Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts

Monday, July 12, 2010

The King of all Carrots

























(Illustration Tomi Ungerer, Das Grosse Liederbuch, Diogenes Verlag)

Grimm’s Fairy Tale No. 146 The Carrot King

Once there lived two brothers, both serving as soldiers. One brother was rich, the other poor. The poor one, seeking to alleviate his dire need, took off his soldier’s uniform and became a farmer. Now he spent his time digging, hoeing and hacking his little acre and sowed a row of carrots. The seed sprouted and a carrot soon grew that was so large and strong and noticeably thicker than the others. In fact, it would not stop growing. One could even say it was the Crown Prince or Ruler of all Carrots because never again has there been such a carrot (nor, I suspect, shall there ever be another one like it). Finally it was so big that it filled up an entire wagon and two oxen were required to pull it. The farmer did not know what to do with the thing, and he wondered whether the carrot was his fortune or misfortune. Finally he thought to himself “If you sell it, what great reward will you fetch? And the smaller carrots are just as good for eating. It is best that you present it to the king and honor him with the gift.”

So he loaded the carrot on his wagon, hitched up two oxen and drove to court to present the carrot to the king. “What kind of strange thing have you brought?” the king asked. “I have seen many odd things in my day, but never such a monster. From what type of seed could this have grown? Or perhaps, the vegetable has only grown this way for you because you are a child of fortune.”

“Oh no,” the farmer replied. “I am no fortune’s child. I am a poor soldier who could no longer feed himself. So I hung my soldier’s uniform on a nail and now tend the soil. I have a brother who is rich, whom you certainly know. But I have nothing and have been forgotten by the world.”

The king felt compassion for him and said “You shall overcome your poverty and will receive presents from me so that you shall be the equal of your rich brother.”

The king gave him enormous amounts of gold, farmland, fields and cattle and made him stone-rich, so that the riches of his brother did not compare. When his brother heard what had been accomplished with a single carrot, he was overcome with jealously and plotted how he, too, could secure such fortune for himself. But he wanted to do it in a much smarter way so he took gold and horses and brought them to the king. He thought the king would give him much greater riches in return, because his brother had received so much for a single carrot. The king received the brother’s gift and said, he did not know what to give him in return that could be rarer or better than the large carrot. So the rich brother had to accept his brother’s carrot as present from the king. He put it in his wagon and drove home. At home he did not know on whom he could take out his rage and anger until finally an evil thought came to him. He decided to kill his brother and so he hired murderers, who were instructed to lay in waiting. He now went to his brother and said “Dear brother, I know a secret treasure. Let us go out together, unearth it and share it.”

The brother let himself be convinced and innocently went along. But when they were walking, the murderers fell upon him, tied him up and wanted to hang him on a tree. They were just about to carry out the evil deed when the sound of song and the beating of hooves could be heard in the distance. Such a terror seized them, that in their haste they pushed their prisoner into a sack, hung it on a tree and took flight. But the prisoner worked nimbly with his fingers until there was a hole in the sack, through which he could stick his head. But who should be the next one to come down the path but a wandering student, a young fellow who rode through the forest singing loudly. When the one hanging in the sack noticed that someone was passing below he called out “Greetings to you in this fine hour.”

The student looked all around and did not know from where the voice came. Finally he said “Who is calling me?” From the treetop the prisoner now called “Raise your eyes. I am sitting up here in the sack of wisdom. In only a short amount of time I have learned many things, among them that all learning is as elusive as the wind. Soon I will have mastered everything, will come down and be wiser than all humankind. I understand the stars and can read the signs of the heavens, can decipher the blowing of the winds, the sand in the sea, know all manner of healing sickness, recognize the powers of herbs, birds and stones. If you sat here in my place, you too would soon understand the wonder that flows out of my sack of wisdom.”

When the student heard all this he was amazed and said “Blessed be the hour when I found you. Couldn’t I too sit a while in the sack?” From above the prisoner replied as if he did not relish the idea. “I will let you sit here for a very short time in return for a reward and good words. But you must wait another hour; I still have to learn a bit more.”

When the student had waited a bit, he began to be restless. The time seemed too long and he begged immediate entry to the sack; his thirst for wisdom was far too great to wait any longer. The prisoner in the sack pretended he had finally given in and said “So that I can emerge from this cocoon of wisdom, you must lower the sack by that rope tied to the tree. Then you can crawl inside.”

