SCISSORS
by Joseph Jacobs · from Europa's Fairy Book
Adapted Version
Tom and Joan lived in a small house. Joan liked to say 'no'. She liked to say the other way. Tom said one thing. Joan said other. This made Tom sad at times. They lived as one. Joan was very, very stubborn. Tom wanted beef for dinner. Joan wanted pork. Joan wanted chicken. Tom wanted duck. They were often not same. This was their way.
One day, Joan was in the kitchen. She cleaned the room. She turned around fast. Her hand hit some pots. The pots fell down. They broke into many pieces. This made a big mess. The pots were on the shelf. Now they were on the floor. Crash! Bang! What a noise!
Tom heard the loud noise. He came to the kitchen. "What is this?" Tom asked. "What did you do?" Joan had small scissors. She did not want to say. She made a mistake. "I cut these pots," Joan said. "I used my scissors." She held them up. She showed Tom.
Tom looked at the broken pots. He looked at the small scissors. "No," Tom said. "You cannot cut pots with scissors." "That is not true." Joan said, "I did!" Tom said, "No, you didn't!" Joan said, "I did!" Tom said, "No, you didn't!" "Tell truth. I can help. No truth, no help." Tom said. Joan still said, "My scissors!" Tom sighed. He walked away. He left Joan with the broken pots. Joan was alone. She made the scissor gesture. The pots were still broken. She felt sad. She could not play now. Tom thought about Joan. He knew she was stubborn. She would not ask for help. The mess would stay. The pots stayed broken. Tom knew Joan needed to learn. Tell the truth. Friends can help you. This is needed.
Original Story
SCISSORS
Once upon a time, though it was not in my time nor in your time nor in anybody else's time, there lived a cobbler named Tom and his wife named Joan. And they lived fairly happily together, except that whatever Tom did Joan did the opposite, and whatever Joan thought Tom thought quite contrary-wise. When Tom wanted beef for dinner Joan liked pork, and if Joan wanted to have chicken Tom would like to have duck. And so it went on all the time.
Now it happened that one day Joan was cleaning up the kitchen and, turning suddenly, she knocked two or three pots and pans together and broke them all. So Tom, who was working in the front room, came and asked Joan, "What's all this? What have you been doing?" Now Joan had got the pair of scissors in her hand, and sooner than tell him what had really happened she said, "I cut these pots and pans into pieces with my scissors."
"What," said Tom, "cut pottery with your scissors, you nonsensical woman; you can't do it!"
"I tell you I did with my scissors!"
"You couldn't."
"I did."
"You couldn't."
"I did."
"Couldn't."
"Did."
"Couldn't."
"Did."
"Couldn't."
"Did."
At last Tom got so angry that he seized Joan by the shoulders and shoved her out of the house and said, "If you don't tell me how you broke those pots and pans I'll throw you into the river." But Joan kept on saying, "It was with the scissors"; and Tom got so enraged that at last he took her to the bank of the river and said, "Now for the last time, will you tell me the truth; how did you break those pots and pans?"
"With the scissors."
And with that he threw her into the river, and she sank once, and she sank twice, and just before she was about to sink for the third time she put her hand up into the air, out of the water, and made a motion with her first and middle finger as if she were moving the scissors. So Tom saw it was no use to try to persuade her to do anything but what she wanted. So he rushed up the stream and met a neighbour who said, "Tom, Tom, what are you running for?"
"Oh, I want to find Joan; she fell into the river just in front of our house, and I am afraid she is going to be drowned."
"But," said the neighbour, "you're running up stream."
"Well," said Tom, "Joan always went contrary-wise whatever happened." And so he never found her in time to save her.
Story DNA
Moral
Extreme stubbornness and a refusal to admit fault can lead to tragic and irreversible consequences.
Plot Summary
Tom and Joan, a married couple, are constantly at odds due to Joan's contrary nature. One day, Joan accidentally breaks some pots and pans but stubbornly insists she cut them with scissors. Despite Tom's disbelief and threats, Joan refuses to admit the truth. Enraged, Tom throws her into the river. As she drowns, Joan makes a final scissor-like gesture, demonstrating her unwavering defiance. Tom, knowing her contrary ways, runs upstream to search for her, but it is too late, and she is lost.
Themes
Emotional Arc
conflict to tragedy
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Joseph Jacobs was a prominent collector of English fairy tales, often adapting them for children. This story reflects a common folk tale motif of extreme stubbornness.
Plot Beats (10)
- Tom and Joan, a cobbler and his wife, live together, but Joan is always contrary to Tom.
- Joan accidentally breaks several pots and pans in the kitchen.
- When Tom asks what happened, Joan falsely claims she cut them with her scissors.
- Tom disbelieves her, and they engage in a repetitive argument where Joan insists she used scissors and Tom insists she couldn't have.
