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Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale

04 Feb 02 - 12:42 PM (#642097)
Subject: revenge ballad/fairy tale
From: GUEST,Chocolate Pi (cookieless as usual)

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

    • 04 Feb 02 - 01:12 PM (#642132)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: Uncle_DaveO

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

    Dave Oesterreich

    04 Feb 02 - 01:20 PM (#642138)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: MMario

    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!

    04 Feb 02 - 01:49 PM (#642167)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: Mrrzy

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

    04 Feb 02 - 08:08 PM (#642533)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: CapriUni

    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.

    04 Feb 02 - 08:16 PM (#642539)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: GUEST,Chocolate Pi

    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

    04 Feb 02 - 08:21 PM (#642542)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: CapriUni

    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?

    05 Feb 02 - 06:33 AM (#642827)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: masato sakurai

    There's a site concerning this tale.

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

    ~Masato

    05 Feb 02 - 09:18 AM (#642924)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: Mrrzy

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

    05 Feb 02 - 01:31 PM (#643156)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: CapriUni

    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.

    07 Feb 02 - 07:56 PM (#644887)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: Hollowfox

    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.

    07 Feb 02 - 08:57 PM (#644929)
    Subject: RE: Help: revenge ballad/fairy tale
    From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

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