The student lowered the sack, opened it and freed the man inside. Then he called out eagerly “Now pull me up into the tree quickly!” He wanted to walk into the sack standing upright. “Stop!” cried out the other. “That won’t do at all!” He grabbed him by the head and pushed him in backwards, tied the opening around his head and pulled the disciple of wisdom up into the tree, where he swayed back and forth in the air. “How do you fare up there my dear fellow? See, don’t you already feel wisdom dawning with experience? Now sit quietly until you become much smarter than you already are.”

And so he mounted the student’s horse, rode away and after an hour sent out someone to let the fellow out of the tree.

More gardening fairy tales:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2008/06/grimms-saga-no-17-giantesss-plaything.html

Click on the link to read more fairy tales:

Copyright FairyTaleChannel.com

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Garden-States and Merry Mornings


"Through the hedge and down the furrow,
Till he gets into his burrow." (Nicholas Breton)

This is the time gardeners take a closer look at the state of things. We relish the dewy morning and the glorious task of turning up the soil. We plow furrows in neat rows and plan where the cabbage and turnips will go. This is the season of lush green grass and clouds of lilacs in bloom. It’s only fitting to read a fairy tale in which the primary action takes place in the garden, down in the furrow to be exact!


The Buxtehude Hedgehog (Grimm’s Fairy Tale No. 187)

(Or: The Hare and the Hedgehog)

This story is really a lie, but there is some truth in it, for my grandfather who told the story to me, always said the following when he told it: “True it must be, my son, or you wouldn’t be able to tell it.” The story happened this way. It was a Sunday morning in autumn, just when the buckwheat was blooming, the sun had risen on the horizon and the wind blew softly through the stubble. The larks sang as they soared high in the air and the bees hummed busily round the buckwheat. People wore their Sunday best to church and all creatures were cheerful, the hedgehog too. He stood in front of his door with his arms crossed and looked out into the morning sunshine. He warbled a little song and sang as beautifully as any hedgehog can sing on a Sunday morning. While he stood there and trilled like a little bird, he suddenly had the idea that while his wife was washing and dressing the children, he would go out and take a little walk in the field to see how the turnips were doing. The turnips grew quite close to his house and it was his habit and that of his family to eat them. That is why he considered them to be his own.

No sooner thought than done. He closed the front door behind him and took the path to the field. He had not gone very far and was just about to go round the blackthorn bush, which marked the edge of the field, when he saw the hare. The hare was walking on ahead engaged in similar pursuits, namely looking after his cabbage. When the hedgehog saw the hare, he wished him good morning in a cordial way. But the hare, who in his own right was a distinguished gentleman and furthermore, was terribly conceited, did not respond to the hedgehog’s greeting. Instead with a scornful countenance he replied icily: “How is that you are already running about so early in the morning?”
“I’m going for a walk,” the hedgehog replied.
“A walk?” laughed the hare. “You should use your little legs for better things.”
This remark annoyed the hedgehog very much, who was a very good-natured fellow. He could tolerate anything except disparaging remarks about his legs, because they were naturally crooked.
“You imagine that you could do more with your legs?” he said.
“I do indeed,” the hare replied.
“Well, we will have to try it then,” the hedgehog said. “I bet that if we run a race, I will run faster than you.”
“You – with your crooked little legs?” the hare said. “That’s rich! But if you have such a keen desire let’s have a go at it – what shall we wager?”
“One gold coin and one bottle of brandy,” the hedgehog said.
“Accepted,” replied the hare. “Go ahead and we can start the race right now.”
“No, there is no need for such haste,” the hedgehog replied. “I haven’t had anything to eat. I want to go home first and have some breakfast. I’ll be back in an hour.”

With that, he left and the hare was satisfied. But on the way home he thought to himself: “The hare is counting that his long legs will win the day, but I will show him. He is indeed a refined gentleman but a stupid rabbit, and for that he will pay.” When he arrived home he said to his wife: “Wifey, dear, get dressed quickly, you must go with me to the field.”
“What is it?” his wife asked.
“I have made a bet with the hare for one gold coin and one bottle of brandy that I will win a race with him. And you will be there.”
“O my God, husband,” the wife began to cry, “Have you lost your mind? How can you race the hare?”
“Woman, silence your blabbermouth,” the hedgehog said, “that is my concern. Don’t interfere with a man’s business! Go now, get dressed and come along!”
What else could the wife of the hedgehog do? She had to comply but she did not like it. When they were walking together the hedgehog said to his wife: “Now listen very carefully to what I say. I will run the race up there in the long field. The hare will run in one furrow and I in the other. We will start up there. You have nothing else to do but to wait down here in the furrow. And when the hare comes running in his furrow, call out to him as he approaches and say: “I’m already here!”

