by: Elena Bagwell
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"Little Box of Jewels"
by: Andrew Waddington
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My
final adventure brought me to San Sebastian, which is one of the most
visited cities of the Basque region. It is a cosmopolitan city,
but with an old world flare that feeds any interest. My interest
took me to a quaint little library that was said to house an ample
collection of regional folklore. I didn't think there could be a
better way to wrap up my trip than to indulge in the local
literature. I grabbed a book, nestled into a cozy chair in a
secluded part of the library, and ended my experience with the Basque
culture the best way I could.
And so began the story of "The Singing Tree, the Bird Which Tells The Truth, and the Water That Makes Young."
A little bird told me of a time when there lived three sisters. The eldest sister dreamed to marry the king's servant, the middle sister wished to marry the king's son-in-law, and the youngest dreamed to marry the king himself. Only the wish of the youngest sister was granted when she married the king.
Over time the two sisters grew very jealous of their younger sister. Eventually, when the younger sister became pregnant they wrote a letter to the king, who was away on business, explaining that his wife had given birth to a cat. The king wrote back with wishes that the cat be taken care of as if it were a human child.
The younger sister became pregnant again and her sisters sent word to the king that his wife had given birth to a dog. However, the king still insisted that the dog be taken care of just as the cat had been.
By the younger sister's third pregnancy the two sisters told the king that his wife had given birth to a bear, and that they were certain that she dabbled with animals.
At this point the king became so angry that he ordered his wife to be put away in a dungeon underground and be given just enough food each day to survive. The king also ordered that the animal children be killed, but the sisters claimed they had already done so.
The truth of the matter was that the younger sister had given birth to three beautiful human babies, two boys and a girl that the older sisters had attempted to kill by putting each in a basket and depositing them in the river. Luckily, a gardener had found each of the baskets and raised the children with his wife. The family lived very happily and loved each other very much until the father and mother both died.
The three siblings continued to live together very happily until an old beggar stopped by their house and told them that they could never be truly happy until they had obtained three things. Those three things were a tree which sings, a bird which tells the truth, and water which makes things young again.
The sister was so upset at this comment that the eldest brother decided to set out to find these things. He gave her an apple and told her that if the apple began to ripen it was a sign that he was in trouble, and that if the apple turned rotten then he was dead.
As he traveled the older brother came across a monk who warned him to retrace his steps because there were great dangers ahead. The brother ignored the monk and pursued until he came across another monk, who told him that if he proceeded he would never return. This monk told him that he would hear terrible cries all around him, and that if he turned his head to look he would be punished. The brother continued on and when he heard those cries he turned his head to look and was turned to stone.
The apple he gave his sister turned bad and rotted, at which moment the younger brother decided to set off to find him. However, the same fate awaited the younger brother and when the apple he gave his sister rotted she was overcome with sorrow.
Not knowing what else to do she dressed herself up as a man to find her brothers. When she approached the second monk she realized that he was actually a great saint. He saw such a great amount of determination within her that he provided her a jug of water that makes things young again. The saint instructed her to sprinkle a drop on each stone that had once been her brothers, and that they would come back to life.
The girl passed through the cries unharmed and, constantly running, got to the top of the mountain that all the siblings were supposed to reach. At the top she heard an angelic song coming from a tree, and a bird landed on her shoulder that told her so many truths. Afterwards, she came across the stones that were her brothers and poured a drop of water on each one so that they came back to life. The three siblings returned home happily with the tree, the bird, and the water.
Eventually, the king heard their story and the bird advised the siblings to invite the king over for dinner.
The bird told the sister to lay out a fine table cloth and fill three dishes, one with lentils, one with parched peas, and the last with haricot beans. When the king arrived he was very surprised to hear the singing tree and the talking bird, but more surprised with how the family had received him (with lentils, parched peas, and haricot beans), which he said was very strange.
At that moment, the bird spoke to the king:
"Is it not stranger to see this young woman pass for a cat. Is she a cat?"
The bird then pointed to the older brother and said:
"Is this a dog, this young man? Is that not more astonishing?"
Finally, the bird pointed to the younger son and spoke to the already confounded king:
"Is this a bear, this one? Is that not an astonishing thing?"
The king sat there in silence until the bird once again spoke.
"Is it not a shame to leave one's wife to live eighteen years in a dungeon underground?"
Once the king realized that the children were his they all went to free their mother. The sister brought with her the secret water and poured it over her mother, which made her eighteen years younger. The king condemned his wife's sisters to be burned alive in the market-place as their punishment. The king, the queen, and their children all lived joyfully.
Author's Note:
I came across this story and fell in love with it instantly. I immediately knew that I had to include it. I wanted to place it at the end of my Storybook because I thought it had a really positive message. I like the idea of a younger sister saving her two older brothers by her determination, bravery, and love. I think this story sends a good message of family devotion. I also thought this story was very unique. The plotline is about a quest, which is always entertaining and dramatic. The quest ends with a family reunited. There is also magic and animals, which gives the story a lot of flavor and diversity.
I liked this story so much that I didn't want to change it drastically. I shortened it by leaving out a lot of the details that weren't necessary.
