The Folktale Project – Details, episodes & analysis

This week's tale is the classic story of Hansel and Gretel. As I'm revisiting these tales I'm thinking hard about what the next chapter of The Folktale Project looks like. I'd like to start with having you tell your stories. Have an story that you'd like to share? Reach out at [email protected]. 

This week's tale comes to us from France. As I'm revisiting these tales I'm thinking hard about what the next chapter of The Folktale Project looks like. I'd like to start with having you tell your stories. Have an story that you'd like to share? Reach out at [email protected]. 

A story with quite the important message about tolerance, particularly when it comes to religion.

Title: Jewish Fairy Stories

Translator: Gerald Friedlander

Host: Dan Scholz

Support The Folktale Project by becoming a supporter on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/folktaleproject or buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/thefolktaleproject.

To get more full stories and early access to all of the Folktale Project subscribe on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/folktaleproject!

Today we have the conclusion of 'The Wonderful Sheep'. I warned you that it was a sad story when we began, but now you'll see just how sad it really is.

Book: The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Host: Dan Scholz

Support The Folktale Project by becoming a supporter on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/folktaleproject or buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/thefolktaleproject.

To get more full stories and early access to all of the Folktale Project subscribe on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/folktaleproject!

Beside a white lake, beneath a large grown willow tree, sat Iktomi on the bare ground. The heap of smouldering ashes told of a recent open fire. With ankles crossed together around a pot of soup, Iktomi bent over some delicious boiled fish.

Fast he dipped his black horn spoon into the soup, for he was ravenous. Iktomi had no regular meal times. Often when he was hungry he went without food.

Well hid between the lake and the wild rice, he looked nowhere save into the pot of fish. Not knowing when the next meal would be, he meant to eat enough now to last some time.

“How, how, my friend!” said a voice out of the wild rice. Iktomi started. He almost choked with his soup. He peered through the long reeds from where he sat with his long horn spoon in mid-air.

Host Dan Scholz
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On the edge of a forest there lived a large family of badgers. In the ground their dwelling was made. Its walls and roof were covered with rocks and straw.

Old father badger was a great hunter. He knew well how to track the deer and buffalo. Every day he came home carrying on his back some wild game. This kept mother badger very busy, and the baby badgers very chubby. While the well-fed children played about, digging little make-believe dwellings, their mother hung thin sliced meats upon long willow racks. As fast as the meats were dried and seasoned by sun and wind, she packed them carefully away in a large thick bag.

This bag was like a huge stiff envelope, but far more beautiful to see, for it was painted all over with many bright colors. These firmly tied bags of dried meat were laid upon the rocks in the walls of the dwelling. In this way they were both useful and decorative.

One day father badger did not go off for a hunt. He stayed at home, making new arrows. His children sat about him on the ground floor. Their small black eyes danced with delight as they watched the gay colors painted upon the arrows.

All of a sudden there was heard a heavy footfall near the entrance way. The oval-shaped door-frame was pushed aside. In stepped a large black foot with great big claws.

Host Dan Scholz
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Once seven people went out to make war,—the Ashes, the Fire, the Bladder, the Grasshopper, the Dragon Fly, the Fish, and the Turtle. As they were talking excitedly, waving their fists in violent gestures, a wind came and blew the Ashes away. “Ho!” cried the others, “he could not fight, this one!”

The six went on running to make war more quickly. They descended a deep valley, the Fire going foremost until they came to a river. The Fire said “Hsss—tchu!” and was gone. “Ho!” hooted the others, “he could not fight, this one!”

Host Dan Scholz
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There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling, and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.

It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.

When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who bade him good day, and said: ’Do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine; I am so hungry and thirsty.’ But the clever son answered: ’If I give you my cake and wine, I shall have none for myself; be off with you,’ and he left the little man standing and went on.

But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made a false stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go home and have it bound up. And this was the little grey man’s doing.

Host Dan Scholz
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The maids of Staten Island wrought havoc among the royal troops who were quartered among them during the Revolution. Near quarantine, in an old house,—the Austen mansion,—a soldier of King George hanged himself because a Yankee maid who lived there would not have him for a husband, nor any gentleman whose coat was of his color; and, until ghosts went out of fashion, his spirit, in somewhat heavy boots, with jingling spurs, often disturbed the nightly quiet of the place.

Host Dan Scholz
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Once upon a time two young men living in a small village fell in love with the same girl. During the winter, it was all night except for an hour or so about noon, when the darkness seemed a little less dark, and then they used to see which of them could tempt her out for a sleigh ride with the Northern Lights flashing above them, or which could persuade her to come to a dance in some neighbouring barn. But when the spring began, and the light grew longer, the hearts of the villagers leapt at the sight of the sun, and a day was fixed for the boats to be brought out, and the great nets to be spread in the bays of some islands that lay a few miles to the north. Everybody went on this expedition, and the two young men and the girl went with them.

Host Dan Scholz
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Support the Show on Patreon