Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale

Subject: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: GUEST,Chocolate Pi (cookieless as usual)
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 12:42 PM

I'm looking for a ballad or fairy tale (something besides the story of Mordachai in the book of Esther) in which this basic archetype is followed:

Evil character A does something evil (event 1).

Innocent person B is accused.

Wise person C asks evil person A what should be done to someone who does event 1.

Evil person A makes up some gruesome punishment.

Wise person C has gruesome punishment carried out on evil person A who actually commited event 1.

Thanks for any help!

Chocolate Pi

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 01:12 PM

Although I can't put my finger on it, that plot rings LOTS of bells! I just KNOW I've heard it!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: MMario
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 01:20 PM

I think there are a couple of new testament parables with that basic theme as well; as Dave says it rings a bell - heck, it rings a whole carrilion!

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: Mrrzy
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 01:49 PM

This one I don't know, but it sounds great. Death by BONGA!

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: CapriUni
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:08 PM

Chocolate Pi --

I don't know of this story in ballad form, but the Grimms' tale "The Goose Girl" fits that pattern. You can find an electronic text version of the story by clicking here.

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: GUEST,Chocolate Pi
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:16 PM

CapriUni: YES! That's one version that I remember - it was in one of Andrew Lang's [yellow | blue | green |purple] Fairy Books; with that link, the illustration, all Art-Deco swirling lines, appeared in my head.
Thanks!

Chocolate Pi

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: CapriUni
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:21 PM

No problem!

Collecting stories is my main hobby. And it's always nice to find someone to share them with...

Do you have a special 'use' for this story, in mind (a performance coming up, perhaps), or was it just a case of brain itch?

And aren't Andrew Lang's series of color fairy books wonderful?

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 06:33 AM

There's a site concerning this tale.

The Annotated Goose Girl, with a lot of information including similar tales across cultures, and links.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 09:18 AM

I might have known where it was from - and a studded barrel, too!

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: CapriUni
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 01:31 PM

Masato: Thanks for the link. I look forward to the day when the annotations are completely filled out. The details she picked to comment on look intriguing.

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: Hollowfox
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 07:56 PM

The Irish Tale of the Children of Lir almost fits the pattern. The evil enchantress/jealous stepmother knows that her crime has been revealed, she's asked what form of life she'd most hate, and answers honestly that she'd hate to be a demon of the air, whereupon she's turned into one.

Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 08:57 PM

Several tellings of The Children of Lir on Google. Here is one: Children of Lir