Gray heroes : elder tales from around the world / edited by Jane Yolen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Yolen, Jane.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Older people--Folklore.

Older people.

Aging--Folklore.

Aging.

Folklore.

Physical Description:

xxxv, 233 pages ; 20 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Penguin Books, 1999.

Summary:

Traditionally, stories have been told by the ancients even though it's the young warriors and princesses who seem to command all the action. Now internationally acclaimed folklorist Jane Yolen shines the light on strong, powerful, adventurous older people, in an original anthology of seventy-five tales from around the world.

Revisit forgotten favorites from Grimm and Aesop, and discover new gems from Africa, Asia, and Appalachia among the pithy parables and full-length myths. Yolen's graying heroes and heroines heartily prove that you're never too old to fall in love, fight a dragon, play a trick, save a king or kingdom, teach a lesson--or learn one yourself. They meet the enemy with courage, cunning, and compassion (especially when the youngsters around them have none). Collected by the "Aesop of the twentieth century" (The New York Times), Gray Heroes is a book to give heart to elders and youngers everywhere.

Contents:

Old Man, Young Mistress (Aesop) xiv

The Seventh Father of the House (Norway) xvi

The Old Man and His Grandson (German) xx

Mountain of Abandoned Old People (Japan) xxii

The Bell of Atri (Italy) xxiv

The Old Man and Death (Aesop) xxvi

Iron Logic (Jewish) xxvii

One More Gift (Japan) xxvii

The Two Friends Who Set Off to Travel Round the World (Eskimo) xxix

The Span of Man's Life (Israel) xxxi

The Mortal Lord (China) xxxiii

"Now I Become Myself" / May Sarton xxxiv

Wisdom

An Old Man and A Boy (Africa: Kambaland) 3

Empty-Cup Mind (Japan) 3

The Old Woman of the Spring (Native American/Cheyenne) 4

The Brownie of Blednock (Scotland) 8

The Wise Woman (Algeria) 15

An Old Man Who Saved Some Ungrateful People (Zimbabwe) 17

An Old Man's Wisdom (India) 23

Hide Anger Until Tomorrow (Suriname) 25

The Three Counsels (Mexico) 26

The Truth (Syria) 28

The Old Man and the Grain of Wheat (Russia) 29

Elijah and the Poor Man's Wish (Jewish) 31

The Wise Man and the Apprentice (Iran/Afghanistan) 34

The Poppet Caught a Thief (United States) 38

Trickery

The Clever Old Man (India) 43

How Grandpa Mowed the Lord's Meadow (Russia) 49

Kitta Gray (Sweden) 50

The Devil and the Gipsy (Russia) 52

The Old Woman and the Giant (Philippines) 56

John Fraser the Cook (Scotland) 57

The Seven Leavenings (Palestinian Arab) 58

The Fortune-Teller (Russia) 66

The Old Woman and the Physician (Aesop) 71

Two Women Overcome Nez Perce Man (Native American/Coeur d'Alene) 72

The Silver Swindle (China) 72

The Straw Ox (Russian Cossack) 75

The Two Old Women's Bet (United States) 80

The Fisherman and the Genie (Arabian Nights) 83

The Five Wolves (Native American/Salishan) 88

The Crafty Woman (Lithuania) 89

The Talking Turkeys (Syria) 91

The Old Woman and the Fox (India) 92

Bucca Dhu and Bucca Gwidden (England) 96

Adventure

Verlioka (Russia) 103

The Lord of Death (India) 108

The Man Who Lodged with Serpents (Hungary) 111

Kwatee and the Monster in Lake Quinault (Native American/Quinault) 115

Lump Off, Lump On (Japan) 116

Siksruk, The Witch-Doctor (Eskimo) 120

Old Roaney (United States) 123

The Old Woman and the Rice Cakes (Japan) 130

The Poor Countryman and the Greedy Hag (Poland) 135

St. David's Flood (England) 139

The Staff of Elijah (Jewish/Moldavia) 140

The Magical Words (Finland) 143

Kalapana (Hawaii) 152

The Great Jaguar (Guatemala/Maya) 157

The Hunted Hare (England) 159

The Apparition of Arran (Scotland) 162

The Valiant Fish Trapper (Hungary) 164

Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire (Native American/Choctaw) 166

The Monster of Loch Garten (Scotland) 170

The Woman in the Moon (Hawaii) 171

The Hedley Kow (England) 173

The Search for Luck (Greece) 177

And a Little Bit of Love

Baucis and Philemon (Greece) 185

How Much You Remind Me of My Husband! (El Salvador) 188

A Clever Old Bride (Korea) 190

My Jon's Soul (Iceland) 191

A Tale of Two Old Women (Eskimo) 194

The Old Man in the Moon (Burma) 198

The Blind Old Woman (African-American) 199

The Cure (Syria) 200

Notes for Stories 203

Index of Titles 231.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [217]-227) and index.

ISBN:

0140276181

OCLC:

39671413