Munachar and Manachar
by Joseph Jacobs · from Collected Folk Tales
Adapted Version
One day, Muna and Mana picked raspberries. The berries were red and sweet. Muna picked many berries in her basket. Mana picked some, but he was still hungry.
"Yum, berries!" said Mana. He ate all of Muna's berries. Every single one.
Muna felt very sad. Her basket was empty. "That was not kind," she said quietly. "I will get a stick. I will make a gadget for Mana."
Muna went to find a good stick. She found a long, strong one. But the stick spoke! "Get an axe for me," said the stick. "Then you can take me."
Muna needed help. She asked for many things. She asked for a stone and water. She asked for a deer and a dog. She asked for butter, a cat, and milk. She asked farmers and a miller for help.
The miller wanted water in a sieve. "Fill this sieve for me," he said.
Muna tried to fill the sieve. She scooped water from the river. But the water fell out, plop, plop, plop. The sieve had many holes.
A crow flew by. Caw, caw! "Use clay!" said the crow. "Put clay on the sieve."
Muna found some soft, brown clay. She put clay on the sieve. She covered all the holes. Now the sieve was strong. She filled it with water. It held! No more drips.
Now Muna could get all the things. She worked fast. She got the cake for the farmers. She got straw for the cow. She got milk for the cat. She got butter for the dog. She got all the things she needed.
Finally, she got her stick. She made her stick into a special gadget. It was shiny and clever.
Muna went to find Mana. She wanted to show him the gadget. But Mana was not there. Mana had gone away to play somewhere else.
Muna shrugged. The gadget felt heavy in her hand. She learned a simple thing. Sharing berries is much better than making gadgets. It saves a lot of work. Muna smiled and walked home.
Original Story
MUNACHAR AND MANACHAR
here once lived a Munachar and a Manachar, a long time ago, and it is a long time since it was, and if they were alive now they would not be alive then. They went out together to pick raspberries, and as many as Munachar used to pick Manachar used to eat. Munachar said he must go look for a rod to make a gad to hang Manachar, who ate his raspberries every one; and he came to the rod. "What news the day?" said the rod. "It is my own news that I'm seeking. Going looking for a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the rod, "until you get an axe to cut me." He came to the axe. "What news to-day?" said the axe. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for an axe, an axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one." [93]
"You will not get me," said the axe, "until you get a flag to edge me." He came to the flag. "What news to-day?" says the flag. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," says the flag, "till you get water to wet me." He came to the water. "What news to-day?" says the water. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the water, "until you get a deer who will swim me." He came to the deer "What news to-day?" says the deer. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the deer, "until you get a hound who will hunt me." He came to the hound. "What news to-day?" says the hound. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the hound, "until you get a bit of butter to put in my claw." He came to [94] the butter. "What news to-day?" says the butter. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the butter, "until you get a cat who shall scrape me." He came to the cat. "What news to-day?" said the cat. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the cat, "until you will get milk which you will give me." He came to the cow. "What news to-day?" said the cow. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cow, cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get any milk from me," said the cow, "until you bring me a whisp of straw from those threshers yonder." He came to the threshers. "What news to-day?" said the threshers. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a whisp [95] of straw from ye to give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get any whisp of straw from us," said the threshers, "until you bring us the makings of a cake from the miller over yonder." He came to the miller. "What news to-day?" said the miller. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for the makings of a cake which I will give the threshers, the threshers to give me a whisp of straw, the whisp of straw I will give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get any makings of a cake from me," said the miller, "till you bring me the full of that sieve of water from the river over there."
He took the sieve in his hand and went over to the river, but as often as ever he would stoop and fill it with water, the moment he raised it the water would run out of it again, and sure, if he had been there, from that day till this, he never could have filled it. A crow went flying by him, over his head, "Daub! daub!" said the crow. "My blessings on ye, then," said Munachar, "but it's the good advice you have," [96] and he took the red clay and the daub that was by the brink, and he rubbed it to the bottom of the sieve, until all the holes were filled, and then the sieve held the water, and he brought the water to the miller, and the miller gave him the makings of a cake, and he gave the makings of the cake to the threshers, and the threshers gave him a whisp of straw, and he gave the whisp of straw to the cow, and the cow gave him milk, the milk he gave to the cat, the cat scraped the butter, the butter went into the claw of the hound, the hound hunted the deer, the deer swam the water, the water wet the flag, the flag sharpened the axe, the axe cut the rod, and the rod made a gad, and when he had it ready to hang Manachar he found that Manachar had Burst .
