Source: North America

“The Boy and the Wolves, or The Broken Promise.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 138-140.

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 17:13:51 +0000

“The Boy and the Wolves, or The Broken Promise.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 138-140. Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/02/2024 - 11:13

Tale Summary

Once there was a Native American hunter who had a good heart but was weary of the treachery of others, and so built a house in the forest far away from his tribe, taking his wife and three children. They lived happily for some time until the man became sick and lay dying. Before he passed, the man made them all promise to always love each other and never forsake their youngest brother, and said that his wife would soon follow him. Eight months later the woman also died after she reminded her eldest children of their promise. They cared for their younger brother well through the winter months, but in spring, the oldest brother wanted to visit his father’s old village. His sister questioned this decision, but he left anyway, and did not return. The girl began to think of the little boy as a burden, and one day set out to find her older brother. When she reached the village she saw that he had a wife and was happy, and was soon married as well, and did not go back for the boy. After his sister left, he ate all the food he was left with and was able to survive the warmer months on berries and roots, but was hungry and lonely in the wintertime. Without any other company, he became friendly with the wolves, who shared their food with him. When the snow melted he followed the pack to the shore, and one day his big brother happened to be fishing there. The boy sang out:

“My brother, my brother!

I am becoming a wolf,

I am becoming a wolf!”

His older brother’s heart sank when he heard this and chased after him, asking the boy to come to him. The little boy was already half wolf and continued singing, and then became fully animal and vanished into the forest. Ashamed, the elder brother went back to his village to tell his sister what had happened, and they mourned their brother and their broken promise for the rest of their lives.

Fairy Tale Title

The Boy and the Wolves, or The Broken Promise

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 138-140

Full Citation of Tale

“The Boy and the Wolves, or The Broken Promise.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 138-140.

Original Source of the Tale

Native American folklore

Tale Notes

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

“In the Land of the Souls.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 152-154

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:43:58 +0000

“In the Land of the Souls.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 152-154 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/01/2024 - 15:43

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Native American maiden who was to be married to a handsome chief whom she had loved for some time. The night before the wedding, she fell suddenly ill and died. For many days and nights, the man sat by her grave, and then decided to find a path that led to the Land of Souls, which he had heard was to the south, and after traveling for a long time he found an old man living in a wigwam. He told the chief that he had been expecting him, and that his wife had rested with him, and now he should rest before continuing his journey. The next morning the old man showed him where to find the Land of the Souls, but he must leave his body and belongings behind. After doing this, the chief flew along, light as air, until he came to the shores of a great lake with a lovely island in the middle of it. He jumped in a glittering canoe and set up, and noticed another following him, and inside was his beautiful maiden. There were horrible waves, and in the water they saw bones and people struggling, but they made it to the island unharmed because they had lived their lives without evil. For some time the happy couple wandered together in perfect content, but the chief heard the Master of Life’s voice, and was told he must leave the Land of the Souls and return to his body. He had people he must rule over, and his wife would stay behind, and he would rejoin her when he died.

Fairy Tale Title

In the Land of the Souls

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 152-154

Full Citation of Tale

“In the Land of the Souls.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 152-154

Original Source of the Tale

A Native American story

Tale Notes

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

“The Cunning Hare,” The Brown Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1914, pp. 100-105.

Anonymous — Sun, 28 May 2023 20:42:25 +0000

“The Cunning Hare,” The Brown Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1914, pp. 100-105. Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 05/28/2023 - 14:42

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

Once there lived, in a very cold country, a little hare was brought up by his grandmother. They were very poor, as he was too young and she was too old to work. One day, the young hare was very hungry, and asked his grandmother if he could go to the river and catch a fish, and though she thought it foolish, she allowed him to go, although she told him that she had no fire to cook with. The young rabbit was quite confident to find both, and when he reached the river he set out the net and waited all night. In the morning, the net was full of fish, and after he carried them home he instructed his grandmother to clean them while he went to fetch fire from people's tents across the river. The old hare was horrified, as no one who set out to steal fire had lived. When the young hare reached the river he realized it was too wide to jump, and uttered some words of a spell he once heard a wizard use, and there appeared fifteen huge whales which helped him cross the water. The hare was caught by some children, and he was taken back to their house, where an old woman instructed the children to throw him in a pot to boil, and an old man suggested they kill him first. The hare wished that a spark of fire would fall on his net, and at that very minute, a log fell forward and sparks scattered, making a burning hole in his net. He ran towards home and wished himself across the river, and when he reached his grandmother, he happily presented the burning net. His grandmother asked how it was possible for him to cross the water, and the little hare replied that he had just jumped.

Fairy Tale Title

The Cunning Hare

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

The Dragon-Slayer

Tale Classification

ATU 300

Page Range of Tale

100-105

Full Citation of Tale

“The Cunning Hare,” The Brown Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1914, pp. 100-105.

Original Source of the Tale

This tale is from "Indian Folk Tales" taken from the Bureau of Ethnology

Tale Notes

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

The Brown Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1914

Decade Published

1910-1919

Publisher City

New York
London
Bombay
Calcutta

Publisher Country

United States
United Kingdom

India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White