The Little Green Pig

Cultural origins: This is a story from a play about a storyteller, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh. This is the only story in the play really suitable for children. It has no ethnic ties, though all of McDonagh's other plays are tied to his Irish roots and take place in the Aran Islands. This play is meant to take place in any place or time in the future. It works well in a very generic fairytale setting, a farm.

Intended audience: Early Elementary School (5-8)

Why this audience?: This can be told as a bed time story. It’s incredibly soothing and quiet. It is appropriate for young students in elementary school because of the farm animals being the main characters and there is satisfying ending that keeps the little green pig just a little different than the rest of the pigs.

Characters: The Little Green Pig
                     The Little Pink Pigs
                     The Farmers
                        

Scenes/Settings: The surrounding fields and trees of the little green pig’s farm.

Synopsis:

“Once upon a time, on a farm in a strange land, far away there lived a little pig who was different from all the other pigs around because he was green. Like, almost glow-in-the dark-green like they have in the railway tunnels. Now, the little green pig, he really liked being green. Not that he didn’t like the color of normal pigs, he thought pink was nice too, but what he liked was, he liked being a little bit different, a little bit peculiar. The other pigs around him didn’t like him being green, though. They were jealous and they bullied him and made his like a misery.

 And all this complaining just aggravated the farmers, it really got on their nerves and so they thought, “Hmmm, we’d better do something about this.”

So one night, as all the pigs lay sleeping out in the open fields, they crept out and snatched up the little green pig and brought him back to the barn, and the little green pig was squealing and all the other pigs were just laughing at him. And when the farmers got him to the barn what they did was they opened up this big pot of this very special pink paint and they dunked him in it till he was covered from head to foot and not a patch of green was left, and they held him down until he dried.

And what was special about this pink paint was that it could never be washed off and never be painted over. It could never be washed off and never be painted over. And the little green pig said – “Oh please, God, please don’t let them make me like all the rest. I’m happy in being a little peculiar.”

But it was too late, the paint was dry, and the farmers sent him back out into the fields, and all the pink pigs laughed at him as he passed and sat down on his favorite little patch of grass, and he tried to understand why God hadn’t listened to his prayers, but he couldn’t understand, and he cried himself to sleep, and even all the thousand tears he cried couldn’t help wash off the horrible pink paint because it could never be washed off and never be painted over. It could never be washed off and never be painted over. And he went to sleep.

But that night, as all the pigs in the fields lay a-sleeping, these strange, strange storm clouds began to gather overhead and it began to rain, slowly at first but getting heavier and heavier and heavier. But this was no ordinary rain, this was a very special green rain, almost as thick as paint and not only that, there was something else special about it. It could never be washed off and it could never be painted. It could never be washed off and never be painted over.

And when morning came and the rain had stopped and all the pigs awoke, they found that every single one of them had turned bright green. Every single one except, of course, the old little green pig, who was now the little pink pig, upon whom the strange rain had washed right off because of the unpaintoverable paint the farmers had covered him in earlier. And as he looked at the strange sea of green pigs that lay around him, most of which were crying like babies, he smiled, and he thanked goodness, and he thanked God, because he knew that he was still, and he always would be, just a little bit peculiar.”

Story Climaxes/High Points:The night the little green pig is covered in the special pink paint and is crying because he is just like all the rest of the pigs a special rain comes to the farm. It is a special green rain. This rain can never be washed off and can never be painted over. It covers the little pink pigs so when morning comes they are all green.

Special Chants/Phrases:
It can never be washed off and never be painted over. (Every time said twice with a “wax on, wax off” motion)

Bibliographic Information:

McDonagh, M. (2003). Act 2 Scene 1. In The Pillowman (pp. 36-67). New York:
     Faber and Faber.

The White Cat

Cultural origins: This is a French fairytale written by the great Comtesse d'Aulnoy. It is a literary tale, so the storyteller must be faithful to d'Aulnoy's story. I first heard this story told by Holly Black when talking about her childhood to a group of high school girls. They adored the story, and laughed at the sheer lunacy of the idea of a castle full of cats. It also inspired many of them to read her book based on the story, White Cat.

Intended audience: Early Middle School (11-13)

Why this audience?: This is a long story, full of bizarre plot twists. However, all ends well in this love story featuring years of cat merriment, fireworks and hand-filled hallways. Nothing in this tale seems familiar except perhaps the Beauty and the Beast  element of stumbling across a perfect castle in the middle of the woods with an enchanted animal inside. 

Characters:  The King
                        The Oldest Son
                        The Middle Son
                        The Youngest Son
                        The White Cat
                        

Scenes/Settings: The castle of the King and his three sons
                                 The castle of the White Cat 

Synopsis: The King decides that in his age he must appoint a successor to his kingdom so he sends his three sons on three missions to find unique items. Each mission takes a year and the son that has found the best item wins that challenge. The first year the sons are sent to find the smallest puppy in all the land.

