FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271  
272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   >>   >|  
s of Juan" (JAFL 20 : 106-107), in which A magic tree furnishes the lad who spares it a goat that shakes silver money from its whiskers, a net which will catch fish even on dry ground, a magic pot always full of rice, and spoons full of whatever vegetables the owner wishes, and finally a stick that will beat and kill. The first three articles a false friend steals from Juan by making him drunk. With the help of his magic cane, however, he gets them back, and becomes rich and respected. One night a hundred robbers come to break into the house, to take all his goods and kill him; but he says to the stick, "Boombye, boom-ha!" and with the swiftness of lightning the stick flies around, and all those struck fall dead, until there is not one left. Juan is never troubled again by robbers, and in the end marries a princess and lives happily ever after. The last part of this story I have given in full, because it is almost identical with the episode at the end of the preceding tale (No. 26, q.v.), and consequently connects that story with our present cycle. In a "Carancal" variant (III, e) the hero finds a magic money-producing goat. The hero of our tale is a lazy, good-natured man, whose industrious wife's reproaches finally drive him from home. Analogous to this beginning, but not furnishing a complete parallel, is Caballero's "Tio Curro el de la porra" (Ingram, 174-180). Uncle Curro is pleasure-loving and improvident, and soon finds himself and his family in the direst need. Unable finally to bear the reproaches of his wife, he goes out in the field to hang himself, when a little fairy dressed like a friar appears, and blames him for his Judas-like thought. The fairy then gives him an inexhaustible purse, but this is stolen from him by a rascally public-house keeper. Again he goes to hang himself; but the fairy restrains him, and gives him a cloak that will furnish him with all kinds of cooked food. This is likewise stolen. The third time he is given a cudgel. While on his way home, he is met by his wife and children, who begin to insult him. "Cudgel, beat them!" Magistrates and officers are summoned. These are put to rout; and finally Uncle Curro and his stick make such havoc among all sent to restrain him, that the king promises him a large estate in America. This version differs from the usual form, in that the inn-keeper is not punished, nor are the first two magic objects recovered. The "Ass-Table-Stick" cyc
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271  
272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

finally

 

robbers

 

keeper

 

stolen

 

reproaches

 

dressed

 
appears
 
blames
 

beginning

 

Ingram


complete

 

parallel

 

furnishing

 

Caballero

 

pleasure

 

Analogous

 

Unable

 

direst

 

family

 
loving

improvident

 

thought

 

promises

 

estate

 

America

 

restrain

 

version

 

differs

 
recovered
 

objects


punished

 

furnish

 

cooked

 

industrious

 

restrains

 
inexhaustible
 

rascally

 

public

 

likewise

 

Cudgel


insult

 
Magistrates
 

officers

 

summoned

 

children

 

cudgel

 
preceding
 

making

 

steals

 
wishes