Reading Notes: Turkish Fairy Tales, Part A
The first two parts were cute and sweet. I admire this child's bravery and determination. Fear is not something that many seek out. I am not sure that what the youth found was fear. I think it was more surprise. Rewriting this would be fun if I altered what the youth sought after. Something many people search for is happiness. I could write a story of a young boy or girl who relentlessly looked to find happiness. They'd be showered with gifts and feasts, but nothing would bring them happiness. They'd eventually give up. And after that, they would find a partner and create a family. Unknowingly, they'd find the most perfect happiness.
The first part of the next story reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin. Why do people promise off their children to shady people? There's a lot going on with this story and it feels like several have been laced together into one. I would choose one bit and make it into my own. I would have my protagonist promise to marry two different women. The first would patiently wait for him while he flirted with the other. He would go back and forth on his decision between them before the first grew tired of his games and called off the wedding.
In the third story, I did not see the point of the Arab from the sea. The maiden was already magical. In my version, I would have her fulfill the wishes of the Padishah. I imagine she would be thankful to the youth for neither eating nor selling her. In the original story, she doesn't seem to fond of the youth and seems to only stay with him and help because he was the one who caught her. Perhaps another way of retelling the story would be to have the maiden retrieve a scrap of her fish skin. She would try to return to her fish form, but since she was missing much of it, she would become a mermaid instead.
The last story seemed very similar to the previous one. Again, a youth was put to many tests by the Padishah before finally being rewarded for his work.
Bibliography: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, link to the reading online.
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The first part of the next story reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin. Why do people promise off their children to shady people? There's a lot going on with this story and it feels like several have been laced together into one. I would choose one bit and make it into my own. I would have my protagonist promise to marry two different women. The first would patiently wait for him while he flirted with the other. He would go back and forth on his decision between them before the first grew tired of his games and called off the wedding.
In the third story, I did not see the point of the Arab from the sea. The maiden was already magical. In my version, I would have her fulfill the wishes of the Padishah. I imagine she would be thankful to the youth for neither eating nor selling her. In the original story, she doesn't seem to fond of the youth and seems to only stay with him and help because he was the one who caught her. Perhaps another way of retelling the story would be to have the maiden retrieve a scrap of her fish skin. She would try to return to her fish form, but since she was missing much of it, she would become a mermaid instead.
The last story seemed very similar to the previous one. Again, a youth was put to many tests by the Padishah before finally being rewarded for his work.
Bibliography: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, link to the reading online.
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