Instead, the youngest son stumbles upon an elegant castle in the woods populated entirely with cats and a white cat queen. They spend the year together in merriment until he has quite forgotten his mission. On the day before the white cat queen produces a small hazelnut for him to bring to his father's court for his item. When the youngest son produces the hazelnut his father and brothers laugh at him but he cracks open the shell and inside is the tiniest pug in the world and fits on the King's fingertip.

The King sends his sons looking for a piece of the finest muslin for their second year. While the two older sons set about traveling the youngest son quickly returns to the court of the white cat and enjoys himself again for another year of fireworks, theater, hunting trips and fine food. At the end of the year when he has quite forgotten his mission the white cat produces a walnut and assures the youngest prince that this will please his father. After cracking open six nuts within nuts he does indeed produce the finest muslin in all the land and wins his father's favor yet again.

The final task is to bring back the most beautiful princess and though the prince does not think his white cat can conjure a princess from inside a nut he returns to her palace anyway. He has another year of fun until he confesses that he must return to his father's castle with a beautiful princess. At that, the white cat queen tells him to cut off her head. He is shocked, but obeys her command and as her head rolls to the floor a brilliantly beautiful princess appears. She had been cursed in the cat's body until a man returned to her who was faithful and true. 

They arrived at castle of the King in a carriage of crystal. The white Princess outshone the other two princesses by far. However she cried there was no need to give the kingdom to the youngest prince. She was heir to seven kingdoms already. If everyone took one she and the youngest prince would still have three kingdoms to rule. Everyone was happy with this arrangement. There would be no fighting and the white Princess had what she wanted more than anything else, a man who truly loved and respected her.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The youngest prince arrives at his father's palace to present his bride. His brother's princesses are very beautiful and when he tells them that he has brought a white cat they laugh at him. However, when the King pulls back the curtain to the chariot the crystal it is made of breaks into a thousand pieces and the cat is in fact a beautiful, shimmering princess.

Special Chants/Phrases: None

Bibliographic Information:

Lang, Andrew. (1965). The White Cat. In The Blue Fairy Book (pp. 157-173). New York: Dover Publications.

The Mouse, The Bird and the Sausage

Cultural origins: This is a German folktale, akin to that told by the brothers Grimm, was first found in a collection titled: The Wonderful True Story of Philander von Sittewald by Hans Michael Moscherosch (136).

Intended audience: Late Elementary School (8-10)

Why this audience?: While this is a quick tale, it is also a sad tale that goes downhill fast. It is for this reason that it may be appropriate to tell to the older elementary school student. They will of course enjoy the image: a sausage cooking soup, swimming around in it to make it taste better. This story is easily paired with a classic Grimm tale like Snow White or Little Red Riding Hood that also have tragic elements. 

Characters:  Bird
                        Mouse
                        Sausage
                        Other Bird
                        Dog
                        

Scenes/Settings: A cozy cottage in the woods

Synopsis: The bird, the mouse and the sausage live happily in their home, each doing a portion of the housework. The bird collects kindling for the fire. The mouse gathers water from the well. And the sausage tends the pot of soup over the fire, which he seasons by slithering in it occasionally. One day when the bird was off collecting kindling he was talking with another bird about how great his life was. The other bird scoffed and said that the bird certainly had the raw end of the deal and was doing way more work than the sausage or the mouse. This idea festers in the bird's head for days until he finally confronts the mouse and the sausage and insists they switch jobs.

So the next day the sausage heads to the woods to find kindling. When he doesn't return the bird goes looking for him and found that a dog has eaten him. While the bird is out the mouse gets nervous that the soup won't be tasty enough and tries to imitate sausage and swims around in the soup until he drowns. When the bird returns to see his friend drowning in the soup she tries to pull him out with such force that the logs from the fire roll out and catch fire to the house. In her haste to pull water from the well to put out the fire she is pulled down and drowns, herself.

Story Climaxes/High Points: Trying to emulate the soups of the sausage, the mouse jumps into the soup to flavor it but can't get out. The bird tries desperately to rescue his friend by pulling him out of the pot. Instead, in his haste to help the mouse he scatters the logs of the fire, burning the house to the ground.

Special Chants/Phrases: None

Bibliographic Information:

Pullman, P. (2012). The Mouse, The Bird and the Sausage. Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm; A New English Version (pp.133 - 137). New York: Viking. 

The Swineherd

Cultural origins: The origin of this fairytale is in dispute. Hans Christian Anderson and the brothers Grimm both publish similar tales around the same time (300). The version featured in the Opies' anthology of fairy tales is from Anderson.

