One bonus tale, because #caturday and #JoinIn:
Storyteller Taffy Thomas has a folktale called The Christmas Cat. It's about a time Mary has a sore throat and Baby Jesus is cranky. Joseph can't sing, so the animals decide to take turns singing lullabies. Cat wants to join in, but she's dirty so they send her to wash. By the time she returns the baby is asleep.
Ever since then, cats have been keeping themselves clean all time time, waiting for a chance to sing again.
🐈⬛🐈🐱
December 24.
The Christmas camel
In Syria, presents are brought by the Christmas camel. Legend says it was the baby of one of the camels of the Magi, left behind on the journey. He didn't give up, and eventually made it to Betlehem on his own, catching up to his mother. Baby Jesus blessed him with the privilege to distribute presents to children every year.
🐪🎁
#folklore #folktales
Thank you for following the #GentleFolktales #AdventCalendar this month! Happy holidays everyone! 😊
December 23.
The origin of dolphins
Selk'nam legend. People flee into the ocean to avoid a terrible blizzard. One man can't swim and is terrified of water; he insists on being left behind. Instead, the others pick him up and carry him to the water.
Once they are submerged, they all transform into dolphins. The man sinks, but he others support him, lifting him to the surface again and again until he learns to swim. They swim away together.
🐬
December 22.
Hummingbird's wedding
Mayan folktale.
Hummingbird and her beloved are too poor to have a wedding and start a new life. Nightingale sees their sadness and decides to help. With her beautiful song she summons all the animals, and everyone volunteers something:
Peacock makes decorations, Birds offer colors to the couple, Spider weaves a veil, Bees bring nectar to drink, Monkeys gather materials for a nest. They have a beautiful, happy wedding.
December 21.
Jesus invents candy
Hungarian folk legend. Jesus, as a child, brings lunch to Joseph at his workshop every day. According to legend, the older children in the village bullied Jesus, and one day they decided to take the lunch basket and beat him up.
Running away, Jesus picked up a handful of pebbles, and threw them at the bullies. The pebbles turned into candy, making them stop to pick them up. And that's how candy was created.
🍬 🍬 🍬
December 20.
Christmas Thief
Spanish army holds the town of Sterkdam under siege, trying to starve people. Till Eulenspiegel, notorious troublemaker sitting in jail, decides to save the town.
He escapes jail, sneaks into the Spanish camp, and while the soldiers are celebrating he steals a bunch of food and stuffs it into the cannons.
Then he sounds the alarm and the Spanish shoot a rain of food over Sterkdam's walls. Just in time for Christmas.
🍗 🥨 🍞
December 19.
The Apple Tree Man
A poor man's younger son inherits all his wealth while the elder only gets a small hut, an old cow and donkey, and an apple orchard. He cares for the animals and the orchard well.
On Christmas night the Apple Tree Man, guardian & oldest tree of the orchard, rewards him with hidden treasure for his kindness.
And since animals can talk that night, the other brother overhears cow & donkey calling him mean and greedy.
🍎 🍏
December 18.
Piglet in the winter
Transcarpathian tale.
A poor old man lives alone with a pet pig. In summer they live off the land, but in winter they don't have much to eat.
Piglet goes to find food. She encounters a wolf and hides under a snow pile - accidentally discovering mushrooms. She leads the old man to them. The same thing happens next time when she discovers a hollow tree full of honey. Man and piglet survive the winter together.
🐖
Dr. Zalka Csenge Virág
Janice in GA
Anna