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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Allen - The Enchanted Wine-Jug; or Why the Cat and Dog Are Enemies - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

My daughters are Korean and as a result I've especially enjoyed collections of Korean folktales.  It's interesting to see how their stories are the same and different.  I've told a version of Why Cats and Dogs Are Enemies before discovering this Korean tale, but love the way this combines the explanation of their enmity with yet another theme: a magic object that continually replenishes itself.  The two make for a richer, more detailed story as collected by H.N. Allen, M.D. in Korean Tales; Being a Collection of Stories Translated from the Korean Folk Lore, 1889.

I also confess that in telling this story, there are ways I would condense or simplify the written version.  See what you think.
















































































And now you know why.

Next will be my favorite story by Hans Christian Andersen.  Unlike this tale, it's quite short.  Watch for it!
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This is part of a series of bi-weekly posting of stories under the category, "Keeping the Public in Public Domain."  The idea behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the authors and their immediate heirs were compensated.  I feel strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the 20th century.  I hope you enjoy discovering new stories. 

Currently I'm involved in projects taking me out of my usual work of sharing stories with an audience.  My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them.  This fall I expect to return to my normal monthly posting of a research project here.  Depending on response, I will decide at that time if "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my monthly postings. 

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