Brother and Sister (Greek fairy tale)
Encyclopedia
Brother and Sister is a Greek fairy tale
collected by Georgios A. Megas in Folktales of Greece.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 403A, The Wishes.
The brother went back to get his sister. When they were on shipboard, they met a gypsy; the sister told her what they were doing, and the gypsy
turned her into a bird, by sticking a pin in her head, to take her place, but she could do none of the things that the sister could do. The king was enraged; he threw the brother into prison and set the gypsy to mind the turkeys.
The sister, as a bird, flew into the king's garden and sang of her story. The next day, the king set cages to catch her. Once she was caught, he stroked her, found the pin, and pulled it out. The sister took her own form and showed that she could do what her brother had said. The king freed her brother, married her, and had the gypsy torn to pieces
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Georgios A. Megas in Folktales of Greece.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 403A, The Wishes.
Synopsis
A brother and sister were poor. Once a chance to do some work let the brother buy some sardines. He gave them to his sister to keep for their evening meal. Three women came by their house and asked to rest. The sister let them in and gave the sardines. The women gave her that when she combed her hair, pearls would fall from it; when she washed her hands, the basin would fill with fish; and when she dried her hands, the towel would fill with flowers. She was able to give her brother mullet rather than the sardines. He demanded to know how she had gotten it, but was pleased once she told him. He went to sell the pearls. He was hauled before the king, because no one would believe he had not stolen the pearls. He told the king his story, and the king resolved to marry his sister.The brother went back to get his sister. When they were on shipboard, they met a gypsy; the sister told her what they were doing, and the gypsy
False hero
The false hero is a stock character in fairy tales, and sometimes also in ballads. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is, therefore, always of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By...
turned her into a bird, by sticking a pin in her head, to take her place, but she could do none of the things that the sister could do. The king was enraged; he threw the brother into prison and set the gypsy to mind the turkeys.
The sister, as a bird, flew into the king's garden and sang of her story. The next day, the king set cages to catch her. Once she was caught, he stroked her, found the pin, and pulled it out. The sister took her own form and showed that she could do what her brother had said. The king freed her brother, married her, and had the gypsy torn to pieces
See also
- Biancabella and the SnakeBiancabella and the SnakeBiancabella and the Snake is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola....
- The Enchanted MaidenThe Enchanted MaidenThe Enchanted Maiden is a Portuguese fairy tale collected by Consiglieri Pedroso in Portuguese Folk-Tales.-Synopsis:A man had three daughters. To announce that the first one was ready for marriage, he hung up a golden ball; every man passing by believed the family to be too rich for him, until a...
- Bushy BrideBushy BrideBushy Bride is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe. It is Aarne-Thompson type 403, the black and the white bride.-Synopsis:...
- The White and the Black BrideThe White and the Black BrideThe White Bride and the Black One is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 135. It is Aarne-Thompson type 403A. Other tales of this type include The Three Little Men in the Wood, Brother and Sister, Bushy Bride, and The Enchanted Wreath.-Synopsis:A woman, her daughter,...