Latest / Sandman Stories Presents / EP 332: Armenia- The Wicked Stepmother (Seklemian)

Transcript

EP 332: Armenia- The Wicked Stepmother (Seklemian) · Sandman Stories Presents

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Welcome back listeners to Sandman Stories presents, a
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folklore podcast where I read you to sleep or until the next
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story. I'm your host, Dustin.
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And if you'd like more Sandman that is too spicy for the main
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feed, go ahead and check me out on Patreon and you can sign up
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for as little as free 99. And today we are back in the
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book of Armenian folklore written down by AG Cyclomian.
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This story involves a sun going to the ends of the earth just to
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heal his stepmother. And it's a long 1, so strap in.
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OK, let's begin this epic. The wicked stepmother.
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Once Upon a time, there's a noted hunter who was a widower.
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He had a son. He married a new wife, and then
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he got sick. On his deathbed, he said to his
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wife. Wife, I am dying.
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And I know that when my son grows up, he will follow in my
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footsteps. Take care and be sure not to let
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him go hunting in the Black Mountains.
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After the death of the hunter, his son grew up and became a
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hunter. One day his stepmother said,
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Son, when your father was dying, he said that if you became a
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hunter, you should not go hunt in the Black Mountains.
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But the lad, ignoring his father's advice, took his bow
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and arrow and mounted his horse and rode towards the Black
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Mountains. As soon as he reached him, a
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giant on a horse of lightning appeared and exclaimed, Hey, you
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don't you know my name, how dare you come and hunt on my grounds.
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And he threw down 3 gigantic maces at the lad, who quickly
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dodged them by hiding under his horse.
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Now it was his turn. He drew his bow and arrow, took
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aim and shot the giant and nailed him to the ground.
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At once he mounted the giant's horse, which brought him to a
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magnificent palace gilded all over with golden gems.
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There a maiden as radiant as the sun appeared in the window,
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saying Human. The snake on its belly and the
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bird with its wings could not come here.
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How could you? Your love brought me here for a
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maiden, answered the lad, who had already fallen in love with
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the charming maiden. But the giant will come and
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tarry it into pieces, said the maiden, who had already fallen
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in love with the lad. I have killed him and there's
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his body, answered the lad. The palace door opened and the
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lad was greeted by the maiden, who told him that she was the
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daughter of a king and that the giant had kidnapped her and kept
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her in that palace with 40 handmaids.
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As you have killed the giant, she added, I shall be your wife
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and all these maidens will serve us.
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And they accepted each other as husband and wife, opening the
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treasures of the giant. They found countless jewels,
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gold, silver, and all kinds of wealth.
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The lad had a beautiful palace with so many treasures and the
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most wonderful wife in the world, things that he hardly
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could have dreamed of. And so he decided to live there
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and go hunting every day. One day, however, he came home
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sighing. Ah, alas, alas, how?
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Now what is the matter? Said his bride.
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Why did you sigh? You are sweet, my love, said the
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lad. But my mother is also sweet.
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You have a place in my heart, but my mother also has a place.
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I missed her, so I sighed. Well, said the young bride, Take
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a horse load of gold to your mother.
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Let her live in happiness, the lad said.
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I'll go and bring her here. Farewell.
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Go on, said the young bride. The lad went to his stepmother
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and told her all that he had done, and he brought her back to
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the palace in the Black Mountains.
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There she was the mother-in-law and therefore the head of the
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whole palace. Both the bride and the maidens
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had to submit to her. The lad used to go out hunting.
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The stepmother, being well versed in witchcraft medicine,
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went and secretly smeared some medicine on the corpse of the
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giant, and he was healed. Falling in love with the giant,
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she took him to the palace and hid him in the cellar, where she
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secretly visited him since she was afraid of her stepson.
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Wishing to have total control, the witch said to the giant one
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day. Giant, how can I send my son on
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an errand where he won't come back?
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With the advice of the giant, she entered her room and put a
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layer of crispy bread under her bed.
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Then she laid down. In the evening, when the lad
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returned from hunting, he heard that she was sick and he asked
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What's wrong mom? Oh son, exclaimed the witch with
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a sickly voice. I am very sick.
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I shall die. And as she rolled over, the
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bread began to crackle. Listen, exclaimed the witch, my
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bones are cracking. What do you need, Mom?
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What can I get for you, Asked the lad.
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Oh, my son, said the witch, There is only one remedy for my
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sickness, and that is the melon of life.
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I shall never heal if I do not eat one.
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All right, mother, said the lad, I will bring you the melon of
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life. He started on his journey and
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after a long, long way he was invited into an old woman's
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house. She asked him where he was going
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and he told her and she said, Son, you have been lied to, this
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quest will kill you, do not go. But the lad insisted and the old
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woman said, well then, let me help you.
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On your way you will come to a mansion which is home to 40
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giants. They go out hunting during the
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day, but you will find their Dame there kneading dough.
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If you are agile enough to run and nurse on that giantess
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without being seen by her, you are safe.
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If not, she will make one mouthful of you and devour you.
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The lad went, and everything the old woman had said was true.
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He was clever enough to nurse on the giantess without being seen
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by her. A plague on her.
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Who advised you? Exclaimed the angry giantess.
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I would make a good morsel of you, but now you have nursed on
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my breast. You are like one of my own sons.
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Let me hide you in a box, lest the 40 giants come in and find
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you and devour you. She shot the land in the box.
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In the evening the 40 giants came and smelling a human being
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they said. Oh mother, all the year long we
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hunt beasts and birds which we bring home to eat together and
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now we smell a human being who you have no doubt devoured
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today. Did you at least leave us a few
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bones to chew? The Dame answered.
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I wasn't out hunting, you probably ate a human and that
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smell is your upper lip. I didn't eat any humans.
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Yes ma'am, you did, exclaimed the giants.
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My nephew came here. He is the son of my human
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sister, answered the giantess. The giants shouted.
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Oh mom, let's see our cousin. We promise not to eat him.
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The giantess took the lad out-of-the-box and brought him
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to the giants. We're very pleased to see a
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human being so small but so beautiful and so manly.
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They passed him around like a little curio.
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Ma, why did our cousin come? Asked the giants.
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He has come for the melon of life to take back to his sick
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mother. You must go and get the Melano
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of life for him, not us, Exclaimed the 40 giants.
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We aren't strong enough. The youngest of the 40 brothers
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however was tiny and he said to the lad, Cousin, I'll go with
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you and get the melon of life for you.
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Only take a jug, A comb and a razor.
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On the following day the lad took what was necessary and
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followed the tiny giant who brought him to the garden of the
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Melon of Life, which was guarded by 50 giants.
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The guards were asleep. The lad and his companion
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entered the garden without being seen and picked the melon and
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began to run. But they were just crossing the
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hedge when the panting of the giant caught on the fence and
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the hedges crackled like Thunder and all 50 giants awoke.
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Thieves, human beings, a good meal for us, and began to chase
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the lad and his companion. Throw your jug, comb and razor
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behind you, cousin. Exclaimed the tiny giant.
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The lad did so and behind them the plains and mountains were
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swallowed up by a sea that the giants had to walk around.
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Then a jungle popped up that they had to get through.
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Then the grass turned into broken glass as sharp as a
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razor. Before the 50 giants could catch
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them, the 39 brother giants came to the rescue of our two and
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took them safely to their home. The lad returned to his home.
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On his way, however, he stopped at the House of the old woman,
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who asked if he had succeeded. Yes, I have, Auntie answered the
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lad and he told her his tale. In the middle of the night when
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the lad was asleep, the old woman took the melon of life out
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of the lad's bag and put a common melon in its place.
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In the morning, the lad brought the melon to his stepmother who,
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eating it exclaimed, Oh, happy I am healed.
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The lad again went hunting and the witch said to the giant,
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Look here giant, this didn't work, give me another deadly
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challenge for him. She did the crispy bread trick
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again and called her stepson in, and she said in a weak voice, Oh
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son, I am dying, what's wrong? What do you need?
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The only remedy for my sickness is the milk of the fairy
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lioness. If you loved me, you would bring
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it. The lad started again, and he
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stopped off at the old woman's house.
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I'm going this time to bring a skin full of milk from the fairy
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lioness for my mother, said the lad.
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The old Dame again begged him not to go, but then she said OK.
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Since you're set on going, let me give you some advice.
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On the other side of this mountain is the den of the fairy
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lioness. She is troubled by a boil on her
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paw, and you will find her at the entrance of her den, holding
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her paw above her head and roaring.
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Now you must sneak up without being noticed, and take aim with
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your bow and arrow and shoot the boil.
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At first a great pain will make her roar, but soon she will feel
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comfortable and give you whatever you ask.
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The lad went and found the fairy Lioness, as foretold by the old
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Dame, roaring on account of her pain.
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The lad at once taking aim, shot the boil.
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The pain of the lioness increased, and she exclaimed,
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Ouch, who shot this arrow? I'll find him and devour him,
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Ow, