Loading summary
Transcript45 lines
- [00:00]
A
Hello and welcome to Storytime for Grown Ups. I'm Faith Moore and this is Summer Session. Normally on Storytime for Grown Ups we read classic literature a few chapters at a time with a few notes along the way. Like an audiobook with built in notes. But during the summer we switch things up a little. From now until September, we will be in Summer Session, which is sort of like a college class, only fun. This summer we're exploring fairy tales and their relationship to the books we've read this year on storytime and storytelling more broadly. We'll do this in once a week episodes, which will drop on Mondays. If this doesn't sound like your thing, don't worry. Storytime will be back with a new book in September. But for now, brew a pot of tea, find a cozy chair and settle in. Class is in session.
- [01:08]
B
So, did you catch the trailer? The trailer dropped. If you missed it, go back, turn me off for one second. Go listen to the trailer first, then come back because I'm about to tell you what the next book is and it's way more fun if you listen to the trailer first. But whether you caught it or not, I am now going to reveal that the next book that we will be reading in just a couple of weeks is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I hope you're as excited as I am. I'm getting your emails with your reactions. Keep those coming. I'm responding individually to you and I am saving some. I like to read your reactions at the start of each season. So I'm not going to read any right now, but keep those coming because I am getting the those and I am saving them up and I will share them with you because it's really fun to hear how everybody's feeling at the start of a season. So I usually do that in the intro episode, so I will do that. And I'm saving those, so keep those letters coming. I do want to just say I know that one thing that some people might be starting to worry about right now is oh no, Frankenstein is a horror book. And I'm going to talk a lot more about this later, but I want.
- [02:15]
A
To cut that right off at the.
- [02:16]
B
Pass because this nothing that you think about Frankenstein, if you've never read it, is true. Everything that you know from movies and Halloween costumes and pictures that you've seen.
- [02:29]
A
It is all wrong.
- [02:30]
B
This book is not a horror book and it is wonderful. It's. It's a great book. It's a fun, fun book. And so I do hope that you will join us in September when we read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, I will talk much more about it in our intro episode, which will happen on on September 4th. And then we will jump into the book. It's a short read. It's going to take us through basically through Halloween. That's why I picked it. It's going to take us through September and October will end on Halloween or right around Halloween. And then I have something really fun for us to do over the Christmas season for our Christmas special. So I hope that you will stick around with us in September and on Forevermore, because lots and lots of great books are coming and Frankenstein is next. So write to me, faith k.moore.com and tell me what you think about that selection. So, like I told you last time, I'm actually away this week and so.
- [03:27]
A
All of your questions and comments about.
- [03:29]
B
The Little Mermaid, I know there's lots of them are coming in and keep those coming as well. So write to me about Frankenstein, Write to me about the Little Mermaid. And I am saving all of those for the final Summer Session episode, which is next week, if you can believe it. Monday, September 1st is our last episode of Summer Session. I cannot believe it. I am so grateful to you all. I'll say more about this in the last episode, but I'm so grateful to you all for being a part of Summer Session. It's been such a wonderful, magical fairy tale summer and I can't believe it's almost done, but it is. So in that last episode that is going to be next week, we will talk about the Little Mermaid. We will talk a little bit more about Frankenstein, but we'll talk mostly about that in our intro episode and we will talk about what is going on today, which I will tell you about.
- [04:17]
A
In just a minute. But before I do, I want to.
- [04:19]
B
Remind you that tea time is coming up this week. I'm away now, but I will be back. It is on Thursday, Aug. 28 at.
- [04:27]
A
8Pm Eastern over in the drawing room, which is short for withdrawing room.
- [04:31]
B
It is our lovely withdrawing room in our Victorian house that we pretend that we're in right now. And if you are not a member.
- [04:39]
A
And you'd like to be a member.
- [04:40]
B
There'S a link in the show notes. You can just scroll right down and find it. And this is going to be a really fun one because we're going to talk about Frankenstein. We're going to talk about about your reactions and thoughts about the book. Have you read it? What do you know about it? What are you wondering about it? What are you worried about. We're going to talk all about that and I'll just answer your questions on anything at all so you can bring me ask me anything questions. We can also talk about fairy tales. We can talk about the Little Mermaid, even though we haven't gotten to it.
