Buttercup (fairy tale)
Encyclopedia
Buttercup or Butterball is a Norwegian fairy tale
collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe. It is Aarne-Thompson type 327 C, the devil
(witch) carries the hero
home in a sack. Buttercup is so named because he is "plump and fat, and fond of good things".
began to bark, and Buttercup saw a witch coming "with her head under her arm, and a bag at her back". His mother had him hide under the kneading
trough, but the witch said she had a silver
knife
to give him, and this lured him out. The witch told him that he had to climb into her sack to get it, and as soon as he was in, she carried him off. On the way, the witch asked "How far is it to Snoring?", and Buttercup said half a mile
, so she rested, and using the knife he escaped, putting a big fir
root in the sack.
The next day, she lured him out with the offer of a silver spoon
, but he escaped in the same way, using a stone. The third
day, she offered him a silver fork
and went straight home without resting. She gave him to her daughter to cook and, because it was Sunday
, went to church
to invite guests to dinner. The daughter didn't know how to kill him. Buttercup told her to lay her head
on the chopping block, and he would show her. He cut her head off, put it in her bed, and stewed her body. Then he climbed up the chimney
with the root and stone.
The witch and her husband came home and, thinking their daughter asleep, they ate the soup, speaking of "Buttercup broth". Buttercup talked of "daughter broth" from the chimney. They went outside to see what caused the noise, and Buttercup killed them by dropping the stone and root on their heads. He took all their gold
and silver and went home.
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 Asbjørnsen and Moe. It is Aarne-Thompson type 327 C, the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
(witch) carries the hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
home in a sack. Buttercup is so named because he is "plump and fat, and fond of good things".
Synopsis
While Buttercup's mother was baking, the dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
began to bark, and Buttercup saw a witch coming "with her head under her arm, and a bag at her back". His mother had him hide under the kneading
Kneading
Kneading is a process in the making of bread or pasta dough, used to mix together the ingredients and add strength to the final product. Its importance lies in the mixing of flour with water. When these two ingredients are combined and kneaded, the gliadin and glutenin proteins in the flour expand...
trough, but the witch said she had a silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
to give him, and this lured him out. The witch told him that he had to climb into her sack to get it, and as soon as he was in, she carried him off. On the way, the witch asked "How far is it to Snoring?", and Buttercup said half a mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
, so she rested, and using the knife he escaped, putting a big fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
root in the sack.
The next day, she lured him out with the offer of a silver spoon
Spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
, but he escaped in the same way, using a stone. The third
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
day, she offered him a silver fork
Fork
As a piece of cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a tool consisting of a handle with several narrow tines on one end. The fork, as an eating utensil, has been a feature primarily of the West, whereas in East Asia chopsticks have been more prevalent...
and went straight home without resting. She gave him to her daughter to cook and, because it was Sunday
Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day for worship of God and rest, due to the belief that it is Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection....
, went to church
Church
In the Christian religion, a church building is a building or structure whose primary purpose is to facilitate the meeting of a church. Originally, Jewish Christians met in synagogues, such as the Cenacle, and in one another's homes, known as house churches...
to invite guests to dinner. The daughter didn't know how to kill him. Buttercup told her to lay her head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
on the chopping block, and he would show her. He cut her head off, put it in her bed, and stewed her body. Then he climbed up the chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
with the root and stone.
The witch and her husband came home and, thinking their daughter asleep, they ate the soup, speaking of "Buttercup broth". Buttercup talked of "daughter broth" from the chimney. They went outside to see what caused the noise, and Buttercup killed them by dropping the stone and root on their heads. He took all their gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver and went home.
See also
- Mr MiaccaMr MiaccaMr Miacca is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in his English Fairy Tales.-Synopsis:Tommy was sometimes bad, and when he was, he would go out into the street though his mother warned him that Mr Miacca would catch him. One day, Mr. Miacca did. He took him home to eat him, but went...
- Hansel and GretelHansel and Gretel"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
- Hop o' My ThumbHop o' My Thumb"Hop-o'-My-Thumb", also known as "Little Thumbling" , is a literary fairy tale by Charles Perrault . At the age of 67, Perrault decided to dedicate himself to his children and published Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals , with the subtitle: Tales of Mother Goose...
- The WitchThe Witch (fairy tale)The Witch is a Russian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.A version of the tale, under the title "The Twins and the Snarling Witch", appears in A Book of Witches, by Ruth Manning-Sanders.-Synopsis:...
- Vasilissa the BeautifulVasilissa the BeautifulVasilisa the Beautiful , commonly known as Vasilisa's Doll, is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki....
- Foundling-BirdFoundling-BirdFoundling-Bird is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 51.It is Aarne-Thompson type 313A, the girl helps the hero flee, and revolves about a transformation chase...