The Princess and the White Bear King (Book & CD)

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Hurbánková, Šárka (2018). "G.B. Basile and Apuleius: first literary tales: morphological analysis of three fairytales". Graeco-Latina Brunensia (2): 75–93. doi: 10.5817/GLB2018-2-6. That day it was just the same story with the napkin as with the scissors and the flask. When it was about dinner-time the princess went outside the castle, took out the napkin and said, ‘Napkin, spread yourself out and be covered with all dainty dishes,’ and there was meat enough, and to spare, for hundreds of men; but the princess sat down to table by herself. The princess searched in a forest until she came to a cottage where an old woman and a little girl were. The old woman told her that the bear had gone by; the little girl had a scissors that, whenever she cut in the air, silk and velvet appeared, but she said the woman had more need of it, and gave it to her. She went on to another hut, with another old woman and little girl. This time, the little girl gave her a flask that poured whatever was wished for and never emptied. She went on to a third hut, where the little girl gave her a cloth that could conjure up food. The fourth night, the princess came to a hut where an old woman had many children who cried for food and had no clothing. The princess fed and clothed them, so the old woman had her husband, a smith, make her iron claws so she could climb the mountainside to the witch's country.

So when he went to bed she gave him another sleeping draught, so that it went no better that night than the first. He was not able to keep his eyes open, for all that the princess bawled and wept. But the princess said, ‘It was not for sale for money, but if she might have leave to sleep with her sweetheart that night, she might have it.’ Yes!’ they said. ‘He passed by here this morning early, but he went so fast you’ll never be able to catch him up.’ Kamp, Jens. Danske Folkeminder, æventyr, Folkesagn, Gaader, Rim Og Folketro. Odense: R. Nielsen, 1877. pp. 294-302. Every year, the princess had a child, but as soon as the baby was born, the bear rushed away with it. At the end of three years, she asked to visit her parents. There, her mother gave her a candle so that she could see him. At night, she lit it and looked at him, and a drop of tallow fell on his forehead, waking him. He told her that if she had waited another month, he would have been free of an evil witch queen's spell, but now he must go to the witch's realm and become her husband. He rushed off, but she seized his fur and rode him, though the branches battered her, until she was so tired that she fell off.

The princess took the napkin, thanked them, and set off again. She went far and farther than far through the woods and travelled all day and night. The next morning she came to a mountain as steep as a wall, so high and wide that she could see no end to it. At the base of the mountain there was a hut, and as soon as she set foot inside it, she said, “Good day. Do you know if King Valemon the white bear passed this way?” Well!’ the old hag said, ‘she might have that leave and welcome, but she must herself lull him off to sleep and wake him in the morning.’ That hut, you must know, was all so full of small bairns, and they all hung round their mother’s skirts and bawled for food. Then the goody put a pot on the fire full of small round pebbles. When the princess asked what that was for, the goody said they were so poor they had neither food nor clothing, and it went to her heart to hear the children screaming for a morsel of food; but when she put the pot on the fire, and said— This longer more demanding book is a stirring story of betrayal, showing how love can be reclaimed through perseverance, endurance and compassion. Drawing on a combination of three folk tales from Northern Europe, this beautiful and complex picture book tells a dark adventure story that explores some powerful ideas and themes. Far away in the distant north, a beautiful princess has a strange encounter with a great white bear who takes her to live in his castle. When she fails to pay attention to a warning and breaks a promise she has made, disaster strikes. The princess then sets out on an impossible journey which takes her east of the sun and west of the moon in the hope that she might redeem herself and break the spell. This book is illuminated with enchanting pictures by award-winning illustrator Nicoletta Ceccoli which create the wintry landscape of this northern tale. Erik Henning Edvardsen: Kvitebjørn kong Valemon 1. Gerhard August Schneider - arkitekten bak norske evnetyrillustrasjoner. Norsk Folkeminnelags skrifter nr. 155. Aschehoug. ISBN 82-03-19015-4. Oslo 2005.

This little girl played about on the floor with a napkin, which was of that kind that when one said on it, ‘Napkin, spread yourself out and be covered with all dainty dishes,’ it did so, and where it was there was never any want of a good dinner. Once upon a time there was a king with two daughters who were ugly and evil, but a third who was as fair and soft as the bright day. One night, his third daughter dreamt of a golden wreath so lovely that she couldn’t live without it. She grew sullen and wouldn’t so much as talk due to her grief at not having the wreathe, so the king sent out a pattern based on her dream to goldsmiths far and wide to see if they make the wreath. The goldsmiths worked night and day, but the princess tossed all their wreathes away. But this woman,’ said the little lass, ‘who is to go so far and on such bad ways, she will suffer much; she may well have more need of these scissors than I to cut out her clothes with.’ Grundtvig, Svend. Gamle Danske Minder I Folkemunde. Ny samling, 1ste og 1det hefte. Kjøbenhavn: C. G. Iversen, 1856. pp. 35-45. The princess took the flask, thanked them, and set off again through the woods. After travelling all day and through the next night, she came to a third hut with an old woman and a little girl.

Outside the castle, it went just the same as it had with the napkin as it had with the scissors and flask. When it was dinnertime, the princess took out the napkin and said, “Napkin, spread yourself out and be covered with dainty dishes.” There was suddenly meat enough, and even to spare, for hundreds of men, but the princess sat down to eat by herself. But this poor wife,’ said the girl, ‘who has to go so far on such bad ways, I think she may well be thirsty and suffer much other ill. No doubt she needs this flask more than I;’ and so she asked if she might have leave to give her the flask. Yes! that leave she might have.