- Enraged by her stubbornness, Tom threatens to throw Joan into the river if she doesn't tell the truth.
- Joan maintains her lie, so Tom throws her into the river.
- As Joan sinks, she makes a final scissor-like gesture with her fingers, even as she drowns.
- Tom, recognizing her unyielding contrariness, runs upstream to find her, believing she would go against the current.
- Tom encounters a neighbor who questions his direction, but Tom explains Joan's nature.
- Tom never finds Joan in time to save her, and she is lost.
Characters
Tom ★ protagonist
A man of average height and sturdy build, accustomed to physical labor. His hands are likely calloused from his work as a cobbler. He has a generally exasperated expression, often with furrowed brows.
Attire: Simple, practical 19th-century English working-class attire: a sturdy, dark wool waistcoat over a plain linen shirt, possibly rolled-up sleeves, and dark breeches or trousers. He would wear thick, well-worn leather boots, likely self-made.
Wants: To have a peaceful, agreeable life with his wife; to understand the truth and reason behind events.
Flaw: His quick temper and inability to tolerate contradiction or stubbornness, leading him to extreme actions without fully thinking them through.
He fails to change or learn, ultimately leading to a tragic outcome due to his inability to understand or tolerate his wife's nature. He remains stubbornly practical even in his grief.
Hot-tempered, easily frustrated, stubborn, practical, somewhat naive.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult English cobbler standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a sturdy, average build, a ruddy complexion, and a square jaw. His short, dark brown hair is slightly disheveled. His brown eyes are wide with a frustrated expression. He wears a dark grey wool waistcoat over a cream linen shirt with rolled-up sleeves, dark brown breeches, and thick, well-worn leather boots. His hands are calloused. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Joan ⚔ antagonist
A woman of average height and build, perhaps a bit slender. Her movements are quick and sometimes clumsy, as evidenced by her knocking over pots. She has a defiant and stubborn set to her features.
Attire: Simple, practical 19th-century English working-class attire: a long, plain linen or cotton dress, possibly with a simple pattern, covered by a practical apron. She would wear sturdy, low-heeled shoes.
Wants: To maintain her own will and avoid admitting fault, even at great personal cost.
Flaw: Her extreme stubbornness and refusal to admit she is wrong, which ultimately leads to her demise.
She remains completely unchanged throughout the story, dying as she lived – stubbornly adhering to her own narrative, even in her final moments.
Stubborn, contrary, defiant, quick-witted (in her lies), unyielding.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult English woman standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has an average build and height, with a determined expression and a slightly upturned nose. Her dark brown hair is pulled back into a simple bun. She wears a long, plain blue linen dress covered by a white cotton apron. Her hands are empty, but her fingers are posed as if making a cutting motion. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Neighbor ○ minor
An ordinary man, likely of similar build to Tom, reflecting the common populace of a rural village.
Attire: Simple, practical 19th-century English working-class attire, similar to Tom's but perhaps less worn or specific to a cobbler's trade. Likely a plain shirt, trousers, and a simple jacket or waistcoat.
Wants: To understand why Tom is running and offer assistance if needed.
Flaw: None explicitly shown, as he is a minor character.
No arc; he serves as a plot device to highlight Tom's final, misguided action.
Observant, helpful (in offering advice), slightly confused by Tom's actions.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult English man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has an average build and height, with a common, unremarkable face and short brown hair. His expression is one of mild confusion and concern. He wears a plain brown wool jacket over a light-colored linen shirt, dark trousers, and sturdy leather shoes. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Tom and Joan's Cottage Kitchen
A modest, functional kitchen within a traditional English cottage, likely with a stone or flagstone floor, a simple wooden table, and shelves holding earthenware pots and metal pans. The air might be slightly smoky from a nearby hearth.
Mood: tense, domestic, argumentative
Joan breaks the pots and pans, initiating the central conflict and her stubborn lie about the scissors.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rustic 17th-century English cottage kitchen interior. Rough-hewn timber beams cross a low ceiling, and whitewashed plaster walls show signs of age. A simple wooden table stands in the center, with a few earthenware pots and metal pans scattered on the flagstone floor, some visibly broken. Soft, diffused morning light streams through a small, leaded-pane window, illuminating dust motes in the air. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Riverbank near the Cottage
The muddy or grassy bank of a flowing river, likely a small to medium-sized river typical of the English countryside. There might be reeds or willow trees along the edge, and the water would be cool and murky.
Mood: desperate, tragic, final
Tom throws Joan into the river, and she makes her final, defiant 'scissors' gesture before drowning.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tranquil but foreboding scene along the bank of a slow-moving English river. The river's edge is lined with tall, swaying reeds and a few gnarled willow trees whose branches dip towards the murky water. The bank itself is a mix of damp earth and sparse grass. The sky is overcast, casting a soft, diffused light over the scene, and the water reflects the muted tones of the sky. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
