THE ISLANDS OF MAGIC - 34 children's fairy tales from the Azore Islands E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Out in the Atlantic Ocean, almost due west of the Pillars of Hercules, lie the Azore Islands. It is just possible that the Azores are all that remain of the fabled, ancient city of Atlantis; for how else would such a small chain of islands end up with such a rich tapestry of folklore and fairy tales. It is here that Elsie Spicer Eells found these tales and recorded them for us to enjoy.In this volume of 34 illustrated children’s stories you will find tales like:  Princess Bluegreen of the Seven Cities, The Islands of Flowers, Why Dogs Sniff, The Princess Who Lost Her Rings, The Master Of Magic, St. Anthony's Godchild, The Seven Enchanted Princes and many more. These stories will not be found in any traditional western fairy tale books. This makes these stories unique which will take children, and lovers of folklore, on a journey as yet untrodden by the majority.So, we invite you to curl up with this unique sliver of Antlantean fairy culture, not seen in print for almost a century; and immerse yourself in the tales and fables of yesteryear.----------------------------TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children’s stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, Princess bluegreen of the seven cities, islands of flowers, Why dogs sniff, Longstaff, pinepuller, rockheaver, table, sifter pinchers, Linda branca and her mask, Fresh figs, Peter-of-the-pigs, princess who lost her rings, master of magic, St. Anthony's godchild, Trouble, young, little maid who was wise, Manoel littlebean, necklace of pearls, daughter of the king of naples, Maria-of-the-forest, seven enchanted princes, listening king, José the beast slayer, princess of the lost island, Why the alvéloa bird received a blessing, Why the codorniz bird received a curse, Outside the door like the mother of st. Peter, Why the owl flies at night, laborer and his master, 'Tis faith which saves, St. Brendan's island, silent cavalier, enchanted palace, friend of the devil, miller's cloak, magic mouthful, messengers

Leseprobe

The Islands Of Magic

LEGENDS, FOLK AND FAIRY TALESFROM THE AZORES

RETOLD BYELSIE SPICER EELLS

Illustrated by E. L. BROCK

Originally Published By HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY, NEW YORK

[1922]

Resurrected By

Abela Publishing, London

[2018]

The Islands of Magic

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2018

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs, wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system) except as permitted by law without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Abela Publishing,

London

United Kingdom

2018

ISBN-13: 978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X

email

[email protected]

website

www.AbelaPublishing.com

PREFACE

Some three-fourths of the distance between America and Europe there is a group of nine beautiful islands called the Azores which belong to Portugal. Their names are Flores, Corvo, Fayal, Pico, S. Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, S. Miguel, and Santa Maria. Many people think them to be the mountain peaks of the submerged continent, Atlantis, which long ago was covered by the ocean.

There are ancient records which tell of Arabian caravels driven back by dangerous seas surrounding islands full of volcanoes. There are old pictures which portray seas of spouting geysers and flaming volcanic isles. In these regions islands had a habit of suddenly lifting themselves out of the ocean and then disappearing again from view. When the largest of the islands, S. Miguel or St. Michael as it is called in English, was mapped, two mountain peaks were marked where later only one could be discovered. Thus it was that the Azores gained their reputation. Islands full of volcanoes amid seas of spouting geysers could be nothing else but enchanted. And islands and mountain peaks which suddenly vanished away from one's sight! Surely the Azores must be the true land of magic.

"The day of folktales is departing from the Azores," said the wise woman. "Public schools came with the republic, and where books of printed stories enter folktales become confused and soon are lost."

"There is no originality among our islanders," complained the wise man of the islands. "They have told over and over again the stories of our mother country, Portugal, and they have made few variations."

However, when I spent December 1920 and January 1921 in the Azores in connection with research work for the Hispanic Society, I found that there were not only pleasant folktales there but even real fairies. They inhabit the wooded slopes of Monte Brasil on the island of Terceira. The fisher folk who visit the barren Ilheos de Cabras on the Bay of Angra know that there are fairies living in those rocky isles even yet when the boys and girls of the Azores are sailing away from them to seek their fortunes in America. Have they not often seen the fairy garments spread out upon the rocks in the bright sunshine?

