THE OVERTURNED CART
by Ada M. Skinner · from Merry Tales
Adapted Version
Wry-Face was a little gnome. He liked to play naughty tricks. He liked to make people sad. Oh-I-Am walked by. He saw Wry-Face hiding. Wry-Face had a white soft feather. This feather was magic. It made things fall down. Wry-Face put the feather in the road. Oh-I-Am watched him closely.
Then One-Eye came. She was a spud wife. She had a big cart. The cart was full of spuds. Her cart rolled along. The cart went over the soft feather. Crash! Bang! The cart fell down with a loud noise. The spuds flew out. They went all over the ground. It was a very big mess. One-Eye felt sad.
Wry-Face laughed. He laughed very hard. He rolled on the ground. He thought it was very funny. Then he flew away quickly. He still laughed and laughed. One-Eye did not laugh at all. She cried. Big tears fell from her eyes. Drip, drip, drip. She could not fix her cart alone. She could not get all the spuds.
Original Story
THE OVERTURNED CART
One day, as Oh-I-Am, the wizard, went over Three-Tree Common, his shoe became untied, and he bent down to refasten it. Then he saw Wry-Face, the gnome, hiding among the bracken and looking as mischievous as anything. In one hand he held a white fluff-feather. Now these feathers are as light as anything, and will blow in the wind; and whatever they are placed under, whether light or heavy, they are bound to topple over as soon as the wind blows.
As Oh-I-Am tied his shoe he saw Wry-Face place his fluff-feather carefully in the roadway, and at the same moment there came along One-Eye, the potato wife, with her cart full of potatoes. The cart went rumble, 124crumble, crack, crack, crack, over the leaves and twigs, and One-Eye sang to her donkey:
“Steady, steady,
We’re always ready,—”
in a most cheerful voice.
Then the cart came to the fluff-feather, and over it went—crash, bang, splutter; and the potatoes flew everywhere, like rain.
Wry-Face, the gnome, laughed to himself so that he ached, and he rolled over the ground with mirth. Then he flew away, laughing as he went.
But One-Eye, the potato wife, was not laughing. Her tears went drip-drip as she started to gather her potatoes together. And as to getting her cart straight again, she did not know how she was to do it.
But, when she turned round from gathering together the potatoes, she found that the cart was all right again, since Oh-I-Am the wizard had straightened it for her, and the donkey was standing on his legs, none the worse for his fall.
125Oh-I-Am looked stern and straight in his brown robe which trailed behind him. He said,
“One-Eye, have you got all your potatoes together?”
One-Eye still wept. She said, “No, I have not found all of them, for some have wandered far. And I must not seek further, for this is market day, and I must away to the town.”
And she began to gather up the potatoes, and drop them into the cart, thud, thud, thud.
Oh-I-Am stooped then, and he, too, gathered up the potatoes; and he threw them into the cart, splish, splash, splutter!
“Alas!” said One-Eye, “if you throw them into the cart, splish, splash, splutter, you will bruise and break them. You must throw them in gently, thud, thud, thud.”
So Oh-I-Am held back his anger, and he threw the potatoes in gently, thud, thud, thud. But, when the potato wife had gone on her way, he flew to his Brown House by the Brown Bramble; and he began to weave a spell.
He put into it a potato, and a grain of earth, and a down from a pillow, and a pearl and an 126apple pip from a pie. And when the spell was ready, he lay down, and fell asleep.
Wry-Face had gone round to all the neighbors to tell them the grand joke about One-Eye, the potato wife. Sometimes he told it through the window, and sometimes he stood at the door. Sometimes he told it to a gnome who was fine and feathery, and sometimes to one who was making bread. But all the time he laughed, laughed, laughed, till he was scarcely fit to stand.
Now he did not call at Oh-I-Am’s fine house to tell him, not he! And it was quite unnecessary, since Oh-I-Am knew the joke already, every bit.
Oh-I-Am had hidden the spell in his cupboard. When it was evening time, he stole out and laid it by Wry-Face’s door. Then he went home, and went to bed.
Wry-Face was making a pie for his supper. Suddenly the room became as dark as dark. The darkness was not night coming on, for this was summer time and night never came on as quickly as all that.
129“Dear me, what can be the matter?” thought Wry-Face; for he could barely see to finish making his pie.
Then he heard a little voice from his window, crying, “Here I am, Wry-Face, here I am!” But he could not go out to see what it was yet awhile.
When the apple pie was finished and in the oven, Wry-Face ran outside as fast as he could. But he did not see the spell which Oh-I-Am had placed by his door.
What he did see was a great potato plant which had sprung up suddenly close to his window, and was springing up further still, high, high, and higher.
“Good gracious me!” cried Wry-Face in a rage, “I never planted a potato plant there, not in my whole life! Now I should just like to know what you are doing by my window?”
The potato plant took no notice, but went on climbing high, high, and higher, and, ever so far above, he heard a tiny faint voice crying,
“Here I am, Wry-Face, here I am!”
“Well, I never did!” cried Wry-Face, and 130he began to weep; for he saw that the potato plant would climb up to his roof and round his chimney and he would never be able to get rid of it.
And he wept and wept.
At last he went in, and took his pie out of the oven, and set it in the pantry, for it was quite done. And he found a spade, and went out, and began to dig and dig at the root of the potato plant. But his digging did not seem to make any difference, and the evening began to grow darker.
Wry-Face fetched his little lamp, which is named Bright Beauty and which always burns without flickering. Then he went on digging, and he dug and dug and dug.
And when he had dug for hours and hours, so that he was very, very tired, the potato plant began suddenly to dwindle and dwindle. It dwindled as fast as anything, the leaves disappeared and the stem disappeared and all the horrid stretching arms. They sank down, down, and down, till at last there was nothing left at all but—a big brown potato!
131“Well, I do declare!” cried Wry-Face. “I should like to know what you have to do with my fine garden.”
The potato replied, “I jumped here from the cart of One-Eye, the potato wife, and it is quite certain that unless I am taken back to her immediately, I shall start again, growing and growing and growing.”
“Dear potato, you must not start growing again,” cried Wry-Face, in a great way. “To-night I am so tired, I cannot do anything, but if you will but wait till to-morrow I will take you back to One-Eye, the potato wife—I will, indeed.”
At first the potato would not listen to this at all; but after a while it said, “Well, well, I will wait till to-morrow. But remember, if you do not carry me home to One-Eye, the potato wife, to-morrow, I shall grow into a potato tree, without a doubt.”
So Wry-Face carried the potato into his house, and stored it in his bin. But he never noticed the spell which Oh-I-Am had placed by his door.
132“I am so tired, I can scarcely yawn,” said Wry-Face. “It is quite time for me to have my supper and go to bed.”
So he fetched the apple pie from the pantry and set it upon the table, and presently he sat down to his meal.
And he forgot for a moment how tired he was, thinking how delightful it was to sit down to a supper of apple pie.
Then he lifted his knife and fork to cut off a large piece, but alas, the fork stuck fast. As for the knife, it would not move either, not an inch. Wry-Face began to weep.
“Alack, what has happened to my apple pie?” cried he, and his tears fell, round as round.
Then he got upon his feet, and he caught hold of the knife and fork and pulled and pulled and pulled. And with the last pull the top of the apple pie came off, sticking to the knife and fork, and Wry-Face saw that within the pie there was not one piece of apple, but—a big brown potato!
Wry-Face wept again with horror at the sight.
133“I should like to know,” cried he, “what you are doing in my fine apple pie?”
The brown potato replied, as cool as cool, “I am one of the potatoes belonging to One-Eye, the potato wife, and I turned the apples out, that I might hide here awhile. But this I must tell you, Wry-Face, unless you take me home to the potato wife immediately, here, in this pie dish, I intend to remain.”
“Alas!” cried Wry-Face, “to-night I am so tired I could never find One-Eye; but if you will but wait till to-morrow, I will carry you home to the potato wife—I will, indeed.”
At first the potato would not agree to this at all, but after a while it said, “Very well, I will wait till to-morrow. But remember, my Wry-Face, if you do not carry me home to One-Eye to-morrow, I will creep into every pie you make; and you will die at last of starvation without a doubt.”
So Wry-Face stored the potato in the potato bin and went supperless to bed. And he knew nothing of the spell which Oh-I-Am had placed by his door.
134Now he got into bed, and thought he would go to sleep; but oh, how hard the mattress was! Wry-Face lay this way, then that, but no matter which way he lay, he found a great hump just beneath him which was as hard as hard, and as nobbly as could be.
Wry-Face tossed and tossed till it was nearly morning; and his bones were so sore that he could lie no longer.
