In Love with a Statue
Encyclopedia
In Love with a Statue is an Italian fairy tale
collected by Thomas Frederick Crane
in Italian Popular Tales.
While he was sailing, a large black bird told him that the mouse, the bird, and the lady would all turn his brother's head but if he said anything, he would turn to stone. The older prince showed his brother the mouse and bird, but killed them; to keep him from killing the lady, the younger prince had him thrown into prison and, when he would not speak, condemned to death. When it was time to execute, the older brother told the story and turned to stone.
After the lady and the younger prince married, they had two children, and a physician said that with their blood, he could restore the prince to flesh. The mother refused, but the king had it done while she was at a ball. The older prince went to the ball, and the mother ran back to see what had happened to her children. The physician showed her them alive and well, and told her that he was her father, and wanted to show her what love of children was like.
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 Thomas Frederick Crane
Thomas Frederick Crane
Thomas Frederick Crane was an American folklorist, academic and lawyer.He studied law at Princeton, earned his undergraduate degree in 1864, and in 1867 graduated with an A.M. After graduation, he studied law at Columbia Law School but moved to Ithaca when a relative there became ill...
in Italian Popular Tales.
Synopsis
A king had two sons. The younger one fell in love with a statue. His older brother set out to see if he could find a woman like it. He bought a dancing mouse and a singing bird on the way, and saw a beautiful girl, exactly like the statue, appeared at a window when a beggar knocked on the door. He posed as a merchant of looking glasses and lured her onto his ship, and sailed off with her.While he was sailing, a large black bird told him that the mouse, the bird, and the lady would all turn his brother's head but if he said anything, he would turn to stone. The older prince showed his brother the mouse and bird, but killed them; to keep him from killing the lady, the younger prince had him thrown into prison and, when he would not speak, condemned to death. When it was time to execute, the older brother told the story and turned to stone.
After the lady and the younger prince married, they had two children, and a physician said that with their blood, he could restore the prince to flesh. The mother refused, but the king had it done while she was at a ball. The older prince went to the ball, and the mother ran back to see what had happened to her children. The physician showed her them alive and well, and told her that he was her father, and wanted to show her what love of children was like.
See also
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- How to find out a True FriendHow to find out a True FriendHow to find out a True Friend is an Italian fairy tale collected by Laura Gonzenbach in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
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- The Man of StoneThe Man of StoneThe Man of Stoneis a Romanian fairy tale collected by Petre Ispirescu in Legende sau basmele românilor.-Synopsis:A king and queen had no children. A black man or Arab came to the king and offered a potion that would make the queen pregnant. The cook prepared it and, not knowing its powers, tasted...
- Father RoquelaureFather RoquelaureFather Roquelaure is a French fairy tale collected by Achille Millien.It is a type 516 tale in the Aarne-Thompson classification system. Others of this type are Trusty John and The Raven.-Synopsis:...
- The RavenThe Raven (Italian fairy tale)The Raven is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone. The story is a man winning a bride for his brother the king, and then having to protect the couple from perils that he can not tell anyone about, without being turned to stone.It is...