- [05:05]
A
Yet on the show.
- [05:06]
B
And there's lots that we can discuss. So I hope that you will join us for that on Thursday, this Thursday, the 28th of February of August, at 8pm Eastern. And the link is in the show notes if you'd like to sign up for that.
- [05:18]
A
Okay, so this time while I'm away.
- [05:20]
B
What I would like to do is.
- [05:22]
A
I would like to share with you.
- [05:24]
B
Some more fairy tales. Right?
- [05:26]
A
This is kind of the end.
- [05:27]
B
We've read lots and lots of fairy tales. And of course there are more tons and tons more infinite fairy tales almost that are out there for you to go and discover on your own. But, but last week when we were reviewing east of the sun, west of the Moon, which we read two weeks ago, and then we talked about it last week, we were commenting on and noticing the way in which that story holds within it so many of the ideas and tropes and themes and motifs that we have encountered this summer in all the other fairy tales that we've read. And that was really cool. It was cool that this one story.
- [06:02]
A
Had all that stuff, but it was.
- [06:04]
B
Also cool that now we have enough fair fairy tales under our belt that we are able to start noticing the similarities between stories and the similarities, of course, with other things that we're listening to or reading or watching in our own lives. But seeing the way that these tropes.
- [06:22]
A
And symbols and images keep showing up.
- [06:26]
B
From story to story to story and kind of realizing the symbolic importance of each of those themes, things like stepmothers, maidens, right? Apples and carding, combs and spindles and all of those kinds of things, princes and princesses, people who are beautiful, people.
- [06:46]
A
Who are ugly, all of this stuff, right?
- [06:48]
B
You now have this kind of lexicon.
- [06:51]
A
That maybe if you didn't know about.
- [06:52]
B
This before, you didn't have before, that you can now take into other fairy tales. And I hope that you will go away and read more fairy tales. Pick up the blue fairy book or all the different colors of fairy book, pick up some of the books that Bose Harrington recommended way back at the beginning and see if you can recognize some of these motifs and tropes, because I think that you probably will.
- [07:13]
A
And of course they will probably start.
- [07:16]
B
Kind of popping up in various places and maybe that's annoying. But I hope it's not. I hope it's really cool that they start popping up in all of these places in the books you're reading and the movies that you're watching and the songs you're listening to and whatever else.
- [07:28]
A
So what I want to do today.
- [07:29]
B
Is I want to just read you through three more fairy tales. And the idea here is to just listen to them now without any preamble from me. I'm not going to talk to you about what to look for or anything.
- [07:41]
A
Like that and just see what jumps.
- [07:43]
B
Out at you, see what connections you can make between the three stories that I read, but also all the stories that we've read all summer long. This is kind of like. Like, if this were a real class, this would be the final, right? I would give you these three fairy tales that you've presumably never read before and ask you to talk about the symbols and the images and the motifs that show up and compare them to other fairy tales that we've read in the class before. So, obviously, this is not a final. Obviously, you're not being tested. And if you want to just listen.
- [08:13]
A
To these stories and not think about.
- [08:14]
B
Any of that, then please be my guest. You're absolutely fine to do that. And these are great stories, regardless of whether you do that or not. But I have been saying this is kind of like a college class, only fun. So I don't know. I think this would be a fun final. So, basically, this is the final. This is where we try to incorporate all of the things that we've been learning and see what we can come up with when we listen to fairy tales that we haven't heard before. Maybe you have heard them, but we haven't heard them before on the show. So the three stories that we're going to read today are Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin and the Frog King, which you might know.
- [08:51]
A
As the Frog Prince.