Then he pulled the mattress from the bed and cut a great hole in it, and when he had searched and searched he found in the middle of the mattress—a big brown potato!
“This,” cried Wry-Face, “is why I have not slept the whole night through!” And he wept like anything.
But the potato was as cool as cool.
“I belong,” it said, “to One-Eye, the potato wife; and let me tell you, my little gnome, unless you take me to her immediately, I shall climb into your mattress again, and there I shall remain.”
“Alas,” cried Wry-Face, “I have tossed about for hours and hours and am too tired 135to do anything. But if you will wait till to-morrow, dear potato, I will carry you to One-Eye, the potato wife—I will, indeed.”
At first the potato was unwilling to listen to this, but after a while it said, “Very well, then, I will wait till the morning. But this much I know, my Wry-Face, if you do not carry me then to One-Eye, the potato wife, I shall get into your mattress and you shall roll again every night.”
So Wry-Face put the potato in the bin. When he had done that he went to bed, and slept and slept.
When the sun was shining he awoke, and he remembered that he had to carry the potatoes back to One-Eye, the potato wife; and he was as cross as anything.
“Well, I suppose I must,” he said. And when he had had his breakfast, he went to his cupboard to get a sack.
Then he found that his sack was full of pearls which he had gathered together for Heigh-Heavy, the giant, whose daughter, So-Small, he wished to marry.
136So he thought, “First of all I will carry the pearls to Heigh-Heavy, for that is more important.” And away he went with the sack upon his back. And he never saw the spell which Oh-I-Am had placed beside his door.
When he reached the Most Enormous House of Heigh-Heavy, the Giant, there the giant was sitting in his parlor lacing his shoes.
So Wry-Face cried out in a gay little voice, “Here I am, Heigh-Heavy, here I am. And here is a bag of pearls which I have brought you in exchange for your beautiful daughter, So-Small.”
When Heigh-Heavy heard this, he stopped lacing his shoes, and said, “You must bring me in exchange for my daughter So-Small as many pearls as will cover my palm.”
Then Wry-Face ran forward and he tipped up the sack; and, standing high upon his toes, he shook out all that it held into the hand of Heigh-Heavy, the Giant.
Now all that it held was—one brown potato!
Wry-Face the gnome stared and stared and 137stared, his eyes growing rounder and rounder; but he had no time to weep, on account of Heigh-Heavy the giant who had fallen into a rage terrible to see.
“Now there is one thing quite certain,” said Heigh-Heavy, “and that is that you shall never marry my daughter So-Small, for, my Wry-Face, I will turn you into a brown potato, and a brown potato you shall remain your whole life through.”
When Wry-Face heard this terrible threat he took to his heels, and ran from the Most Enormous House of Heigh-Heavy, the giant. He ran, and ran, till his coat was torn and his ears were red; and he never rested till he reached his cottage door, and got inside.
Heigh-Heavy laughed till he cried to see the little gnome run. “He will play no tricks on me!” said he. And he went in and shut the door.
But Wry-Face said to himself, as he carried the potatoes, weeping, to the potato-wife:
“I will never play a trick on anyone again, not as long as I live!”
Story DNA
Moral
Those who play mischievous tricks on others will eventually suffer similar misfortunes themselves.
Plot Summary
Wry-Face, a mischievous gnome, uses a magic fluff-feather to overturn One-Eye the potato wife's cart, scattering her goods and causing her distress. Oh-I-Am, a wizard who witnessed the act, secretly casts a spell that causes a single potato from the spilled cart to torment Wry-Face. This potato repeatedly appears in Wry-Face's life, growing into a giant plant, appearing in his pie, and making his bed lumpy, each time demanding to be returned to One-Eye. Finally, when Wry-Face tries to use 'pearls' (which the spell turns into the potato) to marry a giant's daughter, the giant threatens to turn him into a potato. Terrified, Wry-Face returns the potatoes to One-Eye and vows never to play tricks again.
Themes
Emotional Arc
mirth to suffering to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a simple, agrarian society where a spilled cart of goods could be a significant misfortune.
Plot Beats (13)
- Oh-I-Am, the wizard, sees Wry-Face, the gnome, place a magic fluff-feather in the road.
- One-Eye, the potato wife, drives her cart over the feather, causing it to overturn and spill all her potatoes.
- Wry-Face laughs hysterically and flies away, while One-Eye weeps, unable to right her cart or gather all her potatoes.
