AYLIYAH'S LEGENDS

A Beautiful Tale of little Kiki and Nanookshook

The Magic Feather

 

Long ago in 1808, an owl posed in a tree, spying on Kiki as she skipped by. Kiki was a shy, young, intelligent, seven year old girl. Kiki loved nature. Her mother had died hunting for seals. Now, Kiki's father fed her and looked after her.

They live in an igloo by jagged towers of ice and amber gold cliffs.

But one night , Kiki got very mad at her Dad. He was not spending enough time with her. Every  night, he always went off to see his friends, so Kiki decided to run away from home to teach her Dad a good lesson!

 

While she was walking, she suddenly realized she was lost and didn't know her way home. Now Kiki was wishing she was at home in her cozy bed.

She sat down and curled up with the blanket she had brought along. She looked up into the sky to see the stars, then all of a sudden she saw a dark object swooping down right in front of her face.

It came closer and closer. Bango! Something was rustling in her silky hair. Poor Kiki jumped up and started screaming and dancing in circles. Kiki pulled at the big fluffy creature, a long white feather came away in her hand.. Then she pulled the animal out of her hair and to her surprise, it was a black owl.

 

The black owl explained, " I am terribly sorry about my landing. I ran away from home where all the other birds live because all of the other birds are snowy white  and I am a black owl. My name is Nanookshook." continued the owl.

Kiki smiled and told Nanookshook the problems that she was having with her Dad! Both Kiki and the owl were very tired from their adventure and lying together under the tree, they were asleep in minutes.

 Early the next morning, Kiki and Nanookshook woke up to the hot sun beaming down upon  them. Nanookshook still looked very fed up.

 " Don't give up! Kiki said and stroked the owl shiney feather's. "Somehow we shall try and find you a beautiful white coat, we shall just have to look for one!"

So Kiki and Nanookshook  walked down to the spring to get a  drink of sparkling blue water. When they reached the water, the saw an  beautiful swan. "Do you think you could give me a ride so I might go and find where to get me a white coat like your's."  Nanookshook reached to catch hold of the swan but the swan moved away and Nanookshook accidentally pulled out a white feather from the swans wing.

The owl without thinking tucked the feather under its wing. Then he began to go wild and he dived into the water three times.

Can you imagine Nanookshook and Kiki's surprise when Nanookshook came up from the third dive as white as snow, the swan must have been magic and Nanookshook was now a Snowy owl.

 

          He was so happy that he jumped and flew around with joy. Kiki was happy for Nanookshook but now that Nanookshook had a family and friends, who would Kiki live with?

Poor Kiki what she  didn't know was that her father was getting a search party together and who ever found Kiki would get her dad's best dog.

 

But for Kiki the day seemed to go very quickly and soon it was the morning over. Kiki was tired again so she decided to go down to the water again and try to find something to eat

She lay down on the grass and leaning forward  she suddenly she heard voices, then a voice she really knew.

 

"Kiki Honey, Kiki can you hear me?"

 

Kiki jumped up from the river bank shouting, " Yes , I can is that you father,"

"Well of course it's  your father, where are you ?" his voice boomed.

"I'm here by the river, over to the left of you.,"Oh Daddy I love you!" Kiki shouted.

 

 "I love you too darling but why did you leave me?" asked her father.

The excitement was too much for little Kiki and she began to cry

"Well , because you did not pay enough attention to me." Kiki sobbed. "I thought you didn't want me any more!"

 

"I am so sorry little one, I will try never to ignore you again!" He swooped down and picked up his precious little girl in his arms.

"Come on, let's go home, and if your not to tired tonight will you come out with me, and we shall fish together for our supper?" her father asked.

"Oh yes, daddy, yes." Kiki said snuggling into her dad's shirt. " I will, oh I will" she said  happily.

 

So if you ever see a Snowy owl, remember the journey that Kiki and Nanookshook went on.  And remember what it wss that made them Snowy, cos one Snowy owl put a white feather under its black wing and turned white.

