Fairy tale information

King Lir of Ireland had four lovely children who had soft skin, sweet voices, and gentle temperaments. Their stepmother, a Druid with magical powers was jealous of the love their father had for them. She decided she would cast a spell upon them. She struck them with a fairy wand and turned them into snow-white swans."You will remain as swans for nine hundred years," cried their stepmother. "Until St. Patrick comes to Ireland and brings the Christian faith, you will not be free." The stepmother looked at the swans. She felt stricken with sadness at the spell she had cast, but alas, she had no power to undo it. When King Lir learned of what had happened, he went to his wife's father, King Bove, and told him what his daughter had done. King Bove was furious. At once he struck her with his fai ...

Once upon a time a farmer named Jules nursed an injured robin back to health. He was a kind and generous man. But Jules' heart also was aching because he loved a girl named Brigitte. But Brigitte didn't care about Jules. One day, he heard a tiny voice call, "Don't despair, Jules." Jules peered down among the reeds, and there he saw a green frog. The green frog was actually a Brownie. "I owe you a favor," the brownie said. "The korigans who dwell in this country declared war on all the brownies, so we brownies are always hiding. We usually take on animal shapes." "But why do you owe me a favor?" asked Jules. He was very confused, for he knew nothing of the war between the korigans and brownies, and in fact he had never known that brownies lived on this land. "I am the robin you saved," the ...

Three children were gathering raspberries for their mother, who had promised she would make them raspberry treats. By late afternoon Lars' basket was the heaviest of all, and Liv's was full, too. Even little Aina had nearly filled her small basket. So the children hurried home and set their berries upon the kitchen table. Suddenly their mother screamed. "A worm!" she cried. Lars rushed forward. "Squash it!" he cried, but Aina swooped up the worm and ran out the door. Liv ran after her, calling, "Run, Aina, run. Save the poor worm!"They ran until they no longer heard their brother's panting breath. They stopped, and Aina let the worm go. The girls then turned to walk home, but they heard a rustling sound among the raspberry canes. They turned just in time to see a grizzled old man with a lo ...

On the banks of the Great Lake in the Valley of Mexico, there lived the daughter of the ruler of the Red Kingdom. One day, she saw a handsome young man, a son of the White Kingdom. As he saw her approach the shore, he stood and bowed."I am Tepetl," he said. "Prince of the White Kingdom." When their hands touched briefly, their hearts instantly were touched as well."Marry me," Tepetl said. Red Flower, flushed with love, agreed. Together they climbed toward the White Palace to announce their plan. To Tepetl's astonishment, his father, the White King, was furious. "You may not have my permission," he told his son. So they went to see the Red King, but when her father heard that they had decided to marry without the White King's approval, he too refused their request."Let me take you to my fav ...

Once upon a time, a young man named Ivan left his home and wife to seek work.Ivan found work with a farmer. "Stay a year," the farmer said, "and I will pay you." Ivan agreed. At the end of the year, the farmer handed Ivan his money and said, "If you give this back to me, I'll offer you invaluable advice instead." Ivan agreed. This continued for two more years, and the farmer told Ivan, "Never leave the old road only to take a new one," and "Never lodge with a greedy man." By the end of the third year, Ivan decided he must go home. So the farmer gave him his wages for that year and a big iced cake. "Take this home for your wife, but save it to share during your most joyous time together," the farmer said. After many miles, Ivan ran into three merchants from a town in his own parish. They ca ...