- Oh-I-Am secretly rights the cart and helps One-Eye gather potatoes, then goes home to weave a retaliatory spell.
- Wry-Face boasts to all his neighbors about his trick on One-Eye.
- Oh-I-Am places the spell by Wry-Face's door, which causes a potato to grow into a giant plant outside Wry-Face's window, demanding to be returned to One-Eye.
- Wry-Face digs for hours to get rid of the plant, which eventually shrinks back into a single potato, threatening to regrow if not returned.
- The next day, Wry-Face finds a potato in his apple pie, which demands to be returned to One-Eye, threatening to spoil all his future pies.
- Wry-Face finds a potato in his mattress, which demands to be returned to One-Eye, threatening to make his bed lumpy every night.
- Wry-Face decides to deliver pearls to Heigh-Heavy the giant to marry his daughter, prioritizing this over returning the potatoes.
- Upon reaching the giant's house, Wry-Face empties his sack, but instead of pearls, only a single potato falls out.
- Heigh-Heavy, enraged by the perceived trick, threatens to turn Wry-Face into a potato.
- Wry-Face flees in terror, runs home, and immediately takes the potatoes to One-Eye, vowing never to play tricks again.
Characters
Oh-I-Am ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, with a stern and straight posture. His presence is commanding yet calm.
Attire: A long, flowing brown robe that trails behind him. The fabric is likely sturdy and simple, perhaps wool or a thick linen, suggesting practicality rather than ostentation.
Wants: To maintain order and fairness, and to teach those who cause mischief a lesson.
Flaw: His anger, which he has to actively hold back, suggesting a potential for impulsiveness if unchecked.
He acts as an agent of justice, using his magic to teach Wry-Face a lesson without direct confrontation. He remains consistent in his role as a wise, stern figure.
Stern, just, observant, resourceful, and capable of holding back anger. He is a problem-solver who believes in teaching lessons.
Image Prompt & Upload
A stern adult male wizard standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a serious expression, a direct gaze. He wears a long, flowing, simple brown wool robe that trails behind him. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Wry-Face ⚔ antagonist
A small, mischievous gnome. His face is described as 'Wry-Face', implying a twisted or contorted expression, often associated with cunning or amusement. He is small enough to hide among bracken.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but gnomes in folklore often wear rustic, earthy clothing, perhaps a tunic and trousers made of natural fibers, in greens, browns, or grays, suitable for hiding in nature. His coat is mentioned as being torn from running.
Wants: To cause mischief and find amusement at others' expense. He also desires to marry So-Small, the giant's daughter, for which he gathers pearls.
Flaw: His cruelty and thoughtlessness, which lead him to be targeted by Oh-I-Am's spell. He is also easily frightened and lacks courage when faced with real threats.
Starts as a gleeful prankster, but through Oh-I-Am's spell, he is tormented by the consequences of his actions. He learns a lesson and vows never to play a trick again, showing a transformation from malicious to remorseful.
Mischievous, cruel, thoughtless, easily amused, boastful, and ultimately cowardly. He enjoys pranks but cannot handle consequences.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small adult male gnome, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a mischievous, slightly twisted 'wry' expression, with narrow, glinting eyes. He wears a rustic green tunic, brown trousers, and simple leather boots. His hair is wild and unkempt. He holds a single white fluff-feather in one hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
One-Eye ◆ supporting
A potato wife, implying a sturdy, working-class build, accustomed to physical labor like pushing a cart. Her name 'One-Eye' suggests she has only one functioning eye, or perhaps an eye patch.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a potato wife, likely a sturdy dress or skirt and blouse made of linen or wool, possibly with an apron, in earthy tones. Her clothes would be functional for market day.
Wants: To sell her potatoes at the market and earn a living.
Flaw: Her vulnerability to misfortune and her tendency to weep when overwhelmed.
She is a victim of Wry-Face's prank, but her cart is righted by Oh-I-Am. She serves as the catalyst for Oh-I-Am's spell against Wry-Face, but her own situation is quickly resolved.
Cheerful, hardworking, resilient, but also easily distressed and prone to weeping when faced with misfortune. She is practical and knows her trade.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sturdy adult woman, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has one eye (or an eye patch over one eye), and a weathered, kind face. Her hair is pulled back in a practical bun. She wears a simple, sturdy brown linen dress, a cream apron, and practical leather shoes. She stands next to a wooden cart overflowing with brown potatoes. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Heigh-Heavy ○ minor
A giant of enormous size, large enough that his palm can hold many pearls (or a single potato appears tiny). He lives in a 'Most Enormous House'.