Intended audience: Late Elementary School (8-10)

Why this audience?: This is a tale of greed. The princess in this tale is seduced by trinkets and will give anything to have what she wants. This is an theme that will resonate with young children who can identify with the "Gimme' Gimme's" as the Berensteins put it. There are two ways to finish the story: the older the audience perhaps it should take Anderson's punishing turn of an ending. If the audience is younger, then many picture books have doctored the end to have the Prince confirm that the Princess has learned her lesson and then reveal himself to her at the swineherd's hut.

Characters:  The King
                        The Princess
                        The ladies in waiting
                        The Prince/Swineherd
                        

Scenes/Settings: The court of the King
                                 Outside the hut of the Swineherd

Synopsis: There once was haughty and proud princess who was enchanted with toys and trinkets. A prince began to court her. So he sent the most beautiful rose bush, and a bird that sang the most beautiful song. The Princess, upon discovering that they were not machines, but real rejected them completely and would not even allow the Prince at court. The prince would not be deterred he disguised himself as a swineherd and worked in her court and made a pot that bubbles and generates the smell of every hearth in the kingdom. When the Princess passed his hut she smelled the scintillating aroma and decided she had to have that toy. The swineherd would only accept 10 kisses from the princess in payment for the pot and she reluctantly gave in. Next he made a rattle that played every song in the world. The Princess wanted it so badly she again gave in to the swineherd's demand of 100 kisses in payment. As she was kissing him and her ladies maids were protecting her honor by surrounding her in a circle the King noticed the commotion and went to see what was happening in his courtyard. He saw his daughter kissing the swineherd and banished them both. The Prince then revealed his true identity and shamed her for denying him, the prince for his regal gifts but gave a keeper of pigs kisses for toys and trinkets. He left her holding her magic rattle as it played a thousand tunes.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The King discovers his daughter kissing the swineherd a hundred times. Upon this discovery he banishes them from the kingdom.

Special Chants/Phrases: Swineherd: "A hundred kisses from the Princess or each one keeps his own."

Bibliographic Information:

Opie, Iona & Peter. (1974). The Swineherd. In The Classic Fairy Tales (pp. 300-307). New York: Oxford University Press.

Fin M'Coul and Cucullin

Cultural origins: This is an Irish folktale. This is one of the many featuring the beloved Fin M'Coul but one of the few that also features his wife, Oonagh. She is incredibly quick and makes this story loads of fun.

Intended audience: Early Elementary School (5-7)

Why this audience?: This tale can be easily acted out with biting of thumbs and pulling of fingers and the lifting of very heavy objects it is suitable for a younger audience. It's not a terribly long tale either and has space for expansion and abridgment depending on the audience's interest. 

Characters:  Fin M'Coul
                        Cucullin
                        Oonagh
                        

Scenes/Settings: Fin M'Coul's home on Knockmany hill

Synopsis: Fin M'Coul was clever and great but not as big and strong as Cucullin. And since giants like to fight and Fin M'Coul knew he would lose in a fight with Cucullin he spent much of his time avoiding him. One day though, when visiting with his wife, Oonagh, in their home on Knockmany hill Fin M'Coul bites his magic thumb and knows that Cucullin has discovered where he lives and is coming for a fight.  Oonagh is quick and calm and tells Fin to dress in blankets and jump in a crib kept by the hearth. She tells him to close his eyes and continuously suck on his magic thumb so he will know what's Oonagh is thinking every minute. 

When Cucullin arrives Oonagh asks him to perform mighty feats that she tells him Fin does for her all the time: move the house around to face north and lift a boulder to create a spring for fresh water. He does all this with considerable effort and the help of his magic middle finger. The she offers Cucullin bread with rocks in it that break his teeth. Cuculling, frightened that Fin M'Coul can lift houses and boulders on a regular basis and eat bread with rocks decides that maybe he has picked the wrong man to mess with. On his way out he sees the giant baby eating what he thinks is the same bread he ate. He wonders if maybe the M'Couls are blessed with magical teeth so Oonagh pushes him to feel the baby's teeth. When Cucullin does this Fin chomps on Cucullin's magic finger and chases him out of the house and down the hill. Cucullin hasn't been heard from since.

Story Climaxes/High Points: When Cucullin sticks his longest finger in Fin M'Coul's mouth Fin chomps down on his finger and Cucullin's strength is lost forever.

Special Chants/Phrases: None

Bibliographic Information:

Phelps, E. J. (Ed.). (1978). The Legend of Knockmany. In Tatterhood and Other Tales (pp.87 - 92). New York: Feminist Press. 

The Edge of the World

Cultural origins: This is a folktale from the British Isles. It is a simple, hilarious and wise tale meant to remind audiences of the fact that man is never happy. While the folktale originates from Britain it is tale for all countries and can be adapted for any culture with a little tweaking of small details (the wolf, the tree, the woman).