And so they arrived in the field. The hedgehog indicated the spot to his wife and went up the hill. When he arrived at the top, the hare was already there. “Can we begin?” he asked.
“Of course,” the hedgehog replied.
“Then let’s go.”

Each positioned himself in his furrow. The hare counted: “On your mark, get set, go!” and off he ran down the hill like the rushing gale wind. But the hedgehog ran only three steps, then he crouched down in the furrow and sat there calmly. And when the hare arrived down below at the finish line at full speed, the hedgehog wife called out to him “I’m already here!”

The hare was astonished not a little, but believed that the hedgehog stood before him. For it is well-known that Mrs. Hedgehog looks exactly like her husband. “Something is quite strange here,” he cried out. “Let’s race again, in the opposite direction!”
And once again the hare took off like the storm wind and his long rabbit ears were pressed down to his skull. The wife of the hedgehog remained sitting calmly in her place, and when the hare arrived Mr. Hedgehog called out to the hare “I’m already here!”
The hare was beside himself with rage and cried “Once more, the other way!”
“All right,” the hedgehog replied. “As often as you wish.” So the hare ran seventy-three times, and the hedgehog always kept up. Each time, when the hare arrived at the top of the field or arrived at the finish line at the bottom, the hedgehog or his wife called out “I’m already here!”.

But the seventy-fourth time, the hare did not arrive at the finish line. He fell to the ground in the middle of the field, blood came out of his nose and he lay dead. The hedgehog took the gold coin and bottle of brandy that were his prize and called to his wife at the end of the furrow. Cheerfully they returned home. And if they have not died, they are still living today. And so it happened that on the Buxtehude Heath the hedgehog ran the hare to death and since that time no other hare has dared to run a race with the Buxtehude hedgehog.

The moral of the story is, first, no one (regardless of how distinguished he might be) should make fun of a small man, even if the small man is only a hedgehog. And second, it’s a very good idea to marry a woman of your own stature, one that looks exactly like you. Whoever is a hedgehog must make sure that his wife is also a hedgehog.

More gardening fairy tales:


http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2008/06/grimms-saga-no-17-giantesss-plaything.html

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2010/05/from-gore-to-garden-french-fairy-tale.html

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2010/07/king-of-all-carrots.html

Copyright FairyTaleChannel.com

Monday, May 3, 2010

From Gore to the Garden, French Fairy Tale of the Three Golden Apples




Fairy Tale for Spring Gardeners: The protagonist in this fairy tale shows that the best way to a splendid garden is to sit back and mumble magic spells. (This hasn't worked in my garden, so you might have to try some good ol’ elbow grease in yours.)

This fairy tale is rather long (I suggest printing it out, perhaps, instead of reading it online). I include it here because it forms a nice link between the grizzlier themes found in the preceding fairy tales (Knights Bluebeard, Goldbeard, and Redbeard ) and happier, livelier notions of chutzpah winning the day. It not only features supernatural hair, but talking animals and a lazy gardener, who of course is destined for great things. The story enumerates everything a gardener needs to be successful, including a wide-brimmed straw hat. The only essential ingredients missing from the narrative are thunder, lightening and rain (sounds which should be soothing to all gardeners according to fairy tale wisdom!) It also features tattooing, the only account I am aware of in a fairy tale! To read more about the somewhat gory mythology of fairy tale gardening, hit the link: Goldbeard Variations


The Three Golden Apples

After nine years of marriage, a poor couple had no less than nine children. They were full of despair because they did not know how they would feed them all. In their desperation they decided to get rid of the oldest son. He was already nine years old and could perhaps make his way in the world. They sent him away although he cried and cried. Soon the boy was lost in a foreign and inhospitable land. But look: there came a magnificent carriage, drawn by a white steed. Inside sat a lady clothed entirely in white (she was, of course, the devil incarnate).

The abandoned boy bravely stopped the coach and asked the lady to take him with her. She listened politely, let him climb into the carriage and drove back with him to her house. The boy received everything he desired there. He had his fill of food and drink. The mistress of the house gave him the keys to every room, which he now could visit as he wished. There was only one door, which he was forbidden to open. It was strictly prohibited to enter this room.

In the beginning, everything went well. But gradually curiosity needled the boy and he was soon possessed with a burning desire to enter the forbidden room and find out the secret that lay hidden there. For some time fear held him back, but the temptation of knowing what was forbidden became stronger each day. So he entered the forbidden room. But oh terror! The door slammed shut behind him and he was locked inside.

