Fairy tale information

There once lived a young man who was never happier than when he was playing a trick.His teacher often scolded him. "A trickster is nobody's friend." "You'll see," he told his teacher, "one day I'll prove that I am as wise as you are."His teacher burst out laughing. "Impossible," he said.Now this was a challenge the trickster could not resist. So, he and his friends watched their teacher when he left his home. He always rode his mule everywhere he went. Most days, the teacher fell asleep as he rode. As the sleeping teacher went by, the trickster told his strongest friend, "This is our chance." So, the young men dashed to the mule's side, lifted the teacher from his seat and perched him on the strong fellow's back. Very soon after, the teacher awoke. "What's this?" the teacher cried, startle ...

Once upon a time, there lived a carefree, helpful lad named Jim. There was one thing wrong with Jim: He didn't have much common sense. One morning Farmer Bob said to Jim: "Take the dog and bring the sheep that are on the hillside to the paddock.""Okay," said Jim cheerfully. He tied a rope to the sheepdog's collar. Then off he went, dragging the dog behind him. When the dog spotted the sheep, he pulled and tugged. But Jim pulled him back.Hours passed. At last Jim, the dog and the sheep arrived at the paddock."What took you so long?" asked Farmer Bob."The dog caused me no end of trouble," Jim said merrily."Now Jim, why on earth would you drag a sheepdog when you could send it to do the job?""You said, 'Take the dog,' not, 'Send the dog,'" said Jim. Farmer Bob sighed. "One day you'll learn go ...

King Lac Long Quan, last of the descendants of the Yellow Kings of China, was good to his people. He rescued them from many natural disasters and performed many other good deeds. One day a king from the northern mountains visited the southern lands where Lac Long Quan ruled. He brought along his daughter, Au Co.As the two journeyed, a gigantic black bird swept out of the sky, ready to attack. When she saw the monster, Au Co turned herself into a crane and began to fly toward the sea.Lac Long Quan was wandering along the shore when he saw the enormous black bird ready to catch a fragile crane between its claws. Lac Long Quan picked up a rock and hurled it into the sky. He hit the monster, which fell to the earth, dead. Au Co landed on the beach near Lac Long Quan. He was just about to step ...

Long ago there lived a trickster named Maui. One day Maui's brothers went out to fish, but Maui was napping. His children began to complain. "We're hungry," they said. "Why won't you fish too?" Maui rose and found his prized possession, the jawbone he had gotten from his grandmother. He added mother-of-pearl shells to the jawbone, and he attached a strong fishing line. Then he hurried to the shore, where his brothers were preparing their canoe for the day's fishing trip."I'm coming with you," Maui called out, and leaped aboard. "Oh no," the brothers wailed. "Maui can bring only trouble. Let's go back home!"But Maui spoke a magical incantation, and suddenly the canoe was far out to sea. Only Maui knew where they were.Travelling further, they reached the wide-open sea, and Maui said, "Now we ...

There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?" "Oh, that can be easily managed," said the fairy. "Here is a barleycorn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmers' fields, and those which the chickens eat; put it into a flowerpot, and see what will happen." "Thank you," said the woman, and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn. Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its petals tightly closed as if it were still a bud."It is a beautiful flower," said the woman, and ...