- [08:53]
B
These are all from the Brothers Grimm, because I thought, well, this is the most famous collection of fairy tales that we have in our culture. And so it makes sense for me to give you more of those, right? I want you to go away with a bunch of fairy tales under your belt, particularly fairy tales that you've probably heard of a million times before, but maybe not read in their original form. So these are three from the Brothers Grimm, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin, and the Frog King. And then I will be back on September 1st to discuss all of this with you and discuss the Little Mermaid and wrap it all up so we can go into into Frankenstein with a nice neat bow on summer session. So I hope you'll join us for that, and I hope that you will join us into September for Frankenstein. All right, here are three more fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm.
- [09:43]
A
It's story time, Rapunzel. Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman who had long, but to no avail, wished for a child. Finally, the woman came to believe that the good Lord would fulfill her wish. Through the small rear window of these people's house, they could see into a splendid garden that was filled with the most beautiful flowers and herbs. The garden was surrounded by a high wall and no one dared enter because it belonged to a sorceress who possessed great power and was feared by everyone. One day, the woman was standing at this window and she saw a bed planted with the most beautiful Rapunzel. Rapunzel is a kind of spinach like plant with pale purple flowers. It looked so fresh and green that she longed for some. It was her greatest desire to eat some of them. Rapunzel. This desire increased with every day, and not knowing how to get any, she became miserably ill. Her husband was frightened and asked her, what ails you, dear wife? Oh, she answered, if I do not get some Rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I shall die. The man who loved her dearly thought, before you let your wife die, you must get her some of the Rapunzel, whatever the cost. So, just as it was getting dark, he climbed over the high wall into the sorceress's garden, hastily dug up a handful of Rapunzel and took it to his wife. She immediately made a salad from it, which she devoured eagerly. It tasted so very good to her that by the next day her desire for more had grown threefold. If she were to have any peace, the man would have to climb into the garden once again. Thus he set forth once again, just as it was getting dark. But no sooner than he had climbed over the wall, than to his horror, he saw the sorceress standing there before him. How can you dare, she asked with an angry look, to climb into my garden and like a thief, to steal my Rapunzel? You will pay for this. Oh, he answered, let mercy overrule justice. I came to do this out of necessity. My wife saw your Rapunzel from her window and such a longing came over her that she would die if she did not get some to eat. The sorceress's anger abated somewhat and she said, if things are as you say, I will allow you to take as much Rapunzel as you want. But under one condition. You must give me the child that your wife will bring into the world. It will do well, and I will take care of it. Like a mother. In his fear, the man agreed to everything. When the woman gave birth, the sorceress appeared, named the little girl Rapunzel, and took her away. Rapunzel became the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was 12 years old, the sorceress locked her in a tower that stood in a forest and that had neither a door nor a stairway, but only a tiny little window at the very top. When the sorceress wanted to answer, she stood below and called out, rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me. Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as spun gold. When she heard the sorceress's voice, she untied her braids, wound them around a window hook, let her hair fall 20 yards to the ground, and the sorceress climbed up it. A few years later, it happened that a king's son was riding through the forest. As he approached the tower, he heard a song so beautiful that he stopped to listen. It was Rapunzel who was passing the time by singing with her sweet voice. The prince wanted to climb up to her and looked for a door in the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the song had so touched his heart that he returned to the forest every day and listened to it. One time, as he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw the sorceress approach and heard her say, rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. Then Rapunzel let down her strands of hair, and the sorceress climbed up them to her. If that is the ladder into the tower, then sometime I will try my luck. And the next day, just as it was beginning to get dark, he went to the tower and called out, rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. The hair fell down and the prince climbed up. At first, Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as she had never seen before came into her. However, the prince began talking to her in a very friendly manner, telling her that his heart had been so touched by her singing that he could have no peace until he had seen her in person. