Foreign tales are fascinating because they unintentionally reveal the perspectives and priorities of different cultures. I say that to preface a few key items:

First of all, at first blush, this appears to be racially charged. But I assure you the secondary character is sooty and not indicative of any particular nationality. Still, I want to give fair warning to those who wish to steer well clear of such things.

There are also heavy Christian influences in this tale, which I know may be of concern to some of our listeners. Regardless of personal religion today, it is undeniable that this was in fact a Scandinavian folk tale once upon a time, so it might be disingenuous to Scandinativan culture to omit the story from our study (and I honestly don't know how prevalent Christianity is there today).

Folk tales were sometimes used to teach history, sometimes to entertain, but almost always the intent was to teach some kind of a lesson. There is a lesson here, and a good one, and I (for one) learned about another culture in the reading here. I hope the same will be true for you, but I definitely understand if such things are not your particular cup of tea.

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Something happened this past week that reminded me of this story. I realized that this was one of those stories I've known most of my life but had no recollection of where it came from.

It comes from China! It's an old story with a lesson that I remember completely missing as a child. When I was young I couldn't help but think the main character was a drag to be around, completely disregarding the congratulations and / or pity from his friends and family.

Now I know the wisdom that comes from accepting what life gives you and not dwelling on the gift or curse of it. Hard times make for strong people and too much ease makes one complacent. The refiner's fire proves our mettle!

Anyway, even though it is quite short, I hope the lesson gleaned carries a greater weight!

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This is part 2 of the Grimm Brothers tale that almost feels like another story entirely, but it does eventually get back to elements from part 1.

I also loved doing the voice of the dwarf. I think I might go out of my way to find more opportunities to do that!

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This is a Grimm Brothers tale that has some very delightful elements to it. I especially love the examples it gives for how good children should behave.

It has nothing to do with the well-known Snow White of Disney fame, nor Rose Red from lesser fame. They just happen to be the names of the children.

And the vocabulary is straightforward! Hurray!

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The Three Deaf Men is an Indian Folktale and one thing I've noticed from reading these stories from around the world is how they focus on different aspects during storytelling. This one has a little at the beginning and end that adds a bit of domesticity, but it doesn't quite apply to the main story or lesson.

Tamarind is a bean-type thing that isn't very common in the United States. I'm sure you can find it somewhere if you're curious to see if your cabbage needs that extra kick!

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I decided to try an Australian tale and it...took some time to find a good one. Their folk tales are...problematic by today's standards and very few of them have a good moral or happy ending.

This one doesn't even say if the characters are humanoid or animals! There are words that are unique to their folk tales, so I'm afraid I don't have any good definitions for you this time around!

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Now, this is one of the oddest stories of the Brothers Grimm because the "villain" wins and the story says "yeah, but she was quite a bad person." Many other stories encourage children to be good people, whereas this one says "just because you get away with doing something bad doesn't mean you're not still hateful" (or "odious," as the story puts it).

Still a good lesson, just...unorthodox this time around.

All words in this particular story are well-known, but there is the phrase "lump of tow." It took a bit of tracking and figuring, but it's a coarse and broken part of flax or hemp prepared for spinning. Yay, learning!

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Aha, this is NOT the goose that laid the golden egg, as I had thought when I began. No, this is much more fun, there isn't really an obvious lesson to learn, and I admit I had to edit out a few times I started giggling while recording.

The uncommon word in this particular story is "sexton," and they're someone who looks after a church and churchyard. It doesn't matter to the story in any meaningful way, but I've got you covered just in case your kids are feeling inquisitive!

And hey, here's something I learned! There's always beer and wine to drink because they didn't have sanitary water! Yay for learning things (and don't give alcohol to your kids. Probably. I mean, this is just a podcast, I'm not trying to tell you how to raise your kids or anything...)

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Someone shared their favorite Anansi story and we thought "hey, why not?" It's short and sweet, and is one of those that is great for boosting the egos of little children; they are surprisingly clever sometimes!

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Hello everyone! This week we're reading an Indian story called "The Magic Bed" that features the familiar story of the father issuing challenges to would-be suitors.

There are a few foreign words here, but a synonym has been helpfully provided in each case, so everyone gets to pick up some new words today. Hurrah!

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