MAGIC EARS
by David Cory · from The Magic Soap Bubble
Adapted Version
Ned is a kind traveler. He walks in the forest. The sun goes down. Ned had helped a big Giant. He took his Magic Axe. He took his Magic Pickaxe. Ned walked on. It was getting dark. Shadows grew long.
Ned saw a small light. It was far away. He walked to the light. It was a small hut. A man opened the door. He had long, hairy ears. They looked like donkey ears. The man smiled. He said, "Come in. Eat with me." Ned went inside.
The man gave Ned some beans. "I am sad," he said. "A bad witch changed my ears. No magic can help me. But I heard of a Magic Axe. It can cut down big trees. Maybe it can help my ears." Ned listened.
A little bird sang outside. Its song was clear. "Ask the boy, dear man," it sang. "He has a Magic Axe. It can make your ears good. "Your ears will come back." Ned heard the bird.
Ned took out his Magic Axe. The man said, "Cut my ears!" Ned did not want. He took his Magic Gold Ring. Ned touched the donkey ears. He whispered, "Go away!" Long ears went away. Two normal ears grew.
The man was very happy. He touched his new ears. They were small and soft. He jumped up and down. He danced in the room. He sang a happy song. "My ears are free!" he sang. "No more donkey ears!"
Ned walked all the next day. He came to a pine forest. He saw a small hut. A girl opened the door. She looked shy. She said, "Come in." Ned saw four children. They looked at him.
The girl cooked black beans. It was time for supper. Ned sat with the family. They ate the beans. Ned was kind. He shared his food. Everyone ate together.
A black bird sat near Ned. It was a jackdaw. It hopped to Ned. The jackdaw whispered. "This family is very poor," it said. "I can show you how to help. Come with me tonight."
The children went to sleep. Ned looked at the jackdaw. Its eyes shone bright. The room grew light. The jackdaw nodded its head. It walked to the door. Ned knew what to do. He followed the bird outside. Ned and the jackdaw help the family. Ned is happy to help. Kindness is a wonderful magic.
Original Story
MAGIC EARS
"Dear me," said the giant suddenly. "I've forgotten all about my errand. You and your Magic Axe have robbed me of my memory," and the big man scratched his hand and looked anxiously at Ned.
"What is it?"
"I was to take a chicken to my old mother," answered the giant sadly.
"Go ahead," said Ned. "I can take care of myself. At any rate it is about time my friend the Gnome came back to me."
"You are very kind," said the giant. "Here are your Magic Axe and your Magic Pickaxe. I almost forgot them," and he set off at a great rate for his mother's house.
Ned, too, quickened his pace, for it was growing late, and the shadows creeping from tree to tree. At length he saw a light in the distance. It was a very little light, not much larger than a star, and at first Ned thought it might be a giant firefly. However, he kept on and after a while it turned out to be a little candle in the window of a poor woodcutter's hut. Knocking on the door, it was presently opened by a strange looking man. He had long hairy ears like a donkey and was dressed in the skins of wild animals.
"Welcome," he said in a kindly voice, "I am just preparing my evening meal. Come in and eat." Ned followed the donkey-eared man into the cottage and sat down at the rude wooden table on which were spread black bread and beans.
"I have but humble fare to offer you," said the donkey-eared man, but his smile was a kind one as he helped Ned to the beans with a large wooden spoon. "But as I see you are a traveler, you no doubt have fared worse at times," and he smiled again in such a friendly way, that Ned took a great liking to him.
"You are right. I'm a traveler, seeking adventures and many strange things I have seen while visiting Gnomeland."
"I have heard little of the world since my ears were changed into those of a donkey," sighed the donkey-eared man.
"Is there no magic charm which will remove them?" asked Ned, as he finished the last bean on his plate and wiped his mouth carefully with the pocket handkerchief which his kind mother had given him the very morning he had set out for Gnomeland.
"None whatever," answered the man with a sigh. "There is no charm nor magic herb, but I've heard tell of a Magic Axe that once cut down a charmed oak tree overshadowing a king's palace. But where am I to find that Magic Axe?"
"Oh master dear, pray ask this lad
Your donkey ears to sever;
For then your own two ears will take
Their place as good as ever,"
sang a little bird from her tree in the forest.