[97]
Story DNA
Plot Summary
Munachar is frustrated when Manachar eats all his raspberries, prompting him to seek a rod to make a gad for revenge. This quest initiates a long, cumulative chain of requests, where each item Munachar needs demands another item or service in return. After a seemingly impossible task of filling a sieve with water is solved by a crow's advice, Munachar successfully completes the entire chain in reverse. However, upon returning with the rod, he discovers Manachar has already 'Burst,' rendering his elaborate plan for retribution pointless.
Themes
Emotional Arc
frustration to determined pursuit to anticlimax
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Joseph Jacobs collected and published this tale, likely from an oral tradition, as part of his 'Celtic Fairy Tales' (1892).
Plot Beats (16)
- Munachar and Manachar pick raspberries; Manachar eats all of Munachar's.
- Munachar decides to get a rod to make a gad to hang Manachar.
- The rod demands an axe to cut it.
- The axe demands a flag to edge it.
- The flag demands water to wet it.
- The water demands a deer to swim it.
- The deer demands a hound to hunt it.
- The hound demands butter for its claw.
- The butter demands a cat to scrape it.
- The cat demands milk.
- The cow demands straw from threshers.
- The threshers demand makings of a cake from the miller.
- The miller demands a sieve full of water from the river.
- Munachar struggles to fill the sieve until a crow advises him to daub it with clay.
- Munachar successfully fills the sieve, then completes the entire chain of requests in reverse order.
- Munachar returns with the rod, only to find Manachar has 'Burst'.
Characters
Munachar ★ protagonist
None explicitly mentioned, likely a common person of the era.
Attire: None explicitly mentioned, likely simple peasant attire appropriate for raspberry picking.
Determined, persistent, vengeful (initially), resourceful (later).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult protagonist with a determined expression, standing in a confident pose. They have shoulder-length brown hair, bright eyes, and a sturdy build. Dressed in a practical tunic of deep green leather, brown trousers, and sturdy boots. A simple sword hangs at their side, and a worn leather satchel is slung across their body. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Manachar ⚔ antagonist
None explicitly mentioned.
Attire: None explicitly mentioned, likely simple peasant attire.
Gluttonous, lazy, passive.
Image Prompt & Upload
An older man with a gaunt face, sharp cheekbones, and pale skin. He has thin, cruel lips twisted into a slight smile and dark, calculating eyes under heavy brows. His silver-streaked black hair is slicked back severely. He wears an elaborate, high-collared black cloak over dark, ornate armor with subtle metallic filigree. He stands tall with an authoritative posture, one hand resting on the pommel of a sheathed sword at his hip. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Rod ○ minor
A piece of wood, suitable for making a gad.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A slender wooden rod, about three feet long, carved from pale birchwood with a smooth, polished surface. Faint, silvery runes are etched along its length, glowing with a soft, internal light. It stands upright, balanced perfectly on its base, emanating a quiet, ancient magic. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Axe ○ minor
A tool with a blade, capable of cutting wood.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young boy of about twelve years old with a determined expression, standing tall with his feet planted firmly apart. He wears a simple, slightly oversized brown woolen tunic belted at the waist, rough-spun trousers, and worn leather boots. His short, messy brown hair has a few leaves tangled in it. He grips the handle of a large, well-used woodcutter's axe, resting its head on the ground beside his foot. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Flag ○ minor
A sharpening stone or flagstone.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A youthful figure with a serene, ageless face, perhaps in their late teens. They have long, flowing hair that shifts in color from deep crimson at the roots to bright white at the tips, rippling like fabric in a breeze. They wear a simple, sleeveless tunic of the same crimson and white, cinched at the waist with a golden cord. Their posture is poised and upright, one hand gently resting on their hip while the other holds a slender, polished wooden staff upright. Their expression is calm and watchful, with eyes the color of a clear sky. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Water ○ minor
A body of water, like a river or stream.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young, ethereal water spirit with translucent blue skin that shimmers like sunlight on a lake. She appears to be a child, around eight years old, with flowing hair made of liquid that cascades down her back in gentle ripples. Her eyes are deep ocean blue, sparkling with curiosity and mischief. She wears a flowing gown crafted from foam and mist, with droplets of water clinging to the fabric like tiny diamonds. Her feet are bare, hovering slightly above the ground. She is in a playful pose, one hand extended forward as if offering a gift, with a small whirlpool of water swirling in her palm. Her expression is gentle and welcoming, with a soft smile. Delicate fins, like those of a tropical fish, frame her face, and her fingers are slightly webbed. The light catches her form, making her appear almost holographic. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Deer ○ minor