Bibliography:
Story Title: The Singing Tree, the Bird Which Tells the Truth, and the Water That Makes Young
Story Websource: Story
Book Title: Basque Legends
Author: Wentworth Webster
Year: 1879
Return to my Storybook!!
And so began the story of "The Singing Tree, the Bird Which Tells The Truth, and the Water That Makes Young."
A little bird told me of a time when there lived three sisters. The eldest sister dreamed to marry the king's servant, the middle sister wished to marry the king's son-in-law, and the youngest dreamed to marry the king himself. Only the wish of the youngest sister was granted when she married the king.
Over time the two sisters grew very jealous of their younger sister. Eventually, when the younger sister became pregnant they wrote a letter to the king, who was away on business, explaining that his wife had given birth to a cat. The king wrote back with wishes that the cat be taken care of as if it were a human child.
The younger sister became pregnant again and her sisters sent word to the king that his wife had given birth to a dog. However, the king still insisted that the dog be taken care of just as the cat had been.
By the younger sister's third pregnancy the two sisters told the king that his wife had given birth to a bear, and that they were certain that she dabbled with animals.
At this point the king became so angry that he ordered his wife to be put away in a dungeon underground and be given just enough food each day to survive. The king also ordered that the animal children be killed, but the sisters claimed they had already done so.
The truth of the matter was that the younger sister had given birth to three beautiful human babies, two boys and a girl that the older sisters had attempted to kill by putting each in a basket and depositing them in the river. Luckily, a gardener had found each of the baskets and raised the children with his wife. The family lived very happily and loved each other very much until the father and mother both died.
The three siblings continued to live together very happily until an old beggar stopped by their house and told them that they could never be truly happy until they had obtained three things. Those three things were a tree which sings, a bird which tells the truth, and water which makes things young again.
The sister was so upset at this comment that the eldest brother decided to set out to find these things. He gave her an apple and told her that if the apple began to ripen it was a sign that he was in trouble, and that if the apple turned rotten then he was dead.
As he traveled the older brother came across a monk who warned him to retrace his steps because there were great dangers ahead. The brother ignored the monk and pursued until he came across another monk, who told him that if he proceeded he would never return. This monk told him that he would hear terrible cries all around him, and that if he turned his head to look he would be punished. The brother continued on and when he heard those cries he turned his head to look and was turned to stone.
The apple he gave his sister turned bad and rotted, at which moment the younger brother decided to set off to find him. However, the same fate awaited the younger brother and when the apple he gave his sister rotted she was overcome with sorrow.
Not knowing what else to do she dressed herself up as a man to find her brothers. When she approached the second monk she realized that he was actually a great saint. He saw such a great amount of determination within her that he provided her a jug of water that makes things young again. The saint instructed her to sprinkle a drop on each stone that had once been her brothers, and that they would come back to life.
The girl passed through the cries unharmed and, constantly running, got to the top of the mountain that all the siblings were supposed to reach. At the top she heard an angelic song coming from a tree, and a bird landed on her shoulder that told her so many truths. Afterwards, she came across the stones that were her brothers and poured a drop of water on each one so that they came back to life. The three siblings returned home happily with the tree, the bird, and the water.
Eventually, the king heard their story and the bird advised the siblings to invite the king over for dinner.
The bird told the sister to lay out a fine table cloth and fill three dishes, one with lentils, one with parched peas, and the last with haricot beans. When the king arrived he was very surprised to hear the singing tree and the talking bird, but more surprised with how the family had received him (with lentils, parched peas, and haricot beans), which he said was very strange.
At that moment, the bird spoke to the king:
"Is it not stranger to see this young woman pass for a cat. Is she a cat?"
The bird then pointed to the older brother and said:
"Is this a dog, this young man? Is that not more astonishing?"
Finally, the bird pointed to the younger son and spoke to the already confounded king:
"Is this a bear, this one? Is that not an astonishing thing?"
The king sat there in silence until the bird once again spoke.
"Is it not a shame to leave one's wife to live eighteen years in a dungeon underground?"
Once the king realized that the children were his they all went to free their mother. The sister brought with her the secret water and poured it over her mother, which made her eighteen years younger. The king condemned his wife's sisters to be burned alive in the market-place as their punishment. The king, the queen, and their children all lived joyfully.
Author's Note:
I came across this story and fell in love with it instantly. I immediately knew that I had to include it. I wanted to place it at the end of my Storybook because I thought it had a really positive message. I like the idea of a younger sister saving her two older brothers by her determination, bravery, and love. I think this story sends a good message of family devotion. I also thought this story was very unique. The plotline is about a quest, which is always entertaining and dramatic. The quest ends with a family reunited. There is also magic and animals, which gives the story a lot of flavor and diversity.
I liked this story so much that I didn't want to change it drastically. I shortened it by leaving out a lot of the details that weren't necessary.
Bibliography:
Story Title: The Singing Tree, the Bird Which Tells the Truth, and the Water That Makes Young
Story Websource: Story
Book Title: Basque Legends
Author: Wentworth Webster
Year: 1879
Return to my Storybook!!