De Bosschere - The Convent Free From Care - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Today's story is a riddle tale with a most satisfactory ending, so it's appropriate there are two, no, three things may be misleading about today's story, "The Convent Free From Care", found in the book, Christmas Tales of Flanders.

First, when I bought the book I expected it to be Flemish Christmas tales.  WRONG!  They are Flemish, but not about Christmas.  I didn't mind, however, as I already had a love of Flemish folklore thanks to a little known anthology by Mount Clemens organist, August R. Maekelberghe.  He died shortly before I went to work at the Mount Clemens Public Library, but thanks to Isabel Miller, we have his wonderful retellings of his birthplace's folktales in the book, Flemish Folktales.  She published it for him shortly after his death. She gave me permission to freely tell from it, but I don't feel comfortable reprinting it here.  For even more Flemish folklore, and well told, it's a book worth seeking out.

Second, the title of the story is also misleading.  The author consistently calls it a "convent", but we would probably call it a "monastery" as it is about the abbot and his monks.  Maybe in Belgium or the Flemish section that is correct, but it is a bit confusing.

Third, when I found this book listed in my Cardfile program (I use AZZ Cardfile - a program I can't recommend highly enough!) I didn't find the book on my shelf under Bosschere, but I made a note there to look also under De Bosschere.  Just like the most recent story in the De Blumenthal book, the author's name includes the preposition, "de", meaning "of."  Perhaps Europeans are consistent in how they handle that, but I tend to waffle a bit.  I know it's standard library practice, to alphabetize it omitting the "de", but some people insist on using it when giving their last name.  Somehow I shelved the darned "de" in "da Ds."

Aside from the fact that the book is not about Christmas, something else interesting is worth noticing about this book collected by Jean de Bosschere and translated by M.C.O. Morris.  The anthologizer admits, many stories will be familiar in versions from other lands, but says, "all of them have peculiar Flemish traits."  I especially noticed several collected here can be found in Appalachia by Richard Chase.  As for the illustrator, the Wikipedia de Bosschere article never mentions this book, and while most illustrations seem to be quick sketches, I'm comfortable this is his work . . . and, yes, they refer to him as De Bosschere.

For more laughter and Flemish folklore, you may find the complete Christmas Tales of Flanders at Archive.org.
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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. 

"Russophilia" - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Yesterday I admitted my love of Russian culture.  It's true, be it literature, folklore, music, dance, art, I'm a Russophile.  Today I want to share my list of Russian folktale anthologies and where their contents might be indexed for easy access when seeking stories for storytelling.  I also used a pair of graphics by Lucy Fitch Perkins, whose credit was accidentally omitted in the Project Gutenberg copy of Folktales from the Russian by Verra de Blumenthal.

“Russophilia”

(Transliteration from the Cyrillic may cause some spelling differences)

Afanasev, Aleksandr, translated by Norbert Guterman

Russian Fairy Tales

1945 (Public Domain according to search)

Indexed in Index to Fairy Tales Second Supplement and Index to Fairy Tales 1987-1992

Pantheon

Afanasev, Aleksandr, translated by Leonard A. Magnus

Russian Folk-tales

No date, (but indexed in original Index to Fairy Tales, so Public Domain)

NOT all are the same selections as other Afanasev volume

Almedingen, E.M.

Russian Folk and Fairy Tales

1957 (Public Domain according to search)

Indexed in Margaret Read MacDonald’s Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1949-1972

Bain, R. Nisbet

Russian Fairy Tales From the Russian of Polevoi

No date (but in the original Index to Fairy Tales, so Public Domain)

Blumenthal, Verra de

Folk Tales from the Russian

1903

Indexed in original Fairy Tale index

Carey, Bonnie

Baba Yaga's Geese and Other Russian Stories

1973

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1973-1977

Carpenter, Frances

Tales of a Russian Grandmother; Genuine Stories of Old Russia

1933 (Public Domain according to search)