Attire: Not specified, but would be appropriate for a giant, perhaps simple, oversized garments made of sturdy materials. He is seen lacing his shoes, implying large, practical footwear.
Wants: To ensure his daughter marries someone worthy, and to punish those who insult him.
Flaw: His quick temper and pride.
A static character who serves to deliver a final, terrifying consequence to Wry-Face.
Demanding, easily angered, and capable of terrible threats. He is protective of his daughter.
Image Prompt & Upload
An enormous adult male giant, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a stern, imposing face. He wears a simple, oversized tunic made of coarse brown fabric and large, sturdy leather boots. He holds out an open, empty palm, which is disproportionately large. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Potato ◆ supporting
A big brown potato, initially one among many, but later imbued with magical properties. It can grow into a plant or tree, and appear in unexpected places.
Attire: None, as it is a potato.
Wants: To be returned to its rightful owner, One-Eye, the potato wife.
Flaw: None apparent, as it is an enchanted object with a singular purpose.
It is transformed from an ordinary potato into a magical agent of justice, relentlessly pursuing Wry-Face until its mission is complete.
Persistent, demanding, unyielding, and 'cool as cool'. It is relentless in its mission to return to One-Eye.
Image Prompt & Upload
A single, large, perfectly round, brown potato, with a few small 'eyes' visible on its surface. It stands upright on a flat surface. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Three-Tree Common
An open, grassy area with bracken (ferns) where a few prominent trees likely stand, traversed by a roadway. The ground is covered with leaves and twigs.
Mood: Initially peaceful and ordinary, quickly becoming mischievous and chaotic.
Oh-I-Am encounters Wry-Face, who then uses a magic feather to overturn One-Eye's potato cart, scattering potatoes everywhere.
Image Prompt & Upload
A winding, unpaved roadway cuts through a wide, gently rolling common. Patches of dense, green-brown bracken grow along the edges of the path, interspersed with scattered fallen leaves and small twigs. In the distance, three ancient, gnarled oak trees stand prominently against a soft, clear morning sky. The light is bright and even, casting subtle shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Oh-I-Am's Brown House by the Brown Bramble
A wizard's dwelling, likely modest and rustic, situated near bramble bushes. It contains a cupboard where spells are hidden.
Mood: Mysterious, focused, and purposeful as the wizard prepares his spell.
Oh-I-Am retreats here to weave a retaliatory spell against Wry-Face.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, rustic cottage built of dark, weathered timber planks, nestled amongst thick, thorny bramble bushes with deep green leaves and dark berries. A single, small window glows with a warm, internal light. The roof is thatched and slightly overgrown with moss. The surrounding ground is uneven and earthy, leading up to the cottage door. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Wry-Face's Cottage and Garden
A gnome's small cottage with a window, a pantry, and a garden space outside the door where a giant potato plant sprouts. Inside, there's a table, an oven, and a bed.
Mood: Initially cozy and domestic, quickly becoming unsettling, frustrating, and eventually terrifying due to the magical potato's antics.
Wry-Face is tormented by the magical potato, which grows outside his window, appears in his pie, and makes his bed uncomfortable, forcing him to confront his actions.
Image Prompt & Upload
A quaint, low-roofed gnome cottage with a small, round window, built into the base of a grassy knoll. Outside the front door, a patch of disturbed earth shows where a massive, rapidly growing potato plant with thick green leaves and sturdy stems is aggressively climbing towards the roof and chimney. Inside, a warm, flickering lamp casts long shadows across a simple wooden table and a small oven. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Most Enormous House of Heigh-Heavy, the Giant
A giant's dwelling, implied to be of immense scale, with a parlor where the giant sits.
Mood: Imposing and grand due to its scale, quickly turning menacing when the giant becomes enraged.
Wry-Face attempts to trade pearls for So-Small, but the pearls are magically replaced by a single potato, enraging the giant and causing Wry-Face to flee.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cavernous parlor within a colossal, rough-hewn stone house. Massive, unpolished timber beams support a high ceiling, and the walls are of cyclopean stonework. A single, enormous, crudely carved wooden chair dominates the space, with a giant's foot visible lacing a shoe. Sunlight streams in through a vast, arched window, illuminating dust motes in the air. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
