Wishes at this holy time!

 These two images say it for me!

Sandburg - Pig Wisps - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Before we leave "March is Reading Month" I want to have a bit of fun with the alphabet which our reading needs. Carl Sandburg wrote not one, not two, but three stories about "the Letter X and How It Got into the Alphabet." My favorite of the three is "Pig Wisps."

ILLUSTRATION BY MAUD AND MISKA PETERSHAM

Just as the concept of leaving out the letter X is fanciful, Project Gutenberg describes Rootabaga Pigeons, the book where it appears, as "a whimsical collection of children's stories." It concludes by saying "The stories are rich with imaginative details, capturing the essence of childhood curiosity and the power of storytelling."

Normally I suggest retelling literary stories to make them more tellable, but with a fanciful poet like Sandburg the language is an important part of the fun! (Project Gutenberg has both Rootabaga Pigeons and the earlier Rootabaga Stories.) Both were "Originally created for Sandburg's own daughters", so don't let the whimsy keep you from enjoying it with or without an audience!

Pig Wisps

There was an oyster king far in the south who knew how to open oysters and pick out the pearls.

He grew rich and all kinds of money came rolling in on him because he was a great oyster opener and knew how to pick out the pearls.

The son of this oyster king was named Shovel Ears. And it was hard for him to remember.

“He knows how to open oysters but he forgets to pick out the pearls,” said the father of Shovel Ears.

“He is learning to remember worse and worse and to forget better and better,” said the father of Shovel Ears.

Now in that same place far in the south was a little girl with two braids of hair twisted down her back and a face saying, “Here we come—where from?”

And her mother called her Pig Wisps.

Twice a week Pig Wisps ran to the butcher shop for a soup bone. Before starting she crossed her fingers and then the whole way to the butcher shop kept her fingers crossed.

If she met any playmates and they asked her to stop and play cross-tag or jackstones or all-around-the-mulberry-bush or the-green-grass-grew-all-around or drop-the-handkerchief, she told them, “My fingers are crossed and I am running to the butcher shop for a soup bone.”

One morning running to the butcher shop she bumped into a big queer boy and bumped him flat on the sidewalk.

“Did you look where you were running?” she asked him.

“I forgot again,” said Shovel Ears. “I remember worse and worse. I forget better and better.”

“Cross your fingers like this,” said Pig Wisps, showing him how.

He ran to the butcher shop with her, watching her keep her fingers crossed till the butcher gave her the soup bone.

“After I get it then the soup bone reminds me to go home with it,” she told him. “But until I get the soup bone I keep my fingers crossed.”

Shovel Ears went to his father and began helping his father open oysters. And Shovel Ears kept his fingers crossed to remind him to pick out the pearls.

He picked a hundred buckets of pearls the first day and brought his father the longest slippery, shining rope of pearls ever seen in that oyster country.

“How do you do it?” his father asked.

“It is the crossed fingers—like this,” said Shovel Ears, crossing his fingers like the letter X. “This is the way to remember better and forget worse.”

It was then the oyster king went and told the men who change the alphabets just what happened.

When the men who change the alphabets heard just what happened, they decided to put in a new letter, the letter X, near the end of the alphabet, the sign of the crossed fingers.

On the wedding day of Pig Wisps and Shovel Ears, the men who change the alphabets all came to the wedding, with their fingers crossed.

Pig Wisps and Shovel Ears stood up to be married. They crossed their fingers. They told each other other they would remember their promises.

And Pig Wisps had two ropes of pearls twisted down her back and a sweet young face saying, “Here we come—where from?”

***

So did you cross your fingers?

Now just for fun grab a book and try reading it without the letter X!

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This is part of a series of postings 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 20^th century. My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them. I hope you enjoy discovering them.

At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience.  Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week.  This is a return to my regular posting of a research project here.  (Don't worry, this isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future storytelling to an audience.)  Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other postings as often as I can manage it.

See the sidebar for other Public Domain story resources I recommend on the page “Public Domain Story Resources."

 

Puppetry at the end of the month + looking ahead to Easter and Passover

Sometimes calendars just seem to get packed with so much to do! I'm posting about an event in the metro Detroit area coming up. Beyond this local event it's time to start thinking of stories and crafts for Easter and Passover.