In this strange room he looked around and saw the dead bodies of people hanging in every corner. He was only a few moments in this chamber when the lady in white entered. She had already searched for him and entered the room in rage. She threatened the curious boy with the same fate that had befallen the others, whose earthly shells now hung in the room.
The child fell to its knees and begged for forgiveness. After hesitating for quite a while, the lady was moved to forgive him. But he had to promise again that he would never enter this room. For if he did, it would be over for him.

Some time passed. But the memory of the forbidden room would not leave the youth, who in the meantime had grown into a young man. One day he believed he had found a solution. He would enter and keep the door open by taking a splinter of wood and slipping it between the door and frame. In this way he would be able to leave the room. No sooner said than done. But in that moment, when he let go of the door, the splinter broke under the weight of it slamming shut and once again he was locked in. The curious youth now believed all to be lost. As he measured the interior of the room, he saw a light in the corner. He approached the luminescence and crept inside. Suddenly he found himself in a stall, in which a horse, mule and donkey stood. All three were wonderful animals. The youth ran his hand over each animal and said in amazement “What a beautiful horse, what a beautiful mule, what a beautiful donkey!”

The first of the animals entreated him not to repeat these words. Then the beast lowered his voice and whispered “What you see here are not the usual animals, but rather unfortunate men, who have been cursed and transformed into animals. You are in the house of the devil, but we can help you escape because we have certain tools at our disposal. Take three hairs from my mane and never release them from your hand. Always when you say “By the hairs of my horse Bayard” all of your wishes will be fulfilled and you will have unlimited power. Also put on this wide-brimmed straw hat and never take it off. Your hair must always be completely covered.” (His hair, which had been black before, was now golden). “And you must take with you three things: a splinter of wood, a pail and a brush.”

Equipped with these tools, he hastened away because the woman in white was certainly already after him

It was true. The runaway glimpsed the white lady behind him getting closer. He seized the tools that had been given him. He threw the wood splinter to the ground and called: “By the hairs of my horse Bayard I wish that a giant mountain would grow between me and the devil!”

In that moment his wish became reality and allowed him to gain time ahead of his pursuer. But after some time she was again hot on his heels. He now threw down the pail and called “By the hairs of my horse Bayard, I wish that an enormous ocean lay between me and the devil!” Immediately an ocean was there and he gained more time.

A third time the hellish lady in white approached, ready to grab the runaway. The youth threw down the brush and called “By the hairs of my horse Bayard I wish that an impenetrable forest would grow between me and the devil!”

This, too, happened. The devil fell far behind the runaway. But now he had nothing more to throw down. Luckily he had reached sacred ground, where the devil has no power.

After he roamed around some time, the youth presented himself to the king, who granted his request to become a gardener. But the king commanded him: “In three days time my oldest daughter shall marry. I would like my garden to be designed according to my plans for this celebration!”

The new gardener promised to do everything that was requested, but instead of going to work immediately, he went out strolling the entire first and second day. The king was astonished at such idle inactivity. On the second day he called the youth and said “Do you not know that my garden must be finished at the set hour? I don’t think you can waste any more time!”

“Fear not,” the gardener replied. “Everything will be completed according to your instructions at the appointed hour.” And to the amazement of the king, the sly gardener returned to his lazy ways.

On the morning of the third day the gardener still did not lift a finger. The king became annoyed, turned green and blue with rage and threatened to dismiss the carefree servant. But when the gardener once again solemnly promised that everything would be ready by the pre-arranged hour, the king calmed down and allowed the gardener to act according to how he saw fit. Finally there were only ten minutes left before the appointed time. The youth now turned to his magic charms and said “By the hairs of my horse Bayard, I wish that the king’s garden would look like he desires it to look!”

Immediately before the eyes of the amazed onlookers, the garden underwent a complete and quick transformation. The king no longer talked about dismissal. The oldest king’s daughter married the prince. Some time later the second daughter also married a man of noble birth. Now the old king searched for husband for his youngest daughter, a suitor who was just as well-bred. But the young maid bridled against her father’s wishes. In the meantime, she had fallen head-over-heels in love with the gardener. One strand of golden hair had fallen out from beneath the hat, which the gardener always wore. This single lock of hair ignited the passion of the princess.

When the king heard the news, he was very surprised. But he had to bend to the will of the obstinate young maid, who refused any other man but the gardener. The gardener became his son-in-law, but he seemed so simple and ungainly, as the other two grooms had been polished and proud. To each the king gave an apple and declared that the one who preserved his apple best and to the greatest benefit of all would be the king’s successor.