When Ned heard that, he jumped up and went behind the door where he had hung his knapsack. Taking out the Magic Axe, he laid it on the table before the donkey-eared man.
"Cut off my ears!" shouted the donkey-eared man.
"I can't do it," said Ned, trembling all over.
"Do as I ask you," begged the donkey-eared man, laying his head on the table.
Instead, however, Ned touched the donkey ears with his little magic gold ring, at the same time whispering, "Away with you!"
Off went the long, hairy ears, and the next minute, two grew in their place, just like yours and mine.
"Oh, now I'm free from donkey ears,
Three cheers and once, again, three cheers!
No more the witch's evil snare
Shall force me donkey ears to wear!"
sang the donkey-eared man, dancing about the room.
All the next day Ned trudged on alone until towards evening, he came to the edge of a pine-forest, where close at hand stood a small hut made of pine-branches, plastered with mud and thatched with rye-straw. No sooner had he tapped on the door than it was opened by a girl. She looked out timidly, thinking, I suppose, it might be a robber. But when she saw Ned, she smiled.
"Come in," she said, and Ned saw four small children staring curiously at him.
The room was very smoky, for there was no chimney to the rude hut. A hole in the roof let the smoke out, and there were no windows, for the father of these children was a poor peasant who made his living by gathering turpentine in the pine forest.
Ned sat down, while the girl went on with her work until the black beans were ready for supper, when she put them all in a big wooden bowl, and invited Ned to join her and the four children.
While they were eating out of the bowl with a wooden spoon, a tame jackdaw who had been sitting on an old stool by the fireside, hopped over and perched himself close to Ned.
When the supper was over, and the children were ready for bed, he whispered, "This little family is very poor. Their father is away selling turpentine, and there is little food in the cupboard. But if you will come with me tonight, I will show you how we can help them."
When all the children were sound asleep, Ned looked over to the fireside where the jackdaw sat, his eyes shining brighter and brighter through the darkness, till they made the room so light that Ned could plainly see the five sleeping children huddled together on the straw bed in the corner.
Then the jackdaw nodded, and hopping down from the stool on which he sat, walked softly over to the door.
The moon shone brightly on the bare brown fields silvered with white frost, and in the still, cold air, the forest looked like a black cloud just dropped upon the earth.
Story DNA
Moral
Kindness and generosity are often rewarded, and even small acts of magic can bring great change.
Plot Summary
Ned, a traveler with magic items, encounters a kind woodcutter cursed with donkey ears. Guided by a singing bird, Ned uses his Magic Gold Ring to restore the woodcutter's normal ears, bringing him immense joy. Continuing his journey, Ned finds a very poor family living in a simple hut. A tame jackdaw reveals the family's plight and offers to show Ned how to help them, leading Ned out into the night for a new adventure of kindness.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to fulfillment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
David Cory was a prolific American children's author in the early 20th century, often writing simple, moralistic tales. This story reflects common fairy tale tropes of the era.
Plot Beats (10)
- Ned, having helped a giant, retrieves his Magic Axe and Pickaxe and continues his journey as evening approaches.
- Ned finds a small light and discovers a woodcutter's hut, where he is welcomed by a man with long, hairy donkey ears.
- The woodcutter shares his humble meal and laments his condition, explaining that a witch's snare transformed his ears and no charm can remove them, though he's heard of a Magic Axe.
- A little bird sings a verse, suggesting Ned can use his Magic Axe to help the woodcutter.
- Ned, instead of cutting, touches the donkey ears with his Magic Gold Ring, restoring the woodcutter's normal ears.
- The woodcutter rejoices, singing about his freedom from the witch's snare.
- The next day, Ned travels until he finds a poor peasant's hut in a pine forest, where he is invited in by a girl and sees four small children.
- Ned shares a simple meal of black beans with the family.
- A tame jackdaw whispers to Ned about the family's extreme poverty and offers to show him how to help them.
- After the children are asleep, the jackdaw's eyes glow, lighting the room and signaling Ned to follow him out into the cold, moonlit night.
Characters
Ned
Average height and build for a young man, with a generally neat appearance despite being a traveler. His movements are quick and decisive when needed, but also show a degree of nervousness or caution.