 

If you are able, join us for a live, in-person Detroit Puppeteers Guild meeting at Clarkston Independence District  Library March 29th from 2:30 pm to 4 pm.

Learn about all kinds of Puppetry and watch Puppets as they perform puppet shows in the "Over the Rainbow" show by Herdsmen Puppets.

If you are a Puppeteer, Puppet builder, or just like Puppets and want to learn more, then this is the guild for you.

Share this event with your friends!

Then bring them to meet some of the puppet people that live in the Detroit area. 

 

Beyond that everybody is planning for Easter. There are already a lucky 13 Easter stories.

Here are some Easter crafts including All Natural Natural Easter Egg Dyes. 

At the same time this blog has a pair of Passover stories and suggestions for sources of even more beyond this.

MacManus (Klingensmith adaptation) - Billy Beg and His Bull (Part 2) - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Illustration by Patten Wilson in Best Stories to Tell to Children by Sara Cone Bryant

The story of Billy Beg continues after his bull was killed.

*** 

After three days he came to a farm that belonged to an old gentleman.

Billy asked the old gentleman for work. The old gentleman said he wanted such a boy to herd the cattle. Billy asked what cattle he would have to herd and what wages he would get.

"Three goats, three cows, three horses, and three donkeys,” said the old gentleman, "but no boy that goes to herd them ever comes home alive. There are three giants, brothers, that come to milk the goats and cows, and always kill the herd boy, so we will not say what wages till we see if you come back alive.”

"All right,” said Billy. 

So next morning he got up early, drove out the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys to the pasture field.

At noon Billy heard three terrible roars that shook the nuts off the trees, and up came a giant with three heads.

"You are too big for one bite, and too small for two," said the giant, "What shall I do with you?’’ 

"I'll fight you,’’ said Billy.

Billy soon made a sword of his stick by swinging it three times round his head.

"How shall I kill you'? Shall it be by a swing from the back, a cut of the sword, or by a blow from my fist?” 

"By a swing from the back if you can,” said Billy.

So they both laid hold, and Billy lifted the giant off his feet and brought him down so hard that he sank into the ground up to his arms.

 "Oh, have mercy,” said the giant.

But Billy cut off his heads with his sword.

It was evening when the fight was over. So Billy drove home the three goats, three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys. All the pails and kettles and bowls in the house wouldn’t hold the milk the cows gave that night.

''Well,” said the old gentleman, "you are the first herd boy that ever came back alive, and this is the first time the cows ever gave any milk. Didn’t you see anything in the pasture?’

"Nothing worse than myself,’’ said Billy. "What about my wages now?”

"Well,” said the old gentleman, "I think you won’t come back alive to-morrow, so we will wait and see.”

Next morning the old gentleman told Billy something must have happened to one of the giants, for he had only heard two of them roaring.

After breakfast Billy set off with the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys. About twelve he heard six terrible roars that shook the nuts off the trees and made his hair stand on end, and along came a frightful giant with six heads.

"You killed my brother yesterday,” roared the giant with his six mouths, but I will pay you to-day. You are too big for one bite and too small for two. What shall I do with you?”

"I’ll fight you,” said Billy, swinging his stick three times round his head to make it turn into a sword and give him the strength of a thousand men.

The giant laughed at his size and said, "How shall I kill you? With a swing from the back, a cut of the sword, or a blow from my fist?”

"With a swing from the back, if you can,” said Billy.

So they both laid hold and Billy lifted him off his feet and sunk him into the ground up to his arms.

 ‘‘Oh, mercy, cried the giant, but Billy cut off his six heads.

It was evening by that time and Billy drove the three goats, the three cows, the three horses and the three donkeys to the barn. The milk the cows gave that night overflowed all the pails and kettles and bowls in the house. Running out it made a brook and turned an old mill that hadn’t been turned in thirty years.

The old gentleman was ten times as much surprised to see Billy alive as he had been the day before.

“Didn’t you see anything in the pasture to-day?” said he.

“Nothing worse than myself,” said Billy. “What about my wages now?”

“Never mind about your wages till to-morrow,” said the old gentleman. “If you come back alive, we’ll see then.”

