Peter Christen Asbjornsen Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales collected by Peter Christen Asbjornsen

Fiction http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/asbjornsen_moe.html

The four stories read: Why the Sea is Salt, True and Untrue, Princess on the Glass Hill, The East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon, and Three Princesses of Whiteland.

Summary Princess on Glass Hill

Once there was a farmer with three sons. Each St. Johns’ night there was a great ruckus and the grass was eaten to the nub. The farmer was frustrated that he had to plant new seed so the next year, he told his oldest to go see what was eating the crop. The oldest went out to the barn and came back soon after describing terrible noises and did not stay to investigate. The next year the second eldest went and returned the same way. The following year the youngest pleaded to be sent out and discover what the problem was. He hid in the barn like his brothers and heard all the horrible noises but thought that if that was as bad as it would get, he would be alright. He looked outside and found a large horse nearby chewing on the crop. He haltered the horse and led it to a secluded and hidden place. He returned in the morning and said that he heard nothing in the night and the hay was still there. The next year, he ventured out again to the barn and once more found a horse, this one being much sleeker and finer than the horse before. He joined it with the first and returned home, claiming that nothing happened but the crop was still there. The older brothers were frustrated but scared enough to stay in the house the next year as the youngest went out to the barn. He listened to the noise and saw an even bigger and grand horse. He tethered it close to the other two horses he captured. Now there was a king who proclaimed that any man could marry the princess, if they could ride up the hill of glass to where the princess sat. Many tried but could not even get a third of the way up. The older brothers of the farmer went to watch and attempt, not allowing the youngest to go. Then a knight in brass on a fine horse, he climbed only a third and rode back down. As he turned to go, the princess tossed a golden apple, signifying her affection, rolled into his boot. The second day another knight, dressed in shining silver attempted the hill after everyone was dropping with exhaustion. He calmly rode two thirds and turned down. Again, the princess tossed a golden apple to him, for he had gotten the highest of all the suitors. No one could produce either the first or second apple. The third day, there was no sign of the brass or silver knights, but there arrived a knight of golden armor. He rode up the hill confidently and reached the top, where he took the last golden apple from the princess and rode off. Everyone from the kingdom was called before the king to produce the apples. The two brothers were asked if they had any siblings and were summoned to bring the youngest. He produced not one of the golden apples, but all three. He was married to the princess and held a mighty wedding feast for the people.

Reaction

I thought this was an interesting story. I didn’t like the layout of some of the fairy tales. The details were not connected and woven into the story. It felt that there were pieces of different stories patched together. There was a farmer with three sons that had a horse infestation that happened to be by a kingdom with a glass hill as the challenge to marry the princess. I thought that the concepts of the tales were funny and original, like Why the Sea is Salt, but think that the facts and components should be more integrated and related to each other.

Potential Problems

There are some stories that do not end well for the main character, ending in death. Also there is an abundance of stories about the devil that don’t teach good morals, instead that you can make deals with the devil but can in the end trick him. It doesn’t work that way entirely.

Recommendations

These fairy tales are more based on overcoming problems and outwitting a scoundrel. I think that these would be more interesting to boys than the fairy tales of rescuing fair lady and happily ever after.