Attire: Practical, durable traveler's clothes suitable for walking long distances and through forests. Likely made of sturdy linen or wool in muted, earthy tones, possibly a simple tunic, trousers, and a cloak, with sturdy leather boots. He carries a knapsack.
Wants: To seek adventures and explore the world, and to use his magical items for good.
Flaw: His timidity and reluctance to perform drastic actions, even when asked (e.g., cutting off the donkey ears).
He starts as an adventurer seeking experiences and grows by using his magical items to directly help others, overcoming his initial hesitation to perform a 'magical cure'.
Kind, adventurous, compassionate, resourceful, and somewhat timid when faced with extreme requests. He is driven by a desire for adventure and to help others.
The Giant
Extremely large and tall, with a powerful build. His movements are quick despite his size when he is in a hurry. He scratches his hand when anxious.
Attire: Simple, oversized clothing befitting a giant, likely made of coarse, durable fabric in earthy tones, such as a large tunic and trousers. Practical for his size and lifestyle.
Wants: To fulfill his errand of taking a chicken to his old mother.
Flaw: His forgetfulness, which Ned attributes to the Magic Axe.
A minor character who briefly interacts with Ned, showing a moment of forgetfulness and then gratitude.
Forgetful, kind, anxious, and appreciative. He is concerned about his mother.
The Donkey-Eared Man
A strange-looking man, distinguished by his long, hairy ears like a donkey. He lives in a poor woodcutter's hut.
Attire: Dressed in the skins of wild animals, indicating a life in the wilderness and poverty. This would be rough, untanned hides, possibly sewn together crudely, in natural browns and grays.
Wants: To be freed from his donkey ears and return to his normal human form.
Flaw: His curse, which has isolated him and made him sad.
He begins as a resigned, cursed man and is transformed into a joyful, free individual by Ned's magic.
Kind, hospitable, sad, resigned, and ultimately joyful. He is welcoming to strangers despite his own misfortune.
The Little Bird
A small, unnamed bird, likely a common forest bird. Its size is 'little'.
Attire: Natural plumage of a forest bird, perhaps brown, grey, or speckled, allowing it to blend into its environment.
Wants: To provide crucial information to help the Donkey-Eared Man.
Flaw: None explicitly shown.
A static character who delivers a key piece of information.
Helpful, observant, and knowledgeable about magic.
The Woodcutter's Daughter
A young woman, likely thin from poverty, with a timid but kind demeanor. She is responsible for her younger siblings.
Attire: Poor peasant clothing, likely a simple, worn linen dress or smock in muted, undyed colors, possibly patched. Practical for a life of hard work in a smoky hut.
Wants: To care for her younger siblings and manage the household in her father's absence.
Flaw: Her family's extreme poverty and her father's absence.
A static character who represents the poverty Ned encounters and wishes to help.
Timid, kind, responsible, hardworking, and caring towards her siblings.
The Jackdaw
A tame jackdaw, a medium-sized crow-like bird with glossy black plumage and distinctive pale grey eyes. Its eyes shine brighter and brighter in the dark.
Attire: Its natural black and grey plumage.
Wants: To help the poor woodcutter's family.
Flaw: None explicitly shown.
A static character who guides Ned to help the family.
Observant, intelligent, compassionate, and helpful. It acts as a guide and informant.
Locations
Woodcutter's Hut
A poor woodcutter's hut with a single small candle in the window. Inside, it has a rude wooden table and humble fare of black bread and beans. The atmosphere is simple and welcoming.
Mood: Humble, welcoming, slightly mysterious due to the donkey-eared man
Ned meets the donkey-eared man, learns of his curse, and uses the Magic Axe (or rather, his magic ring) to restore his ears.
Pine Forest Edge
The edge of a dense pine forest, with bare brown fields stretching out, silvered with white frost under a bright moon. The forest itself appears like a black cloud against the night sky.
Mood: Cold, stark, quiet, mysterious
Ned arrives at the edge of the forest before discovering the second hut and its inhabitants.
Peasant's Hut in Pine Forest
A small, crude hut made of pine branches plastered with mud and thatched with rye-straw. Inside, the room is very smoky due to the lack of a chimney, with a hole in the roof for smoke escape and no windows. A straw bed is in the corner.
Mood: Poor, humble, smoky, but with a sense of family closeness
Ned finds a poor family, shares a meal, and is prompted by the jackdaw to help them.