At least, it ends happily.
My Deal Me In deck turned up diamonds again this week, which means a fairy tale.
I went to Andrew Lang’s THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK, and found a Russian tale. Surprisingly, it has a happy ending, and nobody gets eaten.
Two in a Sack
A man whose wife beats him catches a crane who, in return for its freedom, gives the man a magical sack. Say, “Two out of the sack!” and two boys set you a table of lovely things to eat and drink. But, on his way home, he shows the sack off to his cousin, and she steals it, swapping an ordinary sack for the magical one when he isn’t looking. He comes home with nothing, and his wife beats the stuffing out of him.
The next day, the crane gives him another sack, apparently like the first. But, when the man tries it out on the road, two ruffians come out and beat him worse than his wife does, helpfully explaining why in rhyme.
The old man makes good use of their lesson, and ends up with his good sack back and a good marriage without, as I say, anybody having to die or be mutilated in some fairy-tale-ish rough justice.
Most unusual fairy tale. If I may say so without being investigated, hooray for Russia!
If YOU need a short story to read, I have free ones here on my Free Reads page. I also have four collections for 99 cents each linked from my Short Stories page.
A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: A relative steals something.
MA
