The Three Dwarfs in the Wood, Grimm's Fairy Talesby Charles Folkard
Remember my post on The Twelve Months/Strawberries in the Snow from December HERE?
It's taken me a while but I finally found where I'd read the version with the strawberries. It's a German fairy tale included in Andrew Lang's Red Fairy Book, called "The Three Dwarfs", and includes the paper dress the girl is forced to wear too (don't know how I forgot that part). While I'm certain I've blended parts from different tales in my memory I know I've also read a Russian version with strawberries somewhere too. Strawberries, apples or violets, I do love this variant on diamonds and Toads. I also like that the story continues after the girl is found by a king. Her troubles don't stop until the troublesome step-relatives are dealt with once and for all.
The Three Dwarfsby Anne Anderson
Once I found the name/s of this variant of "Diamonds & Toads" with the strawberries, I also found these lovely illustrations by Charles Folkard and Anne Anderson too. Pretty, no? (You can see more of his fairy tale illustrations on the SurLaLune page for Folkard HERE and Anderson HERE.) Just like "The Twelve Months", I'm surprised there aren't more illustrations for this story - there's a wealth of subjects for illustrators to explore in this tale.
I love this motif.
ReplyDeleteI may be wrong in making this connection, but what this image brings to my mind is 'blood on snow'. Marie-Louise von Franz says the 'blood on snow' motif occurs in several fairy stories, including the Grail story (see 'The Grail Legend' by Emma Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz, p 175).
Or find 'blood' on this page:
http://www.sequentia.org/programs/program02.html
That page says 'drops of blood fallen on fresh snow, are found reflected in poetry and song throughout the 13th century'
The Twelve Months is included in The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales and can be read at http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/kog/kog04.htm
ReplyDeleteIn this version the sister asks for violets, strawberries and red apples.