In the morning the old gentleman said, “I only heard one giant roaring last night. The other two must be ill.”

“Perhaps they are dead,” said Billy, as he drove out the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys.

At noon Billy heard so many roars, he couldn’t count them. He looked about and saw a giant as big as the other two together, with twelve heads.

“You villain,” roared the giant. “You killed my two brothers, but I’ll be even with you. You are too big for one bite and too small for two. How would you rather be killed — by a swing from the back, or a cut from the sword, or by a blow from the fist?”

"By a swing from the back,” said Billy, waving his stick three times around his head.

The giant laughed at Billy’s size and they both laid hold. Billy swung the giant in the air and sunk him into the ground, just as he had the other two. Then he cut off his twelve heads and drove home the three goats, the three horses, and the three donkeys.

The milk that the cows gave that night ran down into a valley, where it made a lake three miles long, and three miles wide, and three miles deep.

"Did you see nothing in the pasture to-day?” said the old gentleman.

"Nothing worse than myself,” said Billy. "What about my wages now?”

"You are a good herd boy,” said the old gentleman, "and I can’t get along well without you, so I will give you whatever you ask.”

Next morning the old gentleman said to Billy, "I heard none of the giants roaring last night. I wonder what has happened to them?”

"Perhaps they are all dead,” said Billy.

"Well, good luck to the lad that killed them then,” said the old gentleman. "Now you must mind the cattle again to-day, Billy, while I go to see the fight.’’

‘‘What fight?” said Billy.

 

“The king’s daughter is going to be devoured by a fiery dragon, if somebody doesn’t kill it,” said the old gentleman. “The greatest fighter in the kingdom has been practicing for three months to get ready for the fight. If he can kill the dragon the king will give him the princess for his wife.”

Billy drove the three goats, the three cows, and the three horses, and the three donkeys to pasture. While they were feeding he watched the people go by. Never had he seen the like of it. They went in coaches and carriages, on horses and donkeys and oxen, and riding and running and walking.

“Why don’t you come to see the fight, my boy?” said a man who passed by.

“Would they let me in?” said Billy.

“Of course they would,” said the man. “Everybody is to have a seat.”

When they were all gone, Billy put on the old gentleman’s best suit and rode off to see the fight on the best horse in the stable.

At the king’s palace, Billy saw the king’s daughter with the whole court sitting around her on a high platform. Down below the great warrior, who was to fight the dragon, was walking up and down with three men to carry his sword. But when the fiery dragon came up roaring and spitting fire from every one of his twelve heads, the great warrior ran away and hid himself in a well, up to his mouth in water.

Then the princess began to weep and say, "Will nobody fight the dragon and save my life?"

Nobody stirred until Billy put his hide belt around his waist, waved his stick three times around his head, and after a terrible fight, killed the dragon.

Everybody ran to look at the dead dragon. While they were looking, Billy jumped upon his horse and was running away. Nobody noticed him but the princess. She caught his foot and tried to hold him, but he slipped away from her leaving his shoe in her hand.

Billy had changed his clothes and brought in all the cattle by the time the old gentleman got home. The old gentleman began at once to tell him about the great fight, how the warrior had hidden in the well, and how a handsome young man had come down out of the clouds on a black horse, killed the dragon, and flown up into the sky again. "Wasn't it wonderful?’’ said the old gentleman.

 

"Oh, very wonderful,” said Billy.

After that it was given out that all the young men in the kingdom should come to the king’s palace to try on the shoe. When the day came Billy was in the pasture as usual with the three cows, the three horses, the three goats, and the three donkeys.

Everybody called to him, "Aren't you going to try on the shoe?’
 

"They wouldn’t let the like of me try it on,” said Billy.

When the people had all passed by, there came a ragged man like a scarecrow, his clothes were so old. Billy stopped him and said, "How much boot will you take and trade clothes with me?”

 

"No jokes about my ragged clothes, or you may feel the weight of my stick,” said the ragged man.

But Billy let him know that he was in earnest. So they traded clothes and Billy gave the ragged man boot.

Billy started off to the palace with the ragged clothes on his back and a stick in his hand. When he got there everybody was crowding and pushing to get a chance to try the shoe on. But it fitted nobody.

