I first read The Swan Maiden by Howard Pyle in those wonderful red books that I had found tucked away in my grandmama’s house. I loved the idea of a young woman who could turn into a swan, a three eyed witch who lived in a house that shone like fire and the barley woman …
In a previous post I mentioned how different our memories sometimes paint the stories of our childhood, and that how, for me, the underlying theme of Housmans’ Rocking Horse Land was so much changed between my reading of it as a child and my reading of it as an adult. Well, one of the pictures …
Some years ago now, and looking at this picture I realize just how many years ago, my daughter’s class visited to our local zoo. I was with them (we always went on these adventures together) and she had kind of surprised me by going over to sit on this bronze tiger. As soon as I …
Part 3 of 3 When next she opened her eyes, they were surround by huge trees. Thick silver chains hung down from their trunks, stretching like a glittering web across a small clearing. In its center was the most exquisite minute castle built entirely out of the palest alabaster. It sat just about head height …
Part 2 of 3 By midday, they stood at the edge of a wild wood made entirely of clear glass. The princess slid from the phooka’s back, and he was once more a young man.“The Forest of Glass,” he said. “Some place you must go that I can not follow, but if you would heed …
I first read Fairer-than-a-fairy in Andrew Lang’s Yellow Fairy Book. Though apparently, the story was originally published in 1718 as Le Princ Arc-en-ciel. It was done so anonymously, however, it has often been attributed to the Chevalier de Mailly. I will admit, I kept only a few elements from the original story. However, this reimagining …
Up the steps she climbed and her feet were as light as air because her journey was almost at an end. As she went she wondered if her sweetheart was okay, would he be surprised that she found him despite his dire prediction? Would he be as overjoyed to see her as she would be …
She walked and walked, the whole day through until she could go no more, then she laid herself down to rest. She woke the next morning and set out again. Everyday she searched, asking all she met if they had seen a great black raven flying overhead and if they had what direction he might …
The Raven’s Bride is a retelling of Howard Pyle’s “Princess Golden-Hair and the Great Black Raven” which appeared in his book The Wonder Clock published in 1887. If you have ever read the original, you will find many of the elements changed in my telling of it; although I don’t think I would go so …
As I mentioned previously, one of my current projects is writing a series of fairytales, some original, some reimaginings of lesser known tales which I plan to post over the next several months. And since my daughter’s birthday is this month, I decided to start with her favorite, Daughter of the Sea. Just a quick …
Idyll Dreams & Nonsensical Things 