"You are like the Holy Virgin herself," said the little maid of St. Michael.

"Did you ever see the Virgin?" asked my friend.

"Once the white clouds parted for a moment and I caught a glimpse of her beautiful blue mantle," replied the child reverently.

Yes, there are still fairies and simple faith and magic in the islands. One who visits the boiling springs at Furnas does not doubt for a moment that he is upon enchanted ground.

Folk tales are composite. No one person or group of persons can claim credit for them. They are our inheritance from many storytellers. To all these storytellers both of yesterday and of to-day I offer my grateful appreciation and hearty thanks.

I have endeavored to tell the stories in a way which will be pleasing to American children. To do this I have taken the liberty of making occasional elaborations or omissions which I believe add to the value of the story. Everywhere first of all I have tried to keep the spirit of the Azores.

Thanks are due the publishers of the "Delineator" and the "Outlook" for permission to reprint stories which have appeared in these magazines.

E. S. E.

CONTENTS

Princess Bluegreen of the Seven Cities

The Islands of Flowers

Why Dogs Sniff

Longstaff, Pinepuller and Rockheaver

The Table, the Sifter and the Pinchers

Linda Branca and her Mask

Fresh Figs

Peter-of-the-Pigs

The Princess Who Lost Her Rings

The Master of Magic

St. Anthony's Godchild

Trouble When One's Young

The Little Maid Who Was Wise

Manoel Littlebean

The Necklace of Pearls

The Daughter of the King of Naples

Maria-of-the-Forest

The Seven Enchanted Princes

The Listening King

José the Beast Slayer

The Princess of the Lost Island

Why The Alvéloa Bird Received a Blessing

Why the Codorniz Bird Received a Curse

Outside the Door Like the Mother of St. Peter

Why the Owl Flies at Night

The Laborer and His Master

'Tis Faith Which Saves

St. Brendan's Island

The Silent Cavalier

The Enchanted Palace

The Friend of the Devil

The Miller's Cloak

The Magic Mouthful

The Messengers

Illustrations

Nothing but the Sea, Sky and Rock . . . . . . . Frontispiece

King Graywhite Struck His Royal Sword Against the

Great Wall

She Could Not Hold Them All

"Will Somebody Please Pass the Pepper"

The Three Friends Journeyed on Together

"Table, Set Yourself," Said the Man

She Quietly Stole Out of the House

The Two Rabbits Came Running Up to Him

He Buried It Halfway in the Sand

The Two Old Women, The Princess, The King and Queen,

and All the Courtiers Followed

The Horse Had Changed Into a Kernel of Corn

He Climbed Up the High Wall of the Palace

"Oh, Stone From My Garden Wall," She Was Saying

They Were Big and Heavy, but Her Great Fear Gave Her

Strength

He Saw the Quantities of Gold

"Take Me Home as Fast as You Can!"

Then He Sorrowfully Returned to His Waiting Ship

"We Never Have Looked So Neat and Clean"

The Miller and His Wife Were the Most Surprised People in the Whole Country

He Frowned Down at José

"Alms! Alms!"

Pedro Lifted the Two Great Jars and Slowly Climbed Up

the Hill

It Appeared That the Fair Maid Would Die

One Evening Just at Sunset

The Peaceful Snow-Capped Summit of Mt. Pico

The Beautiful Enchanted Palace in the Lake of Ginjal

He Bowed His Head Upon His Hands

He Wrapped Himself In the Brown Cloak And Went Out

Through the Fierce Blinding Storm

She Ran to the Water Jar

A Fierce Storm Arose

Princess Bluegreen Of The Seven Cities

The Story of the Origin of the Azores

Once upon a time in the lost kingdom of Atlantis there ruled a king whose name was Graywhite. He had married the beautiful Queen Rosewhite. They lived in a magnificent palace, but it was a sad place because there were no little children in it.

"There are plenty of babies in the homes of the poor peasants who can scarcely find food for them," mourned King Graywhite. "Why is it that I, the ruler of this vast rich kingdom, can have no child to inherit my wealth and my domains?"

"Women in tiny hovels have their arms full of rosy dimpled darlings," sighed Queen Rosewhite. "Why is it that I, the queen of this magnificent palace, can have no baby of my own?"