More Than Salt

Cultural origins: This is an Italian version of a very old European folktale. The English version is known as "Cap-o-Rushes" and was most certainly an inspiration for Shakespeare's King Lear (310). Whatever its origin it is clear that it is a folktale that has survived for centuries.

Intended audience: Late Elementary School (7-10)

Why this audience?: This is a tricksterish tale. While the youngest princess, banished from her father's sight in the tallest tower does not trick the cook, it's fun for young students to figure out how she rescues herself through logic. This story does not have chants or hand motions and therefore requires a little more attention. However, this King should be larger than life to captivate the children's attention quickly.

Characters:  The King
                        The Eldest Princess
                        The Middle Princess
                        The Youngest Princess
                        The Cook
                        

Scenes/Settings: The castle of the king

Synopsis: The King of the land knows that soon he depart this world and so he must decide which one of his three daughters will succeed him. To do this he decides to ask a question: How much do you love me? The first daughter professes to love him more than bread, the second more than wine and the third and youngest daughter gets cheeky and says she loves him more than salt. Saying that this is something that even the poorest people have he banished his youngest daughter from his sight and locks her in the tallest tower of the castle. Every day the princess sings in her tower and all in the kingdom ignore her until one day the King's chef, while peeling potatoes is so taken with her song he begins to sing along. They sing together everyday and form a friendship. The Princess asks the chef a favor: cook dinner for the king without salt. The chef does so and the King spits out his food. When the chef replies that only the most poor have salt and it is not regal to use what poor people use in cooking. The understands his mistake and releases his youngest daughter from her prison. She helps him rule the land until his dying day.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The King spits out his food and demands to see the cook. When the King asks why his food tastes so terrible, the cook simply replies that he didn't use any salt and since even the poorest people have salt, as the King said, the cook decided that his food should not have salt for it was not fit for a king.

Special Chants/Phrases: 
Beginning: Long ago, a certain King was thought to be the wisest, cleverest man in the world. Even so, he once asked a stupid question.

End: And that was good, and it wasn't bad!

Bibliographic Information:

Ryan, Patrick. (2010). More Than Salt. In Storytelling; Art and Technique (pp. 310 - 313). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.