A wild deer, capable of swimming.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A youthful humanoid figure with soft, tawny fur covering their slender limbs and torso. Small, budding antlers sprout from their tousled chestnut hair, which falls past their shoulders. Large, dark, gentle eyes hold a look of timid curiosity. They wear a simple, forest-green tunic cinched with a braided vine belt, and their bare feet are poised lightly on the ground. Their posture is slightly hunched, with one hand gently touching a small, white flower growing at their feet. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Hound ○ minor
A hunting dog with a claw.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young humanoid hound, appearing around twelve years old, with a scruffy brown fur coat, a long snout, and large, alert ears. He wears a patched, earth-toned tunic, simple trousers, and worn leather boots. A small, makeshift belt holds a wooden cup and a pouch. He stands with a curious, slightly tilted head posture, one hand resting on his hip. His expression is inquisitive and earnest. Slight dirt smudges on his face and clothing. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Butter ○ minor
A soft, yellow dairy product.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young child with soft golden hair and a gentle smile, wearing a simple cream-colored tunic and brown leggings, holding a small wooden butter churn with both hands. The child stands with a humble, upright posture, their cheeks slightly rosy. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Cat ○ minor
A domestic cat, capable of scraping butter.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A sleek, elegant black cat with glossy fur and piercing green eyes. It sits upright with a poised, intelligent posture, tail curled neatly around its front paws. Its expression is curious and slightly mysterious, with whiskers twitching subtly. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Cow ○ minor
A dairy cow, capable of giving milk.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young dairy cow with classic black and white patches, large gentle brown eyes, and a calm expression. She stands squarely on all four hooves, her tail relaxed. Simple and unadorned, with a smooth coat and soft muzzle. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Threshers ○ minor
None explicitly mentioned, likely farmers.
Attire: None explicitly mentioned, likely working clothes.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A pair of teenage farmhands, a boy and a girl, stand in a dusty grain field. The boy, with a mop of tousled brown hair and a freckled face, wears a rough linen shirt with rolled sleeves and patched trousers. He holds a wooden flail over his shoulder, looking tired but determined. The girl, her blonde braids coming undone, wears a simple dress with an apron. She wipes sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, a similar flail resting at her feet. A weathered wooden barn is visible in the distance under a hazy, golden-hour sky. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Miller ○ minor
None explicitly mentioned.
Attire: None explicitly mentioned, likely simple working clothes.
Demanding, uncooperative (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with flour dusting his dark hair and short beard, wearing a rough-spun brown tunic, a heavy leather apron, and worn leather boots. He stands in a rustic granary, his posture slightly weary but strong, holding a half-full burlap sack of grain. His expression is thoughtful and kind. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Crow ◆ supporting
A black bird, flying overhead.
Helpful, observant, wise (offering advice).
Image Prompt & Upload
A glossy-feathered crow with iridescent black plumage that shimmers with hints of deep blue and purple in the light. Its intelligent, watchful eyes are a striking amber-gold, gleaming with ancient wisdom. The bird is perched upright on a gnarled, weathered wooden staff, its head tilted slightly as if listening to a distant secret. Its beak is sharp and dark, and its feathers are sleek and well-kept, suggesting a creature of importance. The pose is dignified and observant, conveying a sense of quiet guidance and mysterious knowledge. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Raspberry Patch
A patch of land where raspberries grow.
Mood: Initially peaceful, then frustrating and vengeful.
Munachar and Manachar are picking raspberries, leading to Munachar's quest for revenge.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-drenched raspberry patch in a fairy tale forest clearing during golden hour. Lush, vibrant green bushes are heavily laden with clusters of deep red, perfectly ripe raspberries, glistening with tiny dewdrops. Dappled, warm sunlight filters through the canopy of ancient oak trees, creating pools of light and soft shadows on the mossy ground. A few wildflowers, like white daisies and purple clover, peek between the bushes. The air is still and hazy with golden pollen, evoking a sense of quiet abundance and magic. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
River Bank with Red Clay
The bank of a river, with red clay and daub nearby.
Mood: Frustrating, then resourceful and triumphant.
Munachar attempts to fill a sieve with water, fails, and then uses the clay to seal it with the help of a crow's advice.
Image Prompt & Upload
A serene riverbank at sunset, where the earth is sculpted from rich, rust-red clay. The steep, textured bank dominates the foreground, its surface cracked and layered in deep terracotta and ochre hues. A wide, calm river flows gently in the middle ground, its surface a mirror of liquid amber and gold, reflecting the fiery sky. Wisps of evening mist rise from the water. Sparse, dark green reeds and tall grasses grow along the water's edge, their silhouettes sharp against the glow. In the distance, a line of shadowy willow trees frames the scene under a sky painted in gradients of peach, lavender, and dusky blue. The atmosphere is tranquil, warm, and earthy. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.