THE NORWEGIAN
by Klara Stroebe
Leo the Little Bear and the Honey
This is Leo the Little Bear. He lives in a cozy house. His house is warm. He loves his home. Leo loves sweet honey very much. Honey makes Leo happy.
One morning, Leo wants honey. He looks for his honey jar. The jar is empty. The jar is truly empty. Oh no! No honey for Leo now. Leo feels sad.
Leo feels very sad. He needs honey. He wants honey so much. He must find it. Leo decides to find new honey. He will look for it.
Leo walks into the big forest. Tall trees stand around. The forest is green and quiet. Birds sing softly. He sees a little Squirrel. Squirrel hops on a tree.
Leo asks, "Where is honey?" Squirrel looks. Squirrel says, "Look for flowers!" Flowers mean honey. Leo nods his head. He will look.
Leo walks more in the forest. He searches everywhere. He looks for many flowers. The Bee flies fast. Then he sees a busy Bee.
Leo asks, "Where is honey?" Bee buzzes. Bee says, "Follow me!" I know honey. Leo feels happy. He follows Bee.
Bee flies to a big tree. The tree is very tall. Leo follows the little Bee. The hive looks full. A beehive is high up there.
The beehive is too high. He tries to jump. Leo cannot reach the honey. It is too far. He feels sad again. Oh no!
A wise Owl flies down. Owl has big eyes. She sees Leo's tears. Owl sees sad Leo. Owl asks, "What is wrong, Leo?" Owl is kind.
Leo says, "I want honey." He points up high. "But it is too high!" He sighs sadly. Leo looks at the hive.
Owl wants to help Leo. She is a good friend. Owl flies up to the hive. She uses her wings. Owl gets some sweet honey.
Leo is very happy now! He smiles wide. He has his sweet honey. He eats it all. Yummy, yummy honey!
Leo shares his honey. Sharing is good. He shares with Squirrel. Everyone gets some. He shares with Bee. All friends are happy. He shares with kind Owl.
Everyone is happy now. Leo is happy too. He learned to ask for help. Asking for help is good. He learned to share honey. Sharing makes friends happy. Leo learned many things.
Original Story
THE NORWEGIAN
FAIRY BOOK
EDITED BY CLARA STROEBE
TRANSLATED BY FREDERICK H. MARTENS
WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY GEORGE W. HOOD
NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS
*Copyright, 1922, by* Frederick A. Stokes Company
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*All Rights Reserved*
*Printed in the United States of America*
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PREFACE
These Norwegian tales of elemental mountain, forest and sea spirits, handed down by hinds and huntsmen, woodchoppers and fisherfolk, men who led a hard and lonely life amid primitive surroundings are, perhaps, among the most fascinating the Scandinavian countries have to offer. Nor are they only meant to delight the child, though this they cannot fail to do. “Grown-ups” also, who take pleasure in a good story, well told, will enjoy the original “Peer Gynt” legend, as it existed before Ibsen gave it more symbolic meanings; and that glowing, beautiful picture of an Avalon of the Northern seas shown in “The Island of Udröst.” What could be more human and moving than the tragic “The Player on the Jew’s-Harp,” or more genuinely entertaining than “The King’s Hares”? “The Master-Girl” is a Candida of fairy-land, and the thrill and glamor of black magic and mystery run through such stories as “The Secret Church,” “The Comrade,” and “Lucky Andrew.” In “The Honest Four-Shilling Piece” we have the adventures of a Norse Dick Whittington. “Storm Magic” is one of the most thrilling sea tales, bar none, ever written, and every story included in the volume seems to bring with it the breath of the Norse mountains or the tang of the spindrift on Northern seas. Much of the charm of the stories lies in the directness and simplicity of their telling; and this quality, which adds so much to their appeal, the translator has endeavored to preserve in its integrity. He cannot but feel that “The Norwegian Fairy Book” has an appeal for one and all, since it is a book in which the mirror of fairy-tale reflects human yearnings and aspirations, human loves, ambitions and disillusionments, in an imaginatively glamored, yet not distorted form. It is his hope and belief that those who may come to know it will derive as much pleasure from its reading as it gave him to put it into English.
Frederick H. Martens.
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CONTENTS
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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Locations
Norwegian Mountains and Forests
Primitive, elemental surroundings of towering mountains and dense forests, characteristic of the Scandinavian landscape.
Mood: Wild, lonely, rugged, and imbued with a sense of ancient magic and elemental spirits.
The general setting for tales of hinds, huntsmen, and woodchoppers, where mountain and forest spirits reside.
Northern Seas and Coastline
The rugged Northern seas, characterized by spindrift and a strong, bracing tang in the air, with a coastline that suggests fjords and rocky shores.
Mood: Wild, untamed, thrilling, and sometimes dangerous, reflecting the harsh beauty of the sea.
The setting for sea tales like 'Storm Magic' and stories of fisherfolk, where sea spirits and maritime adventures unfold.
Hinds' and Huntsmen's Dwellings
Simple, primitive dwellings of hinds, huntsmen, woodchoppers, and fisherfolk, reflecting a hard and lonely life.
Mood: Cozy, rustic, humble, yet potentially lonely, offering shelter from the harsh outdoor elements.
Where the tales are told and lives are lived, providing a contrast to the wild outdoors.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
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Themes
Emotional Arc
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Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
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