 

The End

       The gardener looked around him in horror. "He has been here again !" he cried.
His wife ran out. the flowers were trampled , the fruit trees torn. They looked at the havoc almost pitifully, for this was Japan, and the land of loving gardeners and artists.
     As they stood there gazing at the destruction of the broken flowers a peasant man came walking by.
       " Oh, yes," he said. "My place has been trample as well, and some wild beast has trampled through  the rice-fields. It has happened for three nights running now. We must do something soon or we shall be ruined."
"What is that ?"  cried the gardeners wife, catching sight of a little blue Kimona among the bushes. There lay her son on the ground fast asleep. They woke him with a scolding for spending the night lying in the earth.
  " Oh but father ! " he cried. I watched for the beast, and I saw him ! He is a big black horse. He came stamping in, nibbling a bit here and a bit there, but by then I was so sleepy that I fell asleep and didn't see which way he went."
  His father patted his shoulder, "you are a good boy but we still are left with the mystery of who this horse belongs to. There is no one here owns a black horse."
 " We will catch him tonight, " said the peasant in a determined voice.
And so as soon as it was dusk the villages hid  themselves in little groups around the village.  About midnight a cloud drifted over the moon, and presently  a great black horse came trotting noiselessly along on the grass. 

     The people ran out with their ropes and sticks and lanterns. The horse wheeled this way and that, there were men on every side  But then the horse set off like the wind, rushed past its assailants and vanished into the temple.
Everybody chased after it, but when they reached the temple there was no horse to be seen anywhere.
Then  the silence was burst by a scream from the gardeners young son. " Look ! Look ! There he is !"
The child held his lantern up to the newly painted picture on the wall. A Black Horse - and it was steaming from his running !
 All the peasants stood there mouth's wide open gaping at the picture.
"Come we must go and fetch Mr Kanaoka; it is his horse he painted it. "
Poor Mr Kanaoka, he was almost dragged from his bed, but he hurried back to the temple with his brushes and colours. When he gazed at the wonderful horse, it looked so spirited that he could not bear to paint it out.
  At length he came upon the idea of painting in a tethering post and halter for the runaway steed, and after that there was no more harm done. But the gardener's son often thought he caught a vicious look in the horse's eye, as though its hoofs itched to take vengeance on its betrayer.

*I have know real knowledge of this story from a 1930's encyclopedia for children, but there was a famous painter, whose name was Mr Kose Kanaoka, I wonder if this wee bit of mythology could have come from the 9th century A.D. Gosh Diddily may have made a connection here in Dreamland.

Based on translations from Kinder und Hausmarchen by Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes.

Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into partnership and set up house together. For a long time all went well; they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to their stores. The bird's duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in fuel; the mouse fetched the water, and the sausage saw to the cooking.

When people are too well off they always begin to long for something new. And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements. But the other bird sneered at him for being a poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other two stayed at home and had a good time of it. For, when the mouse had made the fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her little room and rest until it was time to set the table. The sausage had only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and when it was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth, or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and there they were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. Then, when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down to table, and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their fill till the following morning: and that was really a very delightful life.

Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now time to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the work. Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no use; the bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had to be made. They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water.

And now what happened? The sausage started in search of wood, the bird made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day. But the sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the bird flew out to meet him. He had not flown far, however, when he came across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. The bird complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he said was of any avail, for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the sausage, and that was the reason his life had been forfeited.

He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he had seen and heard. They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make the best of things and to remain with one another.

So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped into the pot; but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom, having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but also with life.

Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he could nowhere see the cook. In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was to be found. Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown down, caught fire and began to blaze. The bird hastened to fetch some water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he was unable to recover himself, he was drowned.