Then Billy said, "Let me try it.” All the people laughed and shoved him back, because he was so ragged. But the princess told them to let him try on the shoe. Very soon they all quit laughing, for the shoe fitted Billy exactly.

So Billy married the princess and the wedding lasted nine days, and nine hours, and nine minutes, and nine seconds, and they lived happy for ever after.

Adapted from Seumas McManus

 

***

I don't like to say this is considered "an Irish Cinderella" until after I tell it. They certainly fit in a lot beyond the shoe fitting Billy. 

 

While telling Irish stories, why not try adding green food coloring to a vase of water? After the color is mixed into the water, place white flowers into the water. In minutes, the flowers will be transformed into vibrant, green flowers. 

***********

This is part of a series of postings 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 20^th century. My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them. I hope you enjoy discovering them.

At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience.  Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week.  This is a return to my regular posting of a research project here.  (Don't worry, this isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future storytelling to an audience.)  Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other postings as often as I can manage it.

See the sidebar for other Public Domain story resources I recommend on the page “Public Domain Story Resources."

 

MacManus (Klingensmith adaptation) - Billy Beg and His Bull - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

 

As March begins I'm already seeing decorations and people wearing green clothes, all are obviously celebrating Saint Patrick's Day on March 17.  I have a program coming up of Irish stories and went looking to see what I should tell. Of course I'm going to tell Olcott's "2 short stories about St. Patrick Driving Snakes Out of Ireland."  They are a lot of fun. I have a short tale of a leprechaun and his pot of gold. I also have an Irish tale of a piper and a mermaid I've told for a great many years. Putting them all together it still seemed short so I went to the Virginia Hamilton series that all begin "Favorite Fairy Tales Told in . . . " There on the cover was today's tale of "Billy Beg and His Bull." 

Something crazy is happening with Blogger's handling of images. At first I thought the problem was that the cover of the Haviland book is under copyright. It did the same with my attempt to show the cover of a picture book version, by Ellin Greene. There was an illustration in the Public Domain version of the tale by Sara Cone Bryant that was also rejected. However it also rejected a photo from Unsplash that was clearly available (although I would give credit to the photographer). Just as I was about to give up, I found a way to handle the Unsplash image.

The same happened with the story, but Archive.org let me highlight the text and copy it so that it is here below. 

It's a fairly long story and, while I had seen Ellin Greene's picture book of it ages ago, I had never read it. Maybe I hadn't, but people like Sara Cone Bryant and the sister team of Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora Archibald Smith all told versions of the story originally found in the Irish anthology, In Chimney Corners, by Seumas MacManus. 

I looked at all their versions after learning the story from Haviland. There was always credit going back to MacManus. Seeing a little known book titled Just Stories by Annie Klingensmith had the story and called it's version of the story "Adapted", I looked at it, too. The adaptation is minor, but I liked it the best of all four of the versions. (It even called the queen's confederate a "witch" instead of a "hen wife" which doesn't work half as well for American listeners.) The repetition, which is so much a part of this story is still there, but somehow it feels a bit more manageable. Hamilton's copyrighted version takes out even a bit more repetition while still keeping some to maintain the Irish feeling.
 
Because the story is so long, I'm going to stop it at about the halfway point with the rest of the story continued next week. If you want to see the rest of the story online right now, the link to Just Stories has it all.

*** 

Billy Beg and His Bull

ONCE upon a time there were a king and queen who had one son called Billy Beg. The queen gave Billy a bull. Billy was very fond of the bull and the bull was very fond of Billy.

When Billy was grown to be a young man the queen died. With her last breath, she asked the king not to part Billy and his bull. The king promised, come what might, come what may, he never would.

After some time the king married again. The new queen did not like Billy and she liked his bull still less. She tried to get the king to kill the bull, but the king would not break his promise. So the queen went to a witch to ask what to do.

The witch said, "What will you give me to rid you of the bull?’

"Anything you ask,’’ said the queen. 

"Very well, then,” said the witch, "you take to your bed very ill, and call me for your nurse.”

So the queen took to her bed very ill, and the witch was called. When the king came in to see how the queen was, the witch said, There is only one thing that will save her life?” 

"What is that?” said the king. 

"Three mouthfuls of the blood of Billy Beg's bull" said the witch.

