The Spinning-Woman by the Spring

The Spinning-Woman by the Spring or "The Kind and the Unkind Girls" is a widespread, traditional folk tale, known throughout Europe and in certain regions of Asia, including Indonesia. The tale is cataloged as AT 480 in the international Folktale catalog.

Synopsis

Two stepsisters are, one after another, sent out to serve in the house of a witch, where they are assigned what appear to be difficult or impossible tasks. For instance, they are tasked to carry water with a sieve.

The kind girl, however, obeys requests from grateful animals and learns from the birds' song that she must line the sieve with clay to complete her task. Other chores they are assigned include washing black wool white, and gathering flowers at midwinter.

As payment for her household work she can choose one of three caskets, an attractive red, a common yellow or an ugly blue casket. Again she receives advice from the animals and makes the modest choice and becomes richly rewarded. Even though the unkind girl is also able to understand animal language, she refuses to follow the advice given by the birds and the help offered by other animals.

Shakespeare

The same motif is used by William Shakespeare in the play The Merchant of Venice. Act 2, Scene VII where the Prince of Morocco has to solve the riddle and find out what casket hides Portia's portrait.

MOROCCO
The first, of gold, who this inscription bears,
'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire;'
The second, silver, which this promise carries,
'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves;'
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,
'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.'
How shall I know if I do choose the right?

Literature

  • Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson: The Types of the Folktale. A Classification and Bibliography. The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.FF Communications N:o 184. Helsinki 1961, s. 164-167. ISBN 951-41-0132-4.
  • Erik Henning Edvardsen: An Oral Prose Motif from AT 480 used by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. (Still unpublished).
  • Warren E. Roberts: The Tale of the Kind and the Unkind Girls. Aa-Th 480 and Related Tales. Fabula. Journal of Folktale Studies. Supplement-Serie. B: Untersuchungen Heft 1. Walter de Gruyter & Co. Berlin 1958.
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