Tritill, Litill, and the Birds
Encyclopedia
Tritill, Litill, and the Birds is a Hungarian fairy tale
. Andrew Lang
included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.
A version of the tale also appears in A Book of Ogres and Trolls
, by Ruth Manning-Sanders
. That version is said to come from Iceland
.
Near, a peasant couple had three sons; the older two were indulged, and the youngest
always had to give way to his brothers. The oldest set out to seek his fortune. He refused food to two beggars and threw stones at birds that looked for crumbs. He went to sleep in a cave, but an ogre
ss returned. She agreed to let him stay only if he would do a task in the morning, and then she set him to sweep out the cave. The dirt would not move, and the ogress hit him over the head, killing him. And the second brother followed and met the same fate.
The parents continued to mistreat their youngest, so he also set out. He gave some food to the first beggar, who told him to call his name, Tritill, if he needed help, and the same with the second, Litill, and he crumbed some of his bread for the birds, who also told him to call for help. He found the same cave and realized from bones and scraps of cloth that it was an ogress's lair, but remained. When she set him to sweep the floor, he called on Tritill, who did it for him.
The next day, the ogress set him to spread the feathers from her pillows to dry them and put them all back. He spread them out, a breeze carried them off, and he called on Tritill, Litill, and the birds. They put the feathers back.
The next day, the ogress set him to slaughter one of her fifty oxen, but she would not tell him which one. He called on Tritill and Litill, who slaughtered one and told him to ask for what lay on the bed, the chest at her bed's foot, and what lay under the cave's side. These proved to be the princess, a chest filled with gold and jewels, and a magical ship that moved over land and sea. He brought this all to the king, who agreed to the marriage.
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...
. 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 it in The Crimson Fairy Book.
A version of the tale also appears in A Book of Ogres and Trolls
A Book of Ogres and Trolls
A Book of Ogres and Trolls is a 1973 anthology of 13 fairy tales from around Europe that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. It is one in a long series of such anthologies by Manning-Sanders....
, by Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders was a prolific British poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world. All told, she published more than 90 books during her lifetime. The dust jacket for A Book of Giants...
. That version is said to come from Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Synopsis
A king's beautiful daughter vanished without a trace. The king proclaimed that whoever returned with her could marry her.Near, a peasant couple had three sons; the older two were indulged, and the youngest
Youngest son
The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters....
always had to give way to his brothers. The oldest set out to seek his fortune. He refused food to two beggars and threw stones at birds that looked for crumbs. He went to sleep in a cave, but an ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
ss returned. She agreed to let him stay only if he would do a task in the morning, and then she set him to sweep out the cave. The dirt would not move, and the ogress hit him over the head, killing him. And the second brother followed and met the same fate.
The parents continued to mistreat their youngest, so he also set out. He gave some food to the first beggar, who told him to call his name, Tritill, if he needed help, and the same with the second, Litill, and he crumbed some of his bread for the birds, who also told him to call for help. He found the same cave and realized from bones and scraps of cloth that it was an ogress's lair, but remained. When she set him to sweep the floor, he called on Tritill, who did it for him.
The next day, the ogress set him to spread the feathers from her pillows to dry them and put them all back. He spread them out, a breeze carried them off, and he called on Tritill, Litill, and the birds. They put the feathers back.
The next day, the ogress set him to slaughter one of her fifty oxen, but she would not tell him which one. He called on Tritill and Litill, who slaughtered one and told him to ask for what lay on the bed, the chest at her bed's foot, and what lay under the cave's side. These proved to be the princess, a chest filled with gold and jewels, and a magical ship that moved over land and sea. He brought this all to the king, who agreed to the marriage.