The End
This wonderful picture comes from a wonderful gentleman by the name of Justin Chen. He has quite a few wonderful pictures which he has drawn in relation to their subject and I know he would love you to pop over to his site and have a look. There is a fantastic download added for which ever size might suit you best



Inspired by Grimm's "The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage," What seems (from the title) to be an whimsical tale takes a dark turn as it approaches its end. There's definitely a moral to be learned from this story. Unlike my previous illustrations, this piece remains completely faithful to its source. While I enjoy fusing elements from each tale with my personal interpretations, for this one my goal was to create a piece as if it came right off a children storybook.

But the stylistic choice did not stop me from putting something ominous on the composition.

jkhc.blogspot.com/
Justin Chen, All rights reserved. 2009

"And Diddilydeedot say's Thankyou Justin it is exactly what we wanted."

 

ONCE upon a time, when all big folks were wee ones and all lies were true, there was a wee, wee Mannie that had a big, big Coo. And out he went to milk her of a morning, and said ;

But the big, big Coo wouldn't hold still. 'Hout!' said the wee, wee Mannie

But the big, big Coo wouldn't hold still. 'Look at that, now!' said the wee, wee Mannie --

Coo won't stand still, and wee, wee Mannie can't milk big, big Coo.'

'Hout!' says his mother, 'take stick and beat Coo.'

So off he went to get a stick from the tree, and said;

But the stick wouldn't break, so back he went to the house.

'Mother,' says he, 'Coo won't hold still, stick won't break, wee, wee Mannie can't beat big, big Coo.'

'Hout!' says his mother, 'go to the Butcher and bid him kill Coo.'

So off he went to the Butcher, and said;

But the Butcher wouldn't kill the Coo without a silver penny, so back the Mannie went to the house. 'Mother,' says he, 'Coo won't hold still, stick won't break, Butcher won't kill without a silver penny, and wee, wee Mannie can't milk big, big Coo.'

'Well,' said his mother, 'go to the Coo and tell her there's a weary, weary lady with long yellow hair weeping for a sup o' milk.'

So off he went and told the Coo, but she wouldn't hold still, so back he went and told his mother.

'Well,' said she, 'tell the Coo there's a fine, fine laddie from the wars sitting by the weary, weary lady with golden hair, and she weeping for a sup o' milk.'

So off he went and told the Coo, but she wouldn't hold still, so back he went and told his mother.

'Well,' said his mother, 'tell the big, big Coo there's a sharp, sharp sword at the belt of the fine, fine laddie from the wars who sits beside the weary, weary lady with the golden hair, and she weeping for a sup o' milk.'

And he told the big, big Coo, but she wouldn't hold still.

the sharp, sharp sword in the hands of the fine, fine laddie, if she doesn't give the sup o' milk the weary, weary lady weeps for.'

And wee, wee, Mannie went off and told the big, big Coo.

And when Coo saw the glint of the sharp, sharp sword in the hand of the fine, fine laddie come from the wars, and the weary, weary lady weeping for a sup o' milk, she reckoned she'd better hold still; so wee, wee Mannie milked big, big Coo, and the weary, weary lady with the golden hair hushed her weeping and got her sup o' milk, and the fine, fine laddie new come from the wars put by his sharp, sharp sword, and all went well that didn't go ill.

Very funny don't you think?

Fables and Facts       Myths and Legends  

ONLY the hardiest made this rugged land their home. The mark of the Ojibways, fur traders, lumber jacks and prospectors is barely discernible in this unspoiled wilderness.

THE  STAR  MAIDEN.     

THE Ojibways were a great nation whom the fairies loved. Their land was the home of many spirits, and as long as they lived on the shores of the great lakes the woods in that country were full of fairies. Some of them dwelt in the moss at the roots or on the trunks of trees. Others hid beneath the mushrooms and toadstools.

But there were also evil spirits in the land. These burrowed in the ground, gnawed at the roots of the loveliest flowers and destroyed them. They breathed upon the corn and blighted it. They listened whenever they heard men talking, and carried the news to those with whom it would make most mischief.

