The Maiden of the Milky Way

An Estonian tale, this version is taken from the 1938 anthology Wonder Tales from Baltic Wizards by Frances Jenkins Olcott.

Ah! Beautiful was Linda the lovely daughter of Uko. She showed all the skypaths to the little birds, when they came flocking home in the springtime or flew away in autumn. She cared as gently and tenderly for the little birds, as a mother cares for her children. And just as a flower bespangled with a thousand drops of dew shines and smiles in the morning sunshine, so Linda shone while caring for her little winged ones.

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The Singing Sword

An Estonian tale, this version is taken from the 1938 anthology Wonder Tales from Baltic Wizards by Frances Jenkins Olcott.

In the ancient days of Wizards and Witches there lived, in Estonia, a giant Hero named Kalevide. His back was like an oak, his shoulders were gnarled and knotted, his arms like thick trees, his fingers spreading like branches, and his fingernails as tough as boxwood.

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How a Woodpecker Chopped a Spruce-tree

A Lithuanian fairy tale, this version is from Tales of The Amber Sea, compiled and translated by Irina Zheleznova in 1974.

A woodpecker once flew up to a spruce-tree, lighted on its very top, and, rocking back and forth, sang:“I will chop this spruce-tree down

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The Frog That Came From Riga and The Frog That Came From Liepaja

A Latvian fairy tale, this version is from Tales of The Amber Sea, compiled and translated by Irina Zheleznova in 1974.

In olden times there lived two frogs, one of them in Riga and the other in Liepaja. Now, one of them the one from Liepaia,once bethought her of seeing what life in Riga was like, while the Riga frog told herself that it woudl be fun to see what life was like in Liepaja.

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The Three Princes and Their Beasts

A Lithuanian fairy tale, this version was published in the Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, in 1901.

Once on a time there were three princes, who had a step-sister. One day they all set out hunting together. When they had gone some way through a thick wood they came on a great grey wolf with three cubs. Just as they were going to shoot, the wolf spoke and said, ‘Do not shoot me, and I will give each of you one of my young ones. It will be a faithful friend to you.’

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