Kisa the Cat
Encyclopedia
Kisa the Cat is an Icelandic fairy tale
collected in Neuislandischen Volksmarchen. Andrew Lang
included an adapted version in The Brown Fairy Book.
, and soon after, the queen had a princess. The baby was very fond of the kitten, but one day, the kitten vanished and could not be found. Many years later, the princess was playing with a ball and threw it farther than usual; then she heard a voice calling her, and saying she was Kisa her sister. Ingibjorg had not remembered what had happened when she was a baby, and Kisa tried to persuade her when Ingibjorg's women arrived, and Kisa left. Ingibjorg told her mother, who told her it was true.
The next day, Ingibjorg went to the forest, but was kidnapped by a giant
. When she began to cry, the giant, to give her something to cry about, cut off her feet. Kisa came and brought a cart to carry her off. Kisa then went to the giants' home and tipped salt into their broth. This made them thirsty, and when they went to the river to drink, Kisa stole back the feet and put them back on the princess. Then she left.
Ingibjorg was despondent that Kisa had left without a word. The king resolved to marry her off to hearten her. He summoned handsome princes, and Ingibjorg chose one. Then Kisa reappeared and asked to sleep at the foot of her bed on her wedding night. Ingibjorg agreed, and in the morning, Kisa had turned into a beautiful princess. She told how she and her mother had been enchanted by a spiteful fairy
, and she lived in their castle until she married a prince herself.
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 in Neuislandischen Volksmarchen. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included an adapted version in The Brown Fairy Book.
Synopsis
A queen had a cat. One day, she lamented that the cat had a kitten but she had no child. The cat consulted a fairyFairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
, and soon after, the queen had a princess. The baby was very fond of the kitten, but one day, the kitten vanished and could not be found. Many years later, the princess was playing with a ball and threw it farther than usual; then she heard a voice calling her, and saying she was Kisa her sister. Ingibjorg had not remembered what had happened when she was a baby, and Kisa tried to persuade her when Ingibjorg's women arrived, and Kisa left. Ingibjorg told her mother, who told her it was true.
The next day, Ingibjorg went to the forest, but was kidnapped by a giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
. When she began to cry, the giant, to give her something to cry about, cut off her feet. Kisa came and brought a cart to carry her off. Kisa then went to the giants' home and tipped salt into their broth. This made them thirsty, and when they went to the river to drink, Kisa stole back the feet and put them back on the princess. Then she left.
Ingibjorg was despondent that Kisa had left without a word. The king resolved to marry her off to hearten her. He summoned handsome princes, and Ingibjorg chose one. Then Kisa reappeared and asked to sleep at the foot of her bed on her wedding night. Ingibjorg agreed, and in the morning, Kisa had turned into a beautiful princess. She told how she and her mother had been enchanted by a spiteful fairy
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
, and she lived in their castle until she married a prince herself.