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him as her husband, she thought, he would rather have me than would old Frau Gothel. So frau means missus. So she's saying that the prince seems to want her more than Mrs. Gothel does. And Mrs. Gothel would be the sorceress? She said yes, and placed her hand into his. She said, I would go with you gladly, but I do not know how to get down. Every time that you come, bring a strand of silk from which I will weave a ladder. When it is finished, I will climb down and you can take me away on your horse. They arranged that he would come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The sorceress did not notice what was happening, until one day Rapunzel said to her, frau Gothel, tell me why it is that you are more difficult to pull up than is the young prince who will be arriving any moment now. You godless child. Cried the sorceress. What am I hearing from you? I thought I had removed you from the whole world, but you have deceived me none the less. In her anger, she grabbed Rapunzel's beautiful hair, wrapped it a few times around her left hand, grasped a pair of scissors with her right hand, and snip, snap, cut it off. And she was so unmerciful that she took Rapunzel into a wilderness where she suffered greatly. On the evening of the same day that she sent Rapunzel away, the sorceress tied the cut off hair to the hook at the top of the tower. And when the prince called out, rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. She let down the hair. The prince climbed up, but above, instead of his beloved Rapunzel, he found the sorceress, who peered at him with poisonous and evil looks. Aha. She cried scornfully. You have come for your mistress, darling. But that beautiful bird is no longer sitting in her nest, nor is she singing any more. The cat got her and will scratch your eyes out as well. You have lost Rapunzel. You will never see her again. The prince was overcome with grief, and in his despair he threw himself from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell poked out his eyes. Blind, he wandered about in the forest, eating nothing but grass and roots, and doing nothing but weeping and wailing over the loss of his beloved wife. Thus he wandered about miserably for some years, finally happening into the wilderness where Rapunzel lived miserably with the twins that she had given birth to. He heard a voice and thought it was familiar. He advanced toward it, and as he approached, Rapunzel recognized him and, crying, threw her arms around his neck. Two of her tears fell into his eyes and they became clear once again, and he could See? As well as before, he led her into his kingdom, where he was received with joy. And for a long time they lived happily and satisfied. Rumpelstiltskin. Once upon a time there was a miller who was poor but had a beautiful daughter. Now it happened that he got into a conversation with the king, and to make an impression on him, he said, I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold. The king said to the that is an art that I really like. If your daughter is as skillful as you say, then bring her to my castle tomorrow and I will put her to the test. When the girl was brought to him, he led her into a room that was entirely filled with straw, giving her a spinning wheel and a reel, meaning like a spool, to collect the thread. He said, get to work. Now spin all night, and if by morning you have not spun this straw into gold, then you will have to die. Then he himself locked the room, and she was there all alone. The poor miller's daughter sat there, and for her life she did not know what to do. She had no idea how to spin straw into gold. She became more and more afraid and finally began to cry. Then suddenly the door opened. A little man stepped inside and said, good evening, Mistress Miller. Why are you crying so? Oh, answered the girl, I am supposed to spin straw into gold, and I do not know how to do it. The little man said, what will you give me if I spin it for you? My necklace, said the girl. The little man took the necklace, sat down before the spinning wheel and whirr, whirr, whirr, three times pulled, and the spool was full. Then he put another one on, and were, were, were three times pulled, and the second one was full as well. So it went until morning, and then all the straw was spun and all the spools were filled with gold. At sunrise the king came, and when he saw the gold, he was surprised and happy. But his heart became even more greedy for gold. He had the miller's daughter taken to another room filled with straw. It was even larger, and he ordered her to spin it in one night if she valued her life. The girl did not know what to do, and she cried once again. The door opened