Fairytales From Around the World
Jimmy led the class to the site of a bird's nest. He put up his hand and said, "Sh sh."
Being careful not to step on dried eucalyptus leaves which crackle like the dickens, we followed him to a vantage point where we could look down on the nest, which was full of baby birds. It seems that Jimmy had been watching this nest for days and was waiting patiently for hatching day. If there had been pools of water, it is certain that Jimmy would have known more about frogs than most of us ever learned in school.
In places where there is plentiful water, frogs often abound. The transformational characteristics of frogs and toads are but one element in their being absorbed by early folk. There is also the fact that many frogs and toad contain poisons, with varying degrees of potency from the orange and blue poison of the Amazon, which the usually have to be extracted. The poison aspect found its way into fairy tales that probably did not survive in their entirety. All that we have left is the admonishment not to play with frogs because they will give you warts.
Similarly, the Russian story indulges in transformation but has a much more harrowing tale to tell than that of the Prince who strove to find the girl that fitted the glass slipper. This story has dire consequences for he who innocently acts rashly.
How many cultures have Robin Hood stories? Up until industrialization, probably quite a few.
From the port of Colombo, wend your way inland towards Pidurutalagala, at 2,500 feet, the highest peak on the island. Having past the idyllic town of Mawanella, just before you come to the bridge over the river known as Maha Oya, you will find a stone memorial to a police officer whose gallant sacrifice led to the capture of Saradiel, Sri Lanka's Robin Hood.
Although March 1864, the date of the capture, is relatively recently as far as fairy tales go, that's not to say it could not be rendered into folklore. At this late date, it is almost impossible to unravel verified facts from folklore, the daring-do of Saradiel from the romance of it all.
Although Sardiel was embellished with the nickname of Robin Hood, his antics were more like that of The Highwayman created by Alfred Noyes. His reputation came as much from Sardiel's romancing of
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