favor") is a story from Japanese folklore about a crane who returns a favor to a man. A variant of the story where a man marries the crane as Tsuru Nyobo ("The Crane Wife"). To make money the crane wife plucks her own feathers to weave silk brocade which the man sells, but she becomes increasingly ill as she does so. When he discovers his wife's true identity and the nature of her illness, devastated by the truth he demands her to stop. She responds that she has been doing it for love, for them. In Tsuru no Ongaeshi, the wife goes back into a room to weave, telling him not to come in until she is finished. The curious man peeks in, realizing that the woman is the crane whom he saved. When the crane sees that the man has found out her true identity, she says that she cannot stay there anymore and flies away to never come back.
Superlative Horse by Jean Merrill	*The Superlative Horse* (400 AD) by Lieh Tzu— Modern children's version by Jean Merrill (1961). Duke Mu of Chin said to Po Lo: "Is there anyone whom I could employ to look for horses?" Po Lo replied: "A good horse can be picked out by its general build and appearance. But the superlative horse— one that raises no dust and leaves no tracks— is something evanescent and fleeting, elusive as thin air. What Chiu-fang Kao keeps in view is the spiritual mechanism. In making sure of the essential, he forgets the homely details; intent on inward qualities, he loses sight of the external. He sees what he wants to see, and not what he does not want to see. He looks at the things he ought to look at, and neglects those that need not be looked at. So clever a judge of horses is Kao, that he has it in him to judge something better than horses." When the horse arrived, it turned out indeed to be a superlative animal.
Conference of Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar	*Conference of the Birds* (1177) by Farid ud-Din Attar— Composed in the 12th century in north-eastern Iran, Attar's great mystical poem is among the most significant of all works of Persian literature. A marvellous, allegorical rendering of Islamic doctrine of Sufism an esoteric system concerned with the search for truth through God it describes the conference of the birds of the world when they meet to begin the search for their ideal king, the Simorgh bird. On hearing that to find him they must undertake an arduous journey, the birds soon express their reservations to their leader, the hoopoe. With eloquence & insight, however, the hoopoe calms their fears, using a series of riddling parables to provide guidance in the search for spiritual truth. By turns witty & profound, The Conference of the Birds transforms deep belief into magnificent poetry. Attar is the 14th & last poet discussed in Elaine Scarry's "Call to Poetry": Birds symbolize spirits of the air, ascent, freedom, the soul, and transcendence.
Cupid & Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft	*Cupid & Psyche* by Apuleius (2nd century AD)— Modern version by M. Charlotte Craft (1996) The tale of Cupid & Psyche first appeared in Lucius Apuleius' Metamorphoses or The Golden Ass in the middle of the 2nd century AD, and is usually considered allegorical. The Greek word for Psyche means butterfly, and also means soul. The transformation of the dull fuzzy caterpillar into the colorful beautiful butterfly is indeed a miracle. Psyche then symbolizes the human soul, which is purified by misfortunes and sufferings in the temporal world, until she summons the courage within to accomplish the impossible tasks. Only then is she rewarded with the true blessedness and joy of eternity. Fairy tale symbolism discussed at WisdomPortal.
White-Bear King Valemon by Theodor Kittelsen	White-Bear King Valemon (1871) by Theodor Kittelsen— This is a Norwegian fairy tale, published as No. 90 in Asbjørnsen and Moe's Norske Folke-Eventyr. Ny Samling (1871). George Webbe Dasent translated it for his Tales from the Fjeld. A king had two ugly and mean daughters and one, the youngest, who was beautiful and gentle. She dreamed of a golden wreath. Her father set goldsmiths to make it, but none of them matched her dream. Then she saw a white bear in the woods and it had the wreath. The bear would not give it to her before she agreed to go away with him, and got three days to prepare for the trip. The daughter did not care for anything as long as she had the wreath, and her father was glad of her happiness and thought he could keep off the bear, but when it arrived, it attacked the king's army and defeated them, unscathed.
The Golden Key by George MacDonald	The Golden Key (1867) by George MacDonald— A young boy listens to his Great-aunt's stories about a magical golden key found at the end of a rainbow. One day, he sees an immense rainbow and sets out to find its end in an enchanted forest. As the forest is in Fairyland where everything has an opposite effect, the rainbow only glows brighter when the sun sets. He finds the key, then it dawns on him that he does not know where the lock is. Mossy meets a girl Tangle, and they journey through forest and mountain to find the door. Their golden key opens the lock to a glowing stairway to the promised land. Many of the central symbols of "he Golden Key" revolve around death and the hope of an afterlife. MacDonald draws on Christian, classical, and Norse mythology. Bifrost is a rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. This bridge connects to divine.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak	Where the Wild Things Are (1963) by Maurice Sendak— This Sendak book won 1964 Caldecott Medal for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year. My niece Elisa had the book, but I never read it myself. I love Sendak's whimsical drawings of those wild animals that made the monsters quite endearing instead of frightening. Checked the book out from Los Altos Library (9-30-2008) to read this 40-page picture book. It's simply delighttul. It is a child's hero's journey to the jungle of the imagination. His courage sailing to the Island of monsters evoked intrepid adventure that's within all of us. It is a most satisfying story to read that parents should share with their children. Glad that finally I got to enjoy and relish this Maurice Sendak classic! Included this story in my poem "What Will You Do with the Rest of Your Wild Life?" (10-4-2008).
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi	Pinocchio (1940) by Carlo Collodi— Saw this Disney animation musical fantasy film as a boy in Shanghai around 1948. It's based on Italian children's novel Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Story of an old wood-carver Geppetto carving a wooden puppet Pinocchio. The puppet is brought to life by a blue fairy, who informs him that he can become a real boy if he proves himself to be "brave, truthful, and unselfish". She assigns Jiminy Cricket to be his conscience. However on his way to school, Pinocchio is led astray to Stromboli's puppet show, and later by Lampwick to Pleasure Island. Favorite songs: "When You Wish Upon A Star" and "I've Got No Strings". Best scene: Monstro the Whale. Metaphor: We're made of wood (ego-self) unless we aspire to be real (Cosmic-Self). Poem: "Where Is Pinocchio's Mom?" (11-22-2021)
Peter Pan by J.M. Barre	*Peter Pan* (1902) by J.M. Barre— He is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates (main foe is Captain Hook), mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland. Peter Pan has become a cultural icon symbolizing youthful innocence and escapism. Before Barre's death, he gave the rights to the Peter Pan works to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, which continues to benefit from them.
Cinderella by Charles Perraul	*Cinderella* (1697) by Charles Perrault— Cinderella works in servitude for stepmother & two evil stepsisters. She's covered in ashes, hence her name. One day, the prince invites all young ladies in the land to a royal ball, planning to choose a wife. The two stepsisters & stepmother depart to the ball, Cinderella cries in despair. Her Fairy godmother magically appears, turns a pumpkin into a golden carriage, mice into horses, a rat into a coachman, and lizards into footmen. She then turns Cinderella's rags into a beautiful jeweled gown, complete with a delicate pair of glass slippers. She warns her that she must return before midnight, when the spells will be broken. Cinderella lost a glass slipper running away near midnight. The Prince scouts the land and found only Cinderella fitting the slipper. They married and she's a Princess in the palace.
Snow White by Grimm Brothers	*Snow White* (1812) by Grimm Brothers— "Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Who's the fairest of them all?", the stepmother Queen asks. Her magical mirror replied "Thou art fair, but the fairest is seven-year-old Snow White". The Queen was furious & ordered the huntsman to kill Snow White and bring back her heart. The huntsman let Snow White escape into the woods and gave the Queen an animal's heart instead. Snow White found a cottage belonging to Seven Dwarfs. In Disney's 1937 film, they were named Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey). The Evil Queen came to the cottage and gave Snow White a poison apple, that made her comatose. Seven Dwarfs put her in a glass coffin. A Prince came by, and brought a miraculous healing. They married at his castle. "Snow White" poem (12-17-1978); "Gift of Apples" (12-30-2010).
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll	*Alice in Wonderland* (1865) by Lewis Carroll— A young girl named Alice falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatures. Book has been translated into at least 97 languages. Wrote about Dormouse, March Hare, and Mad Hatter Tea Party in poem about M (3-14-2013), and the Cheshire Cat in poem "Cat in the Tree" (7-13-2011). Carroll's shaped poem "The Mouse's Tail" was deciphered to be a quadruple pun by students in 1991. Favorite passage— "Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court." Everybody looked at Alice. "I'm not a mile high," said Alice. "Nearly two miles high," add the Queen. "Well, I shan'n't go, at any rate," said Alice: besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now." "It's the oldest rule in the book," said the King. "Then it ought to be Number one," said Alice.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle	*A Wrinkle in Time* (1962) by Madeleine L'Engle— The main characters— Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe— embark on a journey through space and time, from galaxy to galaxy, as they endeavor to save the Murrys' father and the world. The novel offers a glimpse into the war between light and darkness, and good and evil, as the young characters mature into adolescents on their journey. The novel wrestles with questions of spirituality and purpose, as the characters are often thrown into conflicts of love, divinity, and goodness. Poem: "A Wrinkle in Time" (7-9-2018)— "Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who— / good witches— Hoot! Whoo! Whoo! / help Meg rescue her Dad on a planet / faraway that's dark, wicked, and bad." This is my niece Elisa's favorite book. At age 8, she asked me about the 5th dimension "Tesseract". It inspired me to write "Warrors of Light" (1985) to ward off evil forces.