Fair, Brown and Trembling
Encyclopedia
Fair, Brown and Trembling is an Irish fairy tale
collected by Jeremiah Curtin
in Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland and Joseph Jacobs
in his Celtic Fairy Tales.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A. Other tales of this type include Cinderella
, Finette Cendron
, The Golden Slipper
, Katie Woodencloak
, Rushen Coatie
, The Sharp Grey Sheep
, The Story of Tam and Cam
, and The Wonderful Birch
.
The king's son looked for the woman whose foot the shoe fit, although the other king's sons warned him that he would have to fight them for her. They searched all over, and when they came to the house, they insisted on trying Trembling as well. The king's son said at once that she was the woman; Trembling went off and reappeared in the clothing she had worn to church, and everyone else agreed.
The sons of foreign kings fought him for her, but the king's son defeated them all, and the Irish king's sons said they would not fight one of their own. So the king's son and Trembling got married. Trembling had a son, and her husband sent for Fair to help her. One day, when they walked by the seashore, Fair pushed Trembling in. A whale swallowed Trembling, and Fair passed herself off as her sister. The prince put his sword in bed between them, declaring that if she were his wife, it would grow warm, and if not, it would grow cold. In the morning, it was cold.
A cowherd had seen Fair push Trembling in and saw the whale swallow her. The next day, he saw the whale spit her back up. She told him that the whale would swallow and spit her back up three
times, and she could not leave the beach. Unless her husband rescued her by shooting the whale in a spot on its back, she would not be freed.
Her sister gave the cowherd a drink that made him forget the first time, but the second, he told the prince. The prince shot the whale. They sent word to her father, who said that they could execute Fair if they wanted to. They told him he could do as he pleased, so the father abandoned her on the sea in a barrel, with provisions.
Their next child was a daughter, and they decided to marry her to the cowherd.
, Bushy Bride
, and The Sea-Maiden
; in the latter two, the heroine must be rescued by the hero.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Jeremiah Curtin
Jeremiah Curtin
Jeremiah Curtin was an American translator and folklorist.-Life:Born in Detroit, Michigan, Curtin spent his early life in Milwaukee County and later graduated from Harvard College in 1863. In 1864 he went to Russia, where he worked as both a translator and for the U.S. legation...
in Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland and Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs was a folklorist, literary critic and historian. His works included contributions to the Jewish Encyclopaedia, translations of European works, and critical editions of early English literature...
in his Celtic Fairy Tales.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A. Other tales of this type include Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, Finette Cendron
Finette Cendron
Finette Cendron is a French literary fairy tale written by Madame d'Aulnoy.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A...
, The Golden Slipper
The Golden Slipper
The Golden Slipper is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A, the persecuted heroine.-Synopsis:...
, Katie Woodencloak
Katie Woodencloak
Katie Woodencloak or Kari Woodengown is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norske Folkeeventyr. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book....
, Rushen Coatie
Rushen Coatie
Rushen Coatie or Rashin-Coatie is a Scottish fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in his More English Fairy Tales.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A, the persecuted heroine, as is Cinderella.-Synopsis:A queen with a daughter died...
, The Sharp Grey Sheep
The Sharp Grey Sheep
The Sharp Grey Sheep or The Sharp-Horned Grey Sheep is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as John Dewar, labourer, from Glendaruail, Cowal....
, The Story of Tam and Cam
The Story of Tam and Cam
The Story of Tấm and Cám is an ancient Vietnamese fairy tale. Best known as the Vietnamese version of Cinderella.The last section of the story has been the subject of controversy. An edited version was published in secondary school textbooks in 2011. This was supported by some educators and...
, and The Wonderful Birch
The Wonderful Birch
The Wonderful Birch is a Russian fairy tale.A variant on Cinderella, it is Aarne-Thompson folktale type 510A, the persecuted heroine. It makes use of shapeshifting motifs.Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
.
Synopsis
King Hugh Cùrucha had three daughters: Fair, Brown, and Trembling. Since Trembling was the most beautiful, her older sisters made her stay at home, for fear that she would marry before them. After seven years, the son of the king of Emania fell in love with Fair. A henwife told Trembling she should go to church; when she objected that she had no suitable dress, the henwife gave her one, a horse, a honey-finger, and a honey-bird and told her to leave as soon as Mass was done. She obeyed, and got away before any man came near her. After two more times, the son of the king of Emania forgot Fair for the woman who had come to church and ran after her, managing to get her shoe when she rode off.The king's son looked for the woman whose foot the shoe fit, although the other king's sons warned him that he would have to fight them for her. They searched all over, and when they came to the house, they insisted on trying Trembling as well. The king's son said at once that she was the woman; Trembling went off and reappeared in the clothing she had worn to church, and everyone else agreed.
The sons of foreign kings fought him for her, but the king's son defeated them all, and the Irish king's sons said they would not fight one of their own. So the king's son and Trembling got married. Trembling had a son, and her husband sent for Fair to help her. One day, when they walked by the seashore, Fair pushed Trembling in. A whale swallowed Trembling, and Fair passed herself off as her sister. The prince put his sword in bed between them, declaring that if she were his wife, it would grow warm, and if not, it would grow cold. In the morning, it was cold.
A cowherd had seen Fair push Trembling in and saw the whale swallow her. The next day, he saw the whale spit her back up. She told him that the whale would swallow and spit her back up three
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
times, and she could not leave the beach. Unless her husband rescued her by shooting the whale in a spot on its back, she would not be freed.
Her sister gave the cowherd a drink that made him forget the first time, but the second, he told the prince. The prince shot the whale. They sent word to her father, who said that they could execute Fair if they wanted to. They told him he could do as he pleased, so the father abandoned her on the sea in a barrel, with provisions.
Their next child was a daughter, and they decided to marry her to the cowherd.
Motifs
The heroine being disposed of also appears in The Twa SistersThe Twa Sisters
"The Twa Sisters" is a murder ballad that recounts the tale of a girl drowned by her sister. It is first known to have appeared on a broadside in 1656 as "The Miller and the King's Daughter." At least 21 English variants exist under several names, including "Minnorie" or "Binnorie", "The Cruel...
, Bushy Bride
Bushy Bride
Bushy Bride is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe. It is Aarne-Thompson type 403, the black and the white bride.-Synopsis:...
, and The Sea-Maiden
The Sea-Maiden
The Sea-Maiden is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as John Mackenzie, fisherman, near Inverary. Joseph Jacobs included it in Celtic Fairy Tales.-Synopsis:...
; in the latter two, the heroine must be rescued by the hero.