But the king would not hear of breaking his promise to Billy’s mother.

The queen grew worse and worse for three days, and then the king gave up and said the bull should be killed.

When Billy heard that his bull was to be killed he became very down-hearted, and went about looking very sad. The bull saw him and asked what was wrong. Billy told the bull what was wrong, and the bull said, "Cheer up. Do as I tell you, and the queen will never get any of my blood.”

The next day the bull was led up to be killed and Billy came and stood near him. "Jump on my back, Billy,” said the bull, and up Billy jumped.

With that the bull leaped nine miles high, nine miles deep, and nine miles broad, and came down with Billy sticking between his horns. Then away he rushed over the top of the queen and away he ran where you wouldn’t know night from day nor day from night, over high hills and low hills, sheep walks and bullock traces, the Cove of Cork, and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn.

At last they stopped. "Now Billy,” said the bull, ''put your hand into my left ear and take out a napkin you will find there. When you spread the napkin out. it will be covered with eating and drinking fit for a king."

Billy did as he was told. Sure enough, when he spread the napkin out, it was covered with eating and drinking fit for a king. Billy ate and drank and put the napkin back where he got it.

Then says the bull, "Put your hand into my right ear and you will find a stick. Wave the stick three times and it will be turned into a sword and give you the strength of a thousand men. When you have no need of a sword it will turn back into a stick again.”

Billy did as he was told. Then said the bull, "At twelve o’clock to-morrow, I shall have to meet and fight a great bull. So get on my back and let us be off.”

So Billy jumped on the bull’s back, and away went the bull, where you wouldn’t know night from day nor day from night, over high hills and low hills, sheep walks and bullock traces, the Cove of Cork, and old Tom Fox and his bugle horn. There he met the other bull and they fought, and such a fight was never seen before nor since. They knocked the soft ground into hard, and the hard into soft, the soft into spring wells, the spring wells into rocks, and the rocks into high hills.

They fought till Billy Beg’s bull killed the other. Then Billy took out the napkin and had a good dinner. After dinner the bull said to Billy, ‘‘Tomorrow at twelve o’clock, I have to meet the brother of the bull I have just killed. He is bigger than the other bull and I shall have a hard fight.”

So Billy got on the bull’s back again and the bull started off and away again where you wouldn’t know night from day nor day from night, over high hills and low hills, sheep walks and bullock traces, the Cove of Cork, and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn. There they met the brother of the bull that Billy’s bull had killed and they at it and fought.

The like of the fight was never seen before or since. They knocked the soft ground into hard and the hard into soft, the soft into spring wells, and the spring wells into rocks, and the rocks into high hills.

They fought long and hard and at last Billy’s bull killed the other bull. Then Billy ate and drank as before and the bull said, "Tomorrow I must meet and fight the brother of the two bulls I killed. He is stronger than the others and will kill me. When I am dead take the napkin and the stick with you. Then you will never be hungry, and with the stick you can overcome any thing you fight with. Cut a strip of my hide for a belt. As long as you wear the belt nothing can kill you.”

Billy was very sorry to hear that the bull would be killed but he got on his back and they started off and away where you wouldn’t know night from day nor day from night, over high hills and low hills, sheep walks and bullock traces, the Cove of Cork, and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn.

Sure enough, the next day at twelve, they met the great bull, and the two bulls at it and fought.

Such a fight was never seen before or since. They knocked the soft ground into hard, and the hard into soft, the soft into spring wells, the spring wells into rocks, and the rocks into high hills. They fought long, but at last the other bull killed Billy’s.

Billy was so sorry that he sat beside his bull two days without eating and cried all the time. Then he cut himself a belt of the bull’s hide and set off with the napkin and the stick to seek his fortune. After three days he came to a farm that belonged to an old gentleman.

***

The story now takes a major turn away from the bull, but using all the bull gave to Billy. 

To use a bit of Irish dialect: Sure and 'tis a fine story worth hearing it all. I had problems with the Blogger graphics. At first it seemed it might mean future posts are text only. If that happens it's still a story worth waiting to hear. It also might remove the illustrations in other stories, but storytelling is all about seeing the stories in your mind, so I hope this doesn't stop you finding stories worth telling.

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