Elder Tales: Stories of Wisdom and Courage from Around the World

205 Pages·2007·0.62 MB·English

by  Dan Keding

Elder Tales

Elder Tales
(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:100)(cid:101)
Stories of Wisdom and Courage
from Around the World
Dan Keding
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Keding, Dan.
Elder tales : stories of wisdom and courage from around the world / Dan Keding.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-59158-594-7 (alk. paper)
1. Older people—Folklore. 2. Aging—Folklore. I. Title.
GR452.K43 2008
808.8'0354—dc22 2007029081
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2008 by Dan Keding
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher. An exception is
made for use in educational, not-for-profit settings.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007029081
ISBN: 978-1-59158-594-7
First published in 2008
Libraries Unlimited, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
A Member of the Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.lu.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
I wish to dedicate this book to my wife, Ann Tandy Lacy, who has
encouraged me and understands why I do what I do.
I wish also to dedicate it to all the elders who have touched my life,
including Ann Keding, Sara Lee Thorpe, Hillard Thorpe, Frank Lacy,
and Art Thieme. I hope that I can follow your example.

Contents
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Chapter One: WISDOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
The King and the Peasant (Poland) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Fence Post Wisdom (United States) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
The Monks and the Geisha (Japan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
In Your Hands (Jewish) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
The Mountain Where Old People Were Abandoned (Japan) . . . . . .9
The Wise Old Weaver (Turkey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
The Storyteller and the Samurai (Japan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Chapter Two: TRICKSTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
The Old Woman Who Outwitted Death (Hungary) . . . . . . . . . .19
The Deluded Dragon (Eastern European [Romany]). . . . . . . . . .21
The Old Woman and the Devil (Palestine). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
The Thief (Korea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
The Old Man and the Devil (Siberia). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
The Mocker Mocked (Armenia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
The Traveler and the Four Young Men (Burma [Myanmar]) . . . . .35
Chapter Three: HEROES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Beowulf and the Dragon (England) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
The Doll That Caught a Thief (United States) . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
The Story Bag (Korea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
The Hunted Soul (England) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Rose Red (China). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
(cid:69)
viii Contents
The Wise Woman (Algeria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
The Witch of Kamalalaya (India). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Chapter Four: FAMILIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Baucis and Philemon (Ancient Greece) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
The Father Who Went to School (Ukraine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
The Three Brothers and the Pot of Gold (Moldavia). . . . . . . . . .68
The Grandfather and His Grandson (Portugal). . . . . . . . . . . . .70
The Wooden Bowl (Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
The Magic Forest (Croatia). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Chapter Five: JUSTICE BY ACCIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
The Rooster and the Hen (Albania). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
I’ll Roast You and I’ll Toast You (Scotland). . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
A Debate in Sign Language (Israel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
The Widow and the Fishes (Java, Indonesia). . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
The Twelve Months (Greece) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
The Devil’s Grandmother and the Two Butchers in Hell (Germany) . 91
The Old Traveler (Estonia). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
The Fountain of Youth (Korea). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Chapter Six: MAGIC AND WONDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Why Man Lives Eighty Years (Bosnia-Herzegovina) . . . . . . . .103
Old Frost and Young Frost (Lithuania) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Why Misery Remains in the World (Brazil) . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
The Haunted House (Holland) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
The Lord of Death (India). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
The Gratitude of the Elephant (Vietnam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
The Old Soldier and the Magic Sack (Spain [Basque]). . . . . . . .119
The Crane’s Purse (Russia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Chapter Seven: OUR ANIMAL ELDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
The Beaver Woman and the Eagle (United States) . . . . . . . . . .131
The Bremen Town Musicians (Germany). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
The Lion’s Share (Ethiopia). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
The Old Man of Teutli (Mexico) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
The Trap (Cameroon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
The Monkey and the Boar (Japan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
(cid:101)
Contents ix
Chapter Eight: STORIES FOR ELDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Nasrudin the Wise: Creeping Up on Himself (Middle East) . . . . .149
Nasrudin the Wise: I Know Her Too Well (Middle East). . . . . . .150
Nasrudin the Wise: The Value of History (Middle East) . . . . . . .151
The Doctor and His Patient (Greece) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
The Silent Couple (Arabia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
The Wise Fools of Chelm (Eastern Europe [Jewish]). . . . . . . . .155
The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle (England) . . . . .156
The Husband Who Stayed at Home (Norway) . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Solomon’s Magic Ring (Israel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Using the Book with School Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Using the Book with Elders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Bibliography and Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185