Some time thereafter the king was drawn into a war. He was already quite old, but sent the young princes out into the field. The first two mounted fine steeds. The gardener selected the weakest old mare in the stable, despite all the advice given him. They warned him that this animal was doomed to plodding along and in an emergency, he would not be able to escape an enemy pursuit. Still the gardener insisted on his choice and rode off without haste behind his two brothers-in-law, who soon vanished on the horizon ahead. The youth arrived some time later at the place of war. When the enemy was visible, he only said “By the three hairs of my horse Bayard, I wish defeat to the enemy!”

It happened as he wished it. Both princes returned home in haste to report the victory to the king, which they took complete credit for. The king believed them. How could he assume that the blockhead of a gardener, who couldn’t even sit properly on his horse, would even be capable of performing a famous deed?

Soon thereafter the king became ill. The doctor said the king would only recover if he ate the flesh of the largest and most hideous of all snakes. The three sons-in-law went out in pursuit. The first two, sat high and proud on their steeds. The third sat on the same old mare, which had carried him into battle. After many hours of searching in vain and a thousand detours, the two princes wanted to return. But they soon saw the catch the gardener had made. He spoke his magic words: “By the three hairs of my horse Bayard, the largest of all snakes should lie dead at my feet.” In that moment, his wish was fulfilled.

Both princes wanted nothing else but to appear before the king themselves as snake-slayer. The gardener had nothing against this, if they would give him their gold apples. They agreed to the trade. The gardener returned to the castle with empty arms and was greeted with disdain.

The king soon became ill again. This time he desired the flesh of the largest eagle. Once again the three sons-in-law went out together in pursuit. The same thing happened as the first two times. The gardener killed the bird and the two princes brought back the quarry. But in return for the prize, they had to allow three pin pricks to be imprinted in triangular shape on their bottoms, and this did indeed hurt.

Finally the day came when the king would decide who was the most virtuous of his sons-in-law and assume the crown. He called them and their wives to his palace so that they would bring their apples. The first two brought artificial apples, because they had lost the real ones. But the sly gardener placed three apples before the king, who immediately recognized the fruits by a special mark he had scratched into them in secret. The king wanted to know how these things had happened. The gardener explained everything quite precisely down to the last hair. The ruler now knew who had overcome the enemy in battle, who had killed the giant snake and who had killed the enormous eagle. The gardener supplied all the proofs while the princes stood there gaping. He even showed the king the three pin pricks decorating the bottoms of the princes as reward for the eagle.

Because he was now convinced of his virtue and courage, the king declared the gardener his successor. He now had to remove his straw hat and showed everyone his wonderful golden hair. The king was no longer amazed about the choice his youngest daughter had made.


Further reading:

Gardening fairy tales:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2008/06/grimms-saga-no-17-giantesss-plaything.html



http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2010/04/reading-fairy-tales-knight-bluebeard.html

Translation Copyright FairyTaleChannel.com

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Summer Fairy Tale: To Catch A Gnome


The Many Ways to Catch a Garden Thief:
Fairy Tale of the Smithy Riechert


On the east side of the Dardesheim mountain there is a place called Gnome-Berg where the fields are especially rich and fertile. These acres were once owned by a smithy by the name of Riechert, who planted a crop of peas there. He noticed that when the peas hung on their vine and were the most ripe and succulent, they were soon all picked. To catch the pea-thief, Riechert built a little hut in his field and watched over his crop night and day. During the night, he did not detect any change, but in the morning he saw that despite his watch, the entire field had been robbed of peas. His wasted efforts annoyed him to no end and so he decided to plow under the entire crop. When dawn broke, Smithy Riechert began his work. But he had barely plowed under half his field when he heard wretched crying. Looking down to find the source, he saw a gnome lying under the pea stalks on the ground. His skull had been bashed by the threshing blade and he was now visible because his haze or fog cap had been knocked from his head. The gnome got up quickly and fled back into the mountain.

Postscript

In fairy tale lore, gnomes are invisible because they wear a Tarnkappe or Nebelkappe (cap conferring invisibility). Nebel means fog or mist in German and connotes confusion or cloudy and muddled thinking. Gnomes love gardens and the acres they visit are always lush and bountiful. Even though they pinch the produce, it is very beneficial to have garden gnomes as regular visitors and very unlucky to drive them away. A wise farmer woos the gnomes and does what he can to keep them happy.


More fairy tales:

Translation Copyright FairyTaleChannel.com
Please read and enjoy this article.
Pass on to friends or link to.
Please do not plagiarize, copy or pilfer.
Thanks and enjoy!