Reading Notes: The Three Copecks, Part A

I really loved the Dead Mother story when I was just exploring the UnTextbook, so I thought I would do some reading notes over another Russian Fairy Tale. I chose this one because I had no idea what Copecks were (Russian currency, the more you know).

The Three Copecks

A poor orphan didn't have a penny to his name, so he offered to work for one copeck a year for a rich moujik. When he was paid, he through it down a well thinking if it floated he could keep it and if it sank then he did not deserve it. The next year the same thing happened. The third year, the moujik gave him a rouble instead of a copeck. The orphan demanded a copeck and once it was recieved he threw it down the well. To his surprise, not one but three copecks were floating. He took them and went to town. In town, he saw three horrible children hurting a kitten, and gave his three copecks for it. To earn (money?) again he started working for a merchant. When the business became successful, the merchant asked the boy for his kitten to keep his goods safe from mice out at sea. The orphan agreed, warning him if he lost the cat there would be hell to pay. The merchant then went to a land far away that had never heard of cats. When the landlord offering a room to him was hoping he would die from the rat infestation, he was surprised the little cat kept him safe and killed all the rats. The landlord asked the merchant for the cat, the merchant accepted the offer of a trifle of gold, enough of it to hide the cat with. On his way home, the merchant thought to keep the gold to himself and share none with the orphan. Suddenly, a storm threatened to sink their ship. The merchant realized this was the hell to pay the orphan spoke of, and swore he would pay him back. When he arrived to shore, he gave the orphan all the gold. The orphan used it to buy incense and burn it for God. An old man appeared and asked if he wanted riches or women, and the boy said he didn't know. The old man said to ask three brothers plowing what they thought he should do. The orphan did, and the boys said to ask the eldest brother - somehow, a three year old was the oldest and he told the orphan to ask for a good wife. The orphan did, and then became a husband.

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What an odd story! The cat part got me sad - I adore animals and feel terrible just seeing roadkill. I though there would be a moral to the story... maybe it is that if you are honest and good you will be rewarded? I'm not sure, but I love the bizarre world of Russian fairy tales. 

Week 5 Story: The Crocodile's Side

It was nothing before, I do not remember where I came from and that I am only here now, looking up at this man. He is angry, he is sad. I want to help make his heart whole again. I need to help make him smile again. 

"Bring me the youth who has defiled my wife". He shows me a painting on the wall of the woman who has been tainted. 

Having a task to do for him, I eagerly dive into the water. I dive deep, and swim until I see something odd. Four wildly moving sticks, or maybe a plant of some kind, penetrate the surface and into these waters. I swim closer, but not close enough that the sun can reflect off of me. As I close the distance, I see the woman from the painting and realize these are not sticks or plants but the legs of two people. One is his wife, so the other must be the youth. With a speed I did not know I had, I strike the youth's legs and drag him to the depths. How I should make him suffer, for the suffering of my master must have revenge - but he did not say to harm him, only to bring him. So bring him I shall. 

Out of the water I crawl, and spit out this vermin to my king. He is glad to see I have accomplished what he asked, but the smile dose not reach his eyes. I am tasked with taking the youth back into the water, somewhere so deep no one will ever find him again. He bids me farewell, and commands me live a life like a natural creature would when I am done. 

After abandoning the youth in a deep cave under the water, I swim back towards the surface. I hope to see the man again, I hope him knowing that youth is forever gone will bring him peace. I break the surface just enough so that my eyes can see, as I see other creatures like me do. Off in the distance, I see a crowd and the man. They tie the wife to a pole, I assume so that no other youths will touch her again. My assumption is almost right, as no youth or anyone can touch her now that she is on fire. I cannot understand why he would do such harm to this woman, since he asked me to do so much harm to the man who courted her. If he loved her so much to hate this man enough to banish the youth to an abyss, why banish her in flames? 

I watch until the crowd disperses, leaving only the man on his knees looking up at the flames. It is very quiet now, and he is more melancholy than when we first met. He stays at the fire, until the fire is no more, and the woman is no more. In his despair, he turns to look across the water and sees me. He approaches the distance, I am so thrilled at the idea of another task that might make him happy. 

"I know no feelings other than heartache, as revenge has not snuffed out the fire in my heart like the flames that have snuffed out that harlot's existence. Do me one last task, and take me to the bottom of the lake". 

As his wish is my command, and as I only hope this will ease his pain, I do as he wishes. It takes me several moments to reach the bottom of the lake, and upon my last look at this man, he seems to have found peace in these deep waters. 

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Author's Note

I wrote this story from the crocodiles point of view. I have pretty strong feelings about cheating, but I don't agree with what the husband did so to avoid being biased I wrote the point of view from the crocodile. I wrote an extended ending of the original story, to illustrate that for most situations revenge does not fix what was broken. In the story I gave the crocodile a duckling like attachment to the scribe - he is the person who brought him to life and the first person he saw so this is my reasoning for him doing whatever he commands. He also is so new to the world, I decided to make him a little naive so he doesn't understand death, only understanding emotion and having some what of an object permanence issue (the wife is there and then the wife is gone to him - banished, not killed). I decided that if the man was so enraged by the affair to kill both the youth and his wife, it isn't such a crazy notion that he might kill himself once the dust settles. Original story. 

Reading Notes: The Golden Deer, Part B

The Golden Deer, from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

Ravana has decided to steak Sita so that Rama is left weak without her. Maricha, the partner in crime, has turned into a golden deer that was decorated in gems and stones. When Sita told Rama she wanted the deer, he lept to catch it and as his bow pierced its heart Maricha lept out of the carcass and in Rama's voice caled out for Sita. Lakshmana had been left to guard Sita, and said it was probably an illusion and that she should not go. Sita asks and prods him to go after Rama and help him, and eventually he does.
Ravana takes the opportunity to dress as a forest sage and ask Sita what is wrong, since she is sad and alone. She tells him the story and he eventually reveals who he is and asks for her hand in marriage. Sita is furious at the trickery, and jabs at his pathetic attempt to woo her when she is the wife of a courageous warrior. Insulted, Ravana turns back into his monstrous form and steals her away. On his way home, he fights a bird king.

For whatever reason this scene made me think of fight milk, a weird scheme in the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia when they try to sell crow's "milk" for an energy/gym drink 

Rama returns to the spot he left Sita, knowing she was kidnapped but having no idea where too.

Reading Notes: The Wax Crocodile, Part A

The Wax Crocodile, from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907)

A wife has started cheating with a younger man in a lake, and when the husband found out he was not thrilled. He asked for a wax crocodile and then gave it life. This magical entity did whatever the husband commanded, and he commanded to be brought the youth who was sleeping with his wife. When the crocodile did, the husband sent the crocodile back to the lake where the youth was never seen again. His wife was burned at the stake for infidelity. 

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