and the little man appeared. He said, what will you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you? The ring from my finger, answered the girl. The little man took the ring and began once again to whir with the spinning wheel. By morning he had spun all the straw into glistening gold. The king was happy beyond measure when he saw it. But he still did not have his fill of gold. He had the miller's daughter taken to a still larger room filled with straw and said, tonight you must spin this too. If you succeed, you shall become my wife, he thought, even if she is only a miller's daughter, I will not find a richer wife in all the world. When the girl was alone, the little man returned for a third time. He said, what will you give me if I spring the straw this time? I have nothing more that I could give you, answered the girl. Then promise me. After you are queen, your first child, who knows what will happen? Thought the miller's daughter. And not knowing what else to do, she promised the little man what he demanded in return. The little man once again spun the straw into gold. When in the morning the king came and found everything just as he desired, he married her, and the beautiful miller's daughter became queen. A year later, she brought a beautiful child into the world. She thought no more about the little man. But suddenly he appeared in her room and said, now give me that which you promised. The queen took fright and offered the little man all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her keep the child. But the little man said, no, something living is dearer to me than all the treasures of the world. Then the queen began lamenting and crying so much that the little man took pity on her and said, I will give you three days time. If by then you know my name, then you shall keep your child. The queen spent the entire night thinking of all the names she had ever heard. Then she sent a messenger into the country to inquire far and wide what other names there were. When the little man returned the next day, she began with Caspar, Melchior, Bowser, and said in order all the names she knew after each one. The little man said, that is not my name. The second day she sent inquiries into the neighborhood as to what names people had. She recited the most unusual and most curious names to the little man. Is your name perhaps Bistrib or Mutton, Calf, or Leg String? But he always answered, that is not my name. On the third day the messenger returned and said, I have not been able to find a single new name. But when I was approaching a high mountain in the corner of the woods, there where the fox and the hare say good night, I saw a little house. A fire was burning in front of the house, and an altogether comical little man was jumping around the fire, hopping on one leg and calling out, today I'll bake, tomorrow I'll brew. Then I'll fetch the Queen's new child. It is good that no one knows. Rumpelstiltskin is my name. You can imagine how happy the Queen was when she heard that name. Soon afterward, the little man came in and asked, now, Madam Queen, what is my name? She first asked, is your name Kuntz? Nope. Is your name Heinz? Nope. Is your name perhaps Rumpelstiltskin? The devil told you that. The devil told you that. Shouted the little man, and with anger he stomped his right foot so hard into the ground that he fell in up to his waist. Then, with both hands, he took hold of his left foot and ripped himself up the middle in two. The Frog King or Iron Heinrich in olden times, when wishing still did some good, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful. But the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, who indeed has seen so much, marveled every time it shone upon her face. In the vicinity of the king's castle there was a large dark forest. And in this forest, beneath an old linden tree, there was a well. In the heat of the day, the princess would go out into the forest and sit on the edge of the cool well. To pass the time, she would take a golden ball, throw it into the air, and then catch it. It was her favorite plaything. Now, one day it happened that the princess's golden ball did not fall into her hands that she held up high, but instead it fell to the ground and rolled right into the water. The princess followed it with her eyes, but the ball disappeared and the well was so deep that she could not see its bottom. Then she began to cry. She cried louder and louder, and she could not console herself. As she was thus lamenting. Someone called out to her, what is the matter with you, Princess? Your crying would turn a stone to pity. She looked around to see where the voice was coming from, and saw a frog who had stuck his thick, ugly head out of the water. Oh, it's you, old water splasher, she said. I am crying because my golden ball has fallen into the well. Be still and stop crying, answered the frog. I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring back your plaything?
- [25:29]
B
Whatever you want, dear frog, she said.