Intended audience: All Ages (11 and up)

Why this audience?: This is an audience appreciated by everyone. Children will appreciate the stupidity of the young man who passes by the opportunity to marry a beautiful woman and dig up a treasure chest. Adults will chuckle at God's cavalier brashness. That being said, this is a story that deals with the idea of God in a very direct way, giving him a character and strong opinions. This will probably offend some people without a decent sense of humor.

Characters:  A young man
                        A wise woman
                        A mangy wolf
                        A small tree
                        A beautiful woman
                       God

Scenes/Settings: A redwood house on top of a mountain
                                 A clearing in the woods
                                 Underneath a small tree
                                 A beautiful house with a garden and a white picket fence
                                 The edge of the world

Synopsis: A young man sitting on top of mountain looks around at all that he has and decides he is unlucky. A wise woman tells him that in order to find out why he is unlucky he must find God. When the young man asks her where to find God she directs him to the edge of the world. On his way he runs into a mangy wolf, a ragged tree and a lonely woman who all ask him to ask God why they are also unlucky in their different ways. The young man promises to ask for them and eventually finds the edge of the world. He asks God why he is unlucky. God tells him he is in fact lucky, and that luck is all around him everywhere he goes he just has to look for it. Then he whispers the answers to the questions of the wolf, the tree and the woman in his ear. The young man returns to the beautiful woman who is so lonely. He tells her that God said to marry someone who is kind to her. She asks him to marry her but he tells her he must go and find his lucky and report back to the tree and the wolf. He tells the tree that the reason he can't grow tall is because he was planted on top of a treasure chest. When the tree asks him to dig him up and plant him somewhere else the young man says he has to find his luck and tell the wolf what God said. Finally, he finds the wolf and tells him that God said that he is not strong because he doesn't have enough protein and to eat a creature much more stupid than he ASAP. The wolf heeds God's word and swallows the young man in two seconds flat.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The young man finds God and asks him why he has no luck and God responds that luck is all around him and he has plenty of it. 

Special Chants/Phrases:
Young man:  "I am going to the edge of the world to see God and ask him why I don't have any luck."

Narrator: "He walked a day, a week, a month, a year, and year-and-a-day until he came to..."

Bibliographic Information:

Walker, Richard. (2000). The Edge of the World. In More Ready-To-Tell Tales from Around the World (pp. 134-139). Little Rock, AK: August House.

The Man Who Bought a Dream

Cultural origins: This is a Japanese folktale. It has details that place the story in Japan but it is easy enough to remove those elements if you wish to make it a tale without a country to color it. However universal I think this tale is, I like the details of the road to Osaka and the description Kiibe-san's backyard, an image of a zen garden if ever there was one.

Intended audience: Late elementary School (8-11)

Why this audience?: This story is based on a thrilling idea. The idea that dreams are real seldom entertain reality, except perhaps by a Disney World commercial. This tale begs the question of destiny. Students will be certain of the gold appearing in the jar for the dreamer, but not for Kiibe-san. This generates follow-up questions for an audience of this age? Does the man deserve the gold because he bought the dream? How do you buy a dream?

Characters:  Young Man
                         His Wife
                         Kiibe-san

Scenes/Settings: The hut of the poor man
                                 The road to Osaka
                                 The Mansion and yard of Kiibe-san

Synopsis: A young man is captivated by the idea that a dream will lead him to a great fortune. He follows the clues to the giant mansion of the richest man in Osaka, Kibee-san. He tells Kiibe-san what he has seen in this dream he has bought for himself, that there is a jar of gold buried under the pine tree in the backyard of Kiibe-san's house. Kiibe-san digs up the jar that night and finds a jar full of nothing. The next day when the young man returns Kiibe-san allows him to dig the jar up again, knowing that the jar will be empty. When the young man opens the jar it is not empty. A small bee zips out and races away. Disappointed and undone the young man returns home thinking that dreams do not come true. When he arrives home though his wife tells him of their very good fortune. She went to the attic and found a bee zip out and when she reached the attic the place was brimming with gold coins.

Story Climaxes/High Points: As the man begins opens the jar the day after Kiibe-san has secretly opened the jar the day before there is a moment of tension. Will the jar be full of gold because the man's dream told him it would be?

Special Chants/Phrases: 

Beginning: There was once a man, and he bought a dream. His friend, the one who had dreamed the dream, tried to talk him out of buying it. After all, it was only a dream.

Bibliographic Information:

Abbell, Timmy. (2000). The Man Who Bought a Dream. In More Ready-To-Tell Tales from Around the World (pp. 202-205). Little Rock, AK: August House.