Indexed in Index to Fairy Tales Supplement

Carrick, Valery

More Russian Picture Tales

1914

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales Supplement

Carrick, Valery

Picture Tales from the Russian

No date but Public Domain

Indexed in original Fairy Tale index

Carrick, Valery

Still More Russian Picture Tales

1915

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales Supplement

Daniels, Guy

Falcon under the Hat; Russian Merry Tales and Fairy Tales

1969

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

Downing, Charles

Russian Tales and Legends

1956

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1949-1972

Etchemendy, Teje

Tales of Old Russia

1964

Not indexed

Foster, Ruth

The Stone Horsemen; Tales from the Caucasus

1965

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1949-1972

Caucasian Russia

Ginsburg, Mirra

How Wilka Went to Sea and Other Tales from West of the Urals

1975

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

U.S.S.R./Russia

Ginsburg, Mirra

Kaha Bird; Tales from the Steppes of Central Asia

1971

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

Urals = Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tatar, Buryatia, Tofalars, Uzbekistan, Altay, Kirghizia, Uygurs, Tadzhikstan, Tuva,  Karakalpakia, and Siberia

U.S.S.R./Russia

Ginsburg, Mirra

The Lazies; Tales of the Peoples of Russia

1973

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

Ginsburg, Mirra

Master of the Winds and Other Tales from Siberia

1970

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1949-1972

Ginsburg, Mirra

One Trick Too Many; Fox Stories from Russia

1973

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1973-1977

Ginsburg, Mirra

Proud maiden, Tungak, and the Sun

1974

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

Russian Eskimo

Ginsburg, Mirra

Three Rolls and One Doughnut

1970

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

U.S.S.R./Russia

Ginsburg, Mirra

Twelve Clever Brothers and Other Fools

1979

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1978-1986

U.S.S.R./Russia; Noodlehead

Gottschalk, Fruma

The Runaway Soldier and Other Tales of Old Russia

1946

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales Second Supplement

Haviland, Virginia

Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Russia

1961 with earlier

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1949-1972

Higonet-Schnopper, Janet

Tales from Atop a Russian Stove

1973

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

Isserlis, H. and J. Auroy, translated by Peter Simmons

Emerald Tales

1958

Not indexed

Kimmel, Eric

Mishka, Pishka, & Fishka

1976

Not indexed

Galicia = Poland + Russia

Magnus, Conrad A.

Russian folk tales

1915

Indexed in original Index to Fairy Tales

Onassis, Jacqueline

The Firebird and Other Russian Fairy Tales

1978

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook (under the title) and Index to Fairy Tales 1978-1986 (under Zvorykin)

Pushkin, Alexander (translated by James Reeves)

Golden Cockerel and Other Stories

1969

This edition is not indexed, but the title story and possibly other stories are indexed with different translations

Ransome, Arthur

Old Peter's Russian Tales

1916

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1973-1977

Riordan, James

Tales from Central Russia

1976

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1978-1986

All are from Afanasyev

Riordan, James

Tales from Tartary

1978 (includes sources? 1/2 Eng. & 1/2 Russian)

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1978-1986

Tartarstan

Siberiak, Mamin

Verotchka's Tales

1922

Not indexed

Russia’s Birds, animals, and insects

Titiev, Estelle and Lila Pargment

How the Moolah Was Taught a Lesson & Other Tales from Russia

1975

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

"USSR": Siberia, Chechen, (Caucasia), Urals, and Tuva

Tolstoy, Leo

Fables and Fairy Tales

(translated by Ann Dunnigan 1962)

Not this edition, but indexed in original Index to Fairy Tales, Index to Fairy Tales Supplement, and the Index to Fairy Tales Second Supplement

literary (Russia)

Wheeler, Post

Russian Wonder Tales

1912, 1946, and 1957

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and original Index to Fairy Tales and the Index to Fairy Tales Second Supplement

Whitney, Thomas P.