- [25:32]
A
My clothes, my pearls and precious stones, and even the golden crown that I am wearing. The frog answered. I do not want your clothes, your pearls and precious stones, nor your golden crown. But if you will love me and accept me as a companion and playmate, and let me sit next to you at your table and eat from your golden plate, and drink from your cup and sleep in your bed. If you will promise this to me, then I'll dive down and bring your golden ball back to you. Oh, yes, she said, I promise all of that to you if you shall just bring the ball back to me. But she thought, what is this stupid frog trying to say? He just sits here in the water with his own kind and croaks. He cannot be a companion to a human. As soon as the frog heard her say yes, he stuck his head under and dove to the bottom. He paddled back up a short time later with the golden ball in his mouth and threw it onto the grass. The princess was filled with joy when she saw her beautiful plaything once again, picked it up and ran off. Wait, wait. Called the frog. Take me along. I cannot run as fast as you. But what did it help him that he croaked out after her as loudly as he could? She paid no attention to him, but instead hurried home and soon forgot the poor frog who had to return again to his will. The next day, the princess was sitting at the table with the king and all the people of the court and was eating from her golden plate, when something came creeping up the marble steps. Plip, plop, plip, plop. As soon as it reached the top, there came a knock at the door, and a voice called out, princess, youngest, open the door for me. She ran to see who was outside. She opened the door and the frog was sitting there. Frightened, she slammed the door shut and returned to the table. The king saw that her heart was pounding and asked, my child, why are you afraid? Is there a giant outside the door who wants to get you? Oh no, she answered, it is a disgusting frog. What does the frog want from you? Oh, father dear, yesterday when I was sitting near the well in the forest and playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I was crying so much, the frog brought it back. And because he insisted, I promised him that he could be my companion. But I didn't think that he could leave his water. But now he is just outside the door and wants to come in. Just then there came a second knock at the door, and a voice called out, youngest daughter of the king, open up the door for me. Don't you know what yesterday you said to me down by the well? Youngest daughter of the king, open up the door for me. The king said, what you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in. She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in, then followed her up to her chair. He sat there and called out, lift me up next to You. She hesitated until finally the king commanded her to do it. When the frog was seated next to her, he said, now push your golden plate closer so we can eat together. She did it, but one could see that she did not want to. The frog enjoyed his meal, but for her, every bite stuck in her throat. Finally he said, I have eaten all I want and am tired. Now carry me to your room and make your bed so that we can go to sleep. The princess began to cry and was afraid of the cold frog and did not dare to even touch him. And yet he was supposed to sleep in her beautiful clean bed. The king became angry and said, you should not despise someone who has helped you in time of need. She picked him up with two fingers, carried him upstairs and set him in a corner. As she was lying in bed, he came creeping up to her and said, I am tired. I want to sleep as well as you do. Pick me up or I'll tell your father. With that she became bitterly angry and threw him against the wall with all her might. Now you will have your peace, you disgusting frog. But when he fell down, he was not a frog, but a prince with beautiful, friendly eyes. And he was now, according to her father's will, her dear companion and husband. He told her how he had been enchanted by a wicked witch and that she alone could have rescued him from the well, and that tomorrow they would go together to his kingdom. Then they fell asleep. The next morning, just as the sun was waking them, a carriage pulled up, drawn by eight horses. They had white ostrich feathers on their heads and were outfitted with chains of gold. At the rear stood the young king's servant, Faithful Heinrich. Faithful Heinrich had been so saddened by his master's transformation into a frog that he had had to place three iron bands around his heart to keep it from bursting in grief and sorrow. The carriage was to take the king back to his kingdom. Faithful Heinrich lifted them both inside and took his place at the rear. He was filled with joy over the redemption. After they had gone a short distance, the prince heard a crack from behind, as though something had broken. He turned around and said, heinrich, the carriage is breaking apart. No, my lord, the carriage it's not. But one of the bands surrounding my heart that suffered such great pain when you were sitting in the well, when you were a frog. Once again. And then once again the prince heard a cracking sound and thought that the carriage was breaking apart. But it was the bands springing from Faithful Heinrich's heart, because his master was now redeemed and happy. Thank you so much for listening. Storytime will return in September with a new book read aloud in twice weekly episodes with a few notes along the way. Like an audiobook with built in notes. The new book will be revealed sometime in August. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Is there anything you'd like me to clarify? Did something particularly interest you? Please go to my website, faithkmoor.com, click on Contact and send me your questions and thoughts. Or you can click on the link in the Show Notes to contact me. I'll feature some of your thoughts as we go along. Speaking of links, please check out the other links in the Show Notes. You can learn more about me, pick up Storytime Merch, or become a member.
- [32:13]
B
Of our online community.
- [32:15]
A
Before I go, I'd like to ask a quick favor. This is an independent podcast. It's produced, recorded and marketed by me, so I need your help. Spread the word about the show by posting about it on social media or texting a link to your friends. Subscribe, tap those five stars and leave a positive review wherever you're listening. If you are able to support the show financially, there's a link in the Show Notes to make a donation. I would really, really appreciate it. Alright everyone, class is dismissed. I'll see you next.