It is because of these wicked fairies that the Indian must be silent in the woods and must not whisper confidences in the camp unless he is sure the spirits are fast asleep under the white blanket of the snow.

The Ojibways looked well after the interests of the good spirits. They shielded the flowers and stepped carefully aside when moss or flower was in their path. They brushed no moss from the trees, and they never snared the sunbeams, for on them thousands of fairies came down from the sky. When the chase was over they sat in the doorways of their wigwams smoking, and as they watched the blue circles drift and fade into the darkness of the evening, they listened to the voices of the fairies and the insects' hum and the thousand tiny noises that night always brings.

One night as they were listening they saw a bright light shining in the top of the tallest trees. It was a star brighter than all the others, and it seemed very near the earth. When they went close to the tree they found that it was really caught in the topmost branches.

The wise men of the tribe were summoned and for three nights they sat about the council fire, but they came to no conclusion about the beautiful star. At last one of the young warriors went to them and told them that the truth had come to him in a dream.

While asleep the west wind had lifted the curtains of his wigwam and the light of the star fell full upon him. Suddenly a beautiful maiden stood at his side. She smiled upon him, and as he gazed speechless she told him that her home was in the star and that in wandering over all the earth she had seen no land so fair as the land of the Ojibways. Its flowers, its sweet-voiced birds, its rivers, its beautiful lakes, the mountains clothed in green, these had charmed her, and she wished to be no more a wanderer. If they would welcome her she would make her home among them, and she asked them to choose a place in which she might dwell.

The council were greatly pleased; but they could not agree upon what was best to offer the Star Maiden, so they decided to ask her to choose for herself.

She searched first among the flowers of the prairie. There she found the fairies’ ring, where the little spirits danced on moonlight nights. "Here," thought she, "I will rest." But as she swung herself backwards and forwards on the stem of a lovely blossom, she heard a terrible noise and fled in great fear. A vast herd of buffaloes came and took possession of the fairies' ring, where they rolled over one another, and bellowed so they could be heard far on the trail. No gentle star maiden could choose such a resting-place.

She next sought the mountain rose. It was cool and pleasant, the moss was soft to her dainty feet, and she could talk to the spirits she loved, whose homes were in the stars. But the mountain was steep, and huge rocks hid from her view the nation that she loved.

She was almost in despair, when one day as she looked down from the edge of the wild rose leaf she saw a white flower with a heart of gold shining on the waters of the lake below her. As she looked a canoe steered by the young warrior who had told her wishes to his people, shot past, and his strong, brown hand brushed the edge of the flower.

"That is the home for me," she cried, and half-skipping, half-flying down the side of the mountain, she quickly madeher way to the flower and hid herself in its bosom. There she could watch the stars as well as when she looked upward from the cup of the mountain rose; there she could talk to the star spirits, for they bathed in the clear lake; and best of all, there she could watch the people whom she loved, for their canoes were always upon the water.

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Fables and Facts

The Stone Soup

The stranger smiled and asked, why are you all so frightened.  I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal.

"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "We are weak and our children are starving.  Better keep moving on."

"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it.

Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water.

By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear.

"Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot.

"Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."

The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.

The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the “magic” stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. 

As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road.  He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group, “It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic." 

Moral:  By working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieve

www.nellieedge.com/.

After looking for images to place on this lovely fable,
 I actually came to realise that the Americans actually have a "Stone Soup Day", when all the children take bits and pieces in order to make Stone Soup.

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The Wind and the Sun

The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

Once there was a man whose goose
could lay a golden egg for him every day.
He grew very rich but then he decided that
one egg a day wasn't enough so  he
cut her open from top to bottom,
so he could get to the goldmine, only to learn
that his goose was just like every other goose
and that by killing it for greed he lost
everything and was poor again forever.

Always remember children that it is better
to have a little something once a day
than to have lots of things on Monday and
leave nothing left for the rest of the week.