In a Certain Kingdom; 12 Russian Fairy Tales

1972

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1973-1977

Wyndham, Lee

Russian Tales of Fabulous Beasts and Marvels

1969

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook

Wyndham, Lee

Tales the People Tell in Russia

1970 (with Russian sources listed)

Indexed in Storyteller’s Sourcebook and Index to Fairy Tales 1949-1972

Zheleznova, Irina

Folk Tales from Russian Lands

1963

Not indexed

original title: A Mountain of Gems: Fairy-Tales of the Peoples of the Soviet Union

Russia; Ukraine; Byelorussia (White Russia); Lithuania; Estonia; Karelia; Moldavia; Azerbaijan; Armenia; Georgia; Bashkir; Kalmyk; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; Tajikistan; Altai; Kirghiz; Kazakhstan; Yakut; Buryat; Neneta; Chukchi

Zheleznova, Irina

Ukrainian Folk Tales

1986 (U.S.S.R.)

Not indexed

Knowing me, I'm sure that, when it comes to my "Russophilia" this is not

This is part of my series, "Keeping the Public in Public Domain", but this time it is not a public domain story.  It's also outside the usual Wednesday/ Saturday schedule.  Like all of my blog, it's actually posted as "All rights reserved."  This means, since it is the result of my own research and personal musings, I reserve the right to have it reproduced.  You are welcome to enjoy it privately, but if you want to reproduce it in any way beyond your own viewing, you need to ask me for permission to use it.  Of course I have no problem with you linking to it as that promotes my work, both with search engines and in the offline community. 

Blumenthal - Baba Yaga - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

I confess it: I'm a Russophile.  It has nothing to do with politics, everything to do with my loving so much of Russia's cultural offerings.  Naturally Russia's folklore has a large place in my library.  Already I've given two folktales here and today offer a third.  Tomorrow I will give an extra resource to find Russian folktales for any similarly interested. 

This is a big topic for me, so I want to do more than the usual presentation of today's story.  When you have a large area of interest it's hard to choose, but today I present one of Russia's most fascinating figures, Baba Yaga!  (By the way, if you are saying the name, it's pronounced Bah-buh Yah-gah with the stress on the gah.)  The Russian witch scaring Eastern European children for centuries is written up, of course, in Wikipedia where we even learn of a story, "The Maiden Tsar", in the Afanas'ev collection with three sister witches all called "Baba Yaga."   Three other articles about the old witch worth seeing are at Old Russia -- the only one mentioning  iron teeth, Russiapedia, and at Myths and Legends A favorite story of mine, however, isn't mentioned in Wikipedia nor in my Afanas'ev anthology.

I love the tale of "Prince Ivan, the Witch Baby, and the Little Sister of the Sun"  told in Arthur Ransome's Old Peter's Russian Tales.  I think her iron teeth are a key identifier of this being a young Baba Yaga.  She's normally only seen as an adult, and often elderly.  The word "baba" is discussed in the Wikipedia article and would eliminate someone as young as the Witch Baby, but it sounds like her early years to me.   It's always tricky to find a story in another language because the title may change.  My Pantheon edition of the Afanas'ev collection has an index with 14 stories under Baba Yaga (and three just listed as Witch).  Another listing of stories about "Ivan, Prince" gives five of those Baba Yaga stories and another ten without her.  While Ransome has a Baba Yaga tale earlier in his book, his delightful tale about the "Witch Baby" isn't in the Pantheon edition.  In both stories he mentions the iron teeth.  Ransome claims his tales may be found in Afanas'ev "or in solemn, serious volumes of folklorists' writing for the learned."  Ages ago I taught myself a now nearly forgotten reading knowledge of Russian.  The Pantheon edition, translated by Norbert Guterman, is still under copyright so I can't post it.  I'm told some Afanas'ev tales don't appear in the Pantheon edition and other major Afanas'ev collections in Russian.  Erotic stories were part of that extra material.  I don't care to find that, but somehow doubt the Witch Baby was written "for the learned."  Ransome is a long way further in the alphabet, so maybe by the time I reach that part of my collection here I can still solve the mystery of her origins.  If you know more, please be sure to let me know!

