The
Giant of the Flood: I like that the story is incorporating mythical
creatures with the story of Noah's Ark. I love unicorns and adding the giant as
a demon is interesting too. Why is the unicorn so big though? It was a bit
weird to harness it by the horn so it could swim. I love the way Noah blesses
the phoenix with immortality for being so kind. The poor giant, Og, is so sad
for having to be Noah's servant! Oh, the part about Og making the wine turn men
into sheep, lions, pigs, and monkeys is too good! Too bad Og broke his vow and
Moses cut him down.
The
Beggar King: King Hagag is indeed a very proud man and does what he
wants. After telling the High Priest that the bible needs censored, he takes
off for a hunt. The deer turns out to be a genie and is going to teach him a
lesson! I wonder what lesson it could be? Oh, wow! The deer genie is pretending
to be King Hagag now. The real King Hagag is not taken seriously and everyone
thinks he's a beggar of sorts. He is taught that being proud and scoffing at
the Holy Bible is punishable! Once the deer genie gives him back his royal
title, he is a changed man.
The
Quarrel of the Cat and Dog: No possible way could the cat and dog be
best friends! Well, maybe in this story... They agree to part ways after winter
becomes hard. Pussie will hunt at the house of Adam for mice and Doggie will
wander further away. Adam and Pussie got along very well! Doggie met the wolf,
but he was wounded in battle. The monkey also was mean to him. He wasn't a very
good protector of the sheep either. Finally, he reached Father Adam, but he
tried to warn him. Pussie learned they have met again and attacks Doggie out of
jealousy and betrayal. They could never be friends again.
The
Water-Babe: Princess Bathia finds the water-babe and takes the child
home to call him her own. He is named Moses. Even the cruel King Pharaoh adored
him. He is a very inquisitive child and the King's peers don't approve,
convinced he is evil. The story takes a morbid twist when they put the babe to
the test, whereas instant death is punishment if he chooses wrong. The princess
is given a magic staff that commands her wishes and she uses it to save him. It
is a staff that will belong to Moses. He saves the children of Israel!
From
Shepherd-Boy to King: David is quite the character. Hearing voices
might not be a good thing though! He considers the mountain to be magic since
it was barren. Eventually the mountain changes and he finds that it must be a
unicorn. After slipping from its back, he is face to face with the lion. A deer
passes by to save him. He actually did become king.
The
Magic Palace: This one is about Ibrahim, a pious man, starving with
his wife and five sons. He sets out to seek work and meets a man that proclaims
he is his slave, an Arab man. The Arab man is a builder and Ibrahim finds it
beautiful, thus bringing the architect to a merchant of the city. They
negotiate a price to build a palace. In such a small amount of time, it is
complete and the Arab is free. Turns out, it was Elijah the Prophet!
The
Sleep of One Hundred Years: In Jerusalem, Rabbi Onias traveled towards
the city. The First Temple has been destroyed and he comes upon a man in
sorrow. I agree that the city Zion reminds me of the dead! Suddenly a hundred
years pass by and Onias wakes to find himself old and grey... How strange. The
carob trees had grown! He meets his grandson and the Temple had been rebuilt.
He fell back asleep and awakened in a new world. This story really confused me!
King
for Three Days: This one is about Godfrey de Bouillon, a general and
leader! He marched to the Holy Land in command of armies. I think I'm going to
like this one. It appears that he was a very cruel man and wanted to kill the
Jews... Remind you of anyone? Me too. Rashi, a rabbi, refuses to bless his
massacre of the Jews. He tells Godfrey that he will claim Jerusalem but only
rule for three days. Despite being terrified, Godfrey parts ways. The prophecy was
true and his armies dwindled after three days and he was defeated in the city,
a broken man…
The
Higgledy-Piggledy Palace: This story is about Sarah and Abraham! She
is a beautiful women and reminds me of the story of Cupid & Psyche. Out of
fear for her safety, or maybe just jealousy, Abraham sealed his wife in a box
and told the city officials he carried barley! To conceal her, he is willing to
pay the highest of taxes to get her into the city. They keep raising the price,
assuming he is hiding something valuable. Unfortunately, Sarah is found and
brought to the king. Abraham prayed for her safety, shielded from his anger. A
spirit protects her from the king's touch. The king begs Abraham to help him
and he tells the king the truth, Sarah is his wife.
The
Rabbi's Bogey-Man: Here we are in the city of Prague with Rabbi Lion.
A lot of good details are used to make this scene really come alive. Apparently
he is a terrifying person due to his knowledge and such, often called a
magician. He made a mechanical woman, what?! She ends up running loose... Go
figure. The majesty is outraged that he made a "living creature" and
Rabbi Lion was scrutinized. The children began to see his creature as the
"bogey-man." The creature ends up with a will of its own, wanting to
fight for the king. He had to destroy his own creation.
The
Fairy Frog: Hanina is the song this story is about. The merchant tries
to sell him a casket. He took the casket home and continued to build around it,
despite it needing to grow in size. A frog taught his wife the word of man. A
learned sage among his peers. He is the fairy son of Adam and brings to them
the word of Adam. They end up famous for their treasures and live in happiness.
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