The Gifts of the Magician
Encyclopedia
The Gifts of the Magician is a Finnish fairy tale
. Andrew Lang
included it in The Crimson Fairy Book, listing his source as Finnische Mahrchen.
. When night fell, he saw a magician being chased by wolves. He shot the largest wolf, which put all the rest to flight. The magician gave him shelter during the night. In the morning, he could not be woken. The magician left to hunt. The boy woke and talked with the maid servant, who told him to ask for the horse in the third stall as a reward. When he did, the magician
tried to persuade him otherwise, but finally gave it to him, along with a zither, a fiddle, and a flute, telling him to play each one in turn if he were in danger.
The horse warned him not to go back to his father, who would only beat him. He rode the horse on, to the king's city, where everyone admired the horse. The horse told him to tell the king to stable it with the royal horses; then they would grow as beautiful as it. This worked, but made the old groom envious of the boy. He told the king that the boy had claimed to be able to find the king's old war-charger, which had been lost in the woods. The king ordered the boy to find it in three days. The horse told him to demand a hundred dead oxen, cut to pieces, and they rode off. At the horse's instructions, he bridled the third horse that came to them, and then distracted the magician's raven by throwing the meat behind them. The groom claimed that he had said he could restore the king's vanished wife. The horse told him to ride it to the river, where it would dive in and assume
her true form; she was the queen. This pleased the king, but the groom told him that the boy had threatened to take the throne, and the king sentenced him to be hanged. The boy played the zither, and the hangman had to dance all day. The next day, everyone came to see him hanged, the boy played the fiddle, and the whole crowd danced. The third
day, the king wanted to refuse to let him play the flute, but the crowd persuaded him. The king insisted on being tied to a tree first, but he still danced, until his back was raw, and then the magician appeared. He destroyed the gallows and killed the king. The people chose the boy for their king, and the old groom drowned himself, because the boy might have been poor all his life without his interference.
and Little Johnny Sheep-Dung
. Similar motifs are found in Iron John
, Guerrino and the Savage Man
, and The Hairy Man
.
The dispossessing of the king is found in The Grateful Beasts
, Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful
, The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa
, and King Fortunatus's Golden Wig
.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Crimson Fairy Book, listing his source as Finnische Mahrchen.
Synopsis
A widower forbade his only son to shoot at some birds. One day, he did so, and chased after a bird he wounded until he became lost in the forestEnchanted forest
In literature, an enchanted forest is a forest under, or containing, enchantments. Such forests are described in the oldest folklore from regions where forests are common, and occur throughout the centuries to modern works of fantasy...
. When night fell, he saw a magician being chased by wolves. He shot the largest wolf, which put all the rest to flight. The magician gave him shelter during the night. In the morning, he could not be woken. The magician left to hunt. The boy woke and talked with the maid servant, who told him to ask for the horse in the third stall as a reward. When he did, the magician
Donor (fairy tale)
In fairy tales, a donor is a character that tests the hero and provides magical assistances to the hero when he succeeds.The fairy godmother is a well-known form of this character...
tried to persuade him otherwise, but finally gave it to him, along with a zither, a fiddle, and a flute, telling him to play each one in turn if he were in danger.
The horse warned him not to go back to his father, who would only beat him. He rode the horse on, to the king's city, where everyone admired the horse. The horse told him to tell the king to stable it with the royal horses; then they would grow as beautiful as it. This worked, but made the old groom envious of the boy. He told the king that the boy had claimed to be able to find the king's old war-charger, which had been lost in the woods. The king ordered the boy to find it in three days. The horse told him to demand a hundred dead oxen, cut to pieces, and they rode off. At the horse's instructions, he bridled the third horse that came to them, and then distracted the magician's raven by throwing the meat behind them. The groom claimed that he had said he could restore the king's vanished wife. The horse told him to ride it to the river, where it would dive in and assume
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
her true form; she was the queen. This pleased the king, but the groom told him that the boy had threatened to take the throne, and the king sentenced him to be hanged. The boy played the zither, and the hangman had to dance all day. The next day, everyone came to see him hanged, the boy played the fiddle, and the whole crowd danced. The third
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
day, the king wanted to refuse to let him play the flute, but the crowd persuaded him. The king insisted on being tied to a tree first, but he still danced, until his back was raw, and then the magician appeared. He destroyed the gallows and killed the king. The people chose the boy for their king, and the old groom drowned himself, because the boy might have been poor all his life without his interference.
Motifs
Other tales of this type include The Magician's HorseThe Magician's Horse
The Magician's Horse is a Greek fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Grey Fairy Book.-Synopsis:A king's three sons went hunting, and the youngest got lost. He came to a great hall and ate there. Then he found an old man, who asked him who he was. He told how he had become lost and offered...
and Little Johnny Sheep-Dung
Little Johnny Sheep-Dung
Little Alex Sheep-Dung is a French fairy tale collected by Achille Millien and Paul Delarue.-Synopsis:A good-for-nothing boy once begged a sheepskin from butchers; it was so filthy he came to be called "Little Johnny Sheep-Dung". One day, he met a bourgeois on a horse, who hired him on the...
. Similar motifs are found in Iron John
Iron John
"Iron John" is a German fairy tale found in the collections of the Brothers Grimm, tale number 136, about a wild man and a prince...
, Guerrino and the Savage Man
Guerrino and the Savage Man
Guerrino and the Savage Man is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola....
, and The Hairy Man
The Hairy Man
The Hairy Man is a Russian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.-Synopsis:Two ricks of a king's rapeseed fields are found burned every night. Finally, a shepherd with dogs keeps watch, and catches the "hairy man" who is responsible. The king puts him in a cage...
.
The dispossessing of the king is found in The Grateful Beasts
The Grateful Beasts
The Grateful Beasts is a Hungarian fairy tale collected by Hermann Kletke. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.-Synopsis:Three sons set out to seek their fortune...
, Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful
Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful
Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 126.It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other tales of this type include The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa, Corvetto, King Fortunatus's Golden Wig, and The Mermaid and the Boy...
, The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa
The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa
The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other tales of this type include Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful, Corvetto, King Fortunatus's Golden Wig, and The Mermaid and...
, and King Fortunatus's Golden Wig
King Fortunatus's Golden Wig
King Fortunatus's Golden Wig is a French fairy tale collected by Colonel A. Troude and G. Milin in .It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. This type is generally called "The Clever Horse," but is known in French as La Belle aux cheveux d'or, or The Story of Pretty Goldilocks, after the literary variant by...
.