UPDATE:  I worked on this before the date when it was to be published.  In the process of checking the many Russian books I have, I checked the Afanas'ev translation by Leonard Magnus.  While it is smaller, I  found "The Witch and the Sister of the Sun."  I still prefer the Ransome re-telling as both better orally and does a good job of clarifying some things.

I first discovered Baba Yaga in Blair Lent's book by that name.  In searching to find more, I learned he wrote it under the pen name of Ernest Small.  That was a relief as I knew he illustrated it, but could never recall who was the author.  The book claims to take many of the elements of the Baba Yaga tales and put them together in his version.  I urge people to compare today's story with Lent's book.  When reading today's selection I felt right at home in that 1966 picture book telling of the witch who eats "bad (Russian) boys and girls." I trust you will enjoy Verra de Blumenthal's version.

So now you have even been assured the story is true. . . that's not the same as saying it actually happened.  As storytellers know, the two are different.

The wonderful Project Gutenberg lets you read the complete book, Folk Tales from the Russian.  By the way, the Gutenberg volume omits an easily missed page before the title page which says: The illustrations for "Folk Tales from the Russian" are by Lucy Fitch Perkins after sketches by the author.  (Even that page has a lovely graphic showing both her taste and skill.)  She deserves mention.

Blair Lent's book is currently out of print, but under copyright, so you will either need to borrow or buy a used copy of his Baba Yaga and see what captured my attention so long ago. 

If you are interested in my listing of English versions of Russian folklore, tomorrow will be an extra posting.  The usual Wednesday/Saturday schedule then resumes.
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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.

Blaisdell - How a Boy Helped General McClellan... - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

How appropriate for 4th of July during the Civil War sesquicentennial!  Today's story is "How a Boy Helped General McClellan Win a Battle."  The various story posts have been proceeding alphabetically through my collection, so it was not planning on my part.  I also confess this project helped me discover material sitting unnoticed on my shelves.  Looking at Albert F. Blaisdell's Stories of the Civil War, I fondly recall discovering it at Hyde Brothers in Fort Wayne, IN.  Even with all my Civil War programs, I've not been able to use the stories in it, so I'm delighted to share it here.

I also want to thank the readers who have encouraged this series.  Their comments have often come to me on Facebook or email instead of here on this site.  Sorry others can't read them, but am grateful for the response.

Now for a story of General McClellan, who was often faulted for his inaction.  This gives an inside view of how he proceeded.  For a fascinating overview of this general loved by his men, but the easy target for Union losses, the Wikipedia article is worth a follow-up look.

There are lots of interesting stories in this book.  I've decided to incorporate some of the prison information in my programs when I mention Will and Isaac Lerich's time at  Libby Prison when reenacting as their sister, Liberetta Lerich Green.  All is not battlefield material in the book.  There are a few on Abraham Lincoln, as well as an "old Abe" of a different sort in "Old Abe, the Soldier Bird."  My copy is "Adapted for Supplementary Reading" and is the same as this Hathitrust online version.  The fact that my book's cover advertises itself as "Classics for Home and School" gives you a clearer idea of the type of material...definitely reader friendly.  Of course, the "Price 35 Cents by Mail" also shows it was marketed to the family and not the researcher.  Today that sort of research delights me, whether as Liberetta or my more generic "One Room Schoolteacher."

Happy 4th of July celebrating what Liberetta grew up calling the War of Liberation, even as she called the Civil War "The War of Rebellion."  Of course in the South it was called "The War of Northern Aggression", so viewpoints differed, but I think all will agree when Liberetta says, "There was nothing Civil about that war."  May your holiday be peaceful.
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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.