A wonderful prince had come to the Sea King’s palace and my father went out to welcome him. He was known as Prince Fire Fade, Child of the Heaven’s Sun Height. The king led him into the palace and I soon fell in love with the august prince who had come from the...
I had three sons, and I raised them by myself for the most part. What a disappointment! They were idle and careless. The two eldest weren’t able to keep any sort of job. They kept coming home, expecting me to serve them hand and foot. My youngest was a bit more...
I always found it difficult to believe what I could not see. One day, in the prime of my youth, I was out hunting when I came upon a fakeer reading the Koran. He was sitting on a little bedstead in front of a cave in a lonely place on the mountain. He had an old,...
When our son returned from his long sea voyage, he told us that he had caught the Golden-Headed Fish whose blood would cure his father’s blindness. However, there was no time left to bring the fish home. The physician who knew how to make the salve would be...
When our stepmother came after us, I turned myself into a whale and my beloved friend Grethari, into my fin. Our stepmother turned herself into a shark and we battled in the sea until the water ran red with blood. After a mighty struggle, we killed the shark and she...
I’m waiting on the roof. Where is he? I’ve been waiting here for hours. He first appeared to me in my bedroom. I was sleeping. He kissed me and I woke. He told me that he was a Turkish god. He certainly looked the part! He told wonderful stories. He told...
I have fur as soft and shiny as silk, and green eyes. I can see in the dark. I once belonged to a music teacher who loved me, but she did not love me enough to let me go and live with Koma, the cat I adore. Now Koma and I have been separated for a long time, and I...
Whenever we meet the little dwarf in the woods, he’s in trouble! We help him out, and then he scolds us, funny little man. Now he’s got himself entangled in the talons of eagle, and we’ve had to pull him free. Do you think he thanked us? Oh no! He...
On my first journey to the surface of the green earth, the hills were covered in thick forests through which wild animals roamed. I amused myself by rolling great rocks down desolate valleys, chasing grey wolves, and hearing the thunder echo through the hills. The...
Uncle told us a strange story. He said that when they had gone out to the camp, his wife had turned into a doll. He took us to the site where they had camped, and, to our amazement, we saw a life-sized doll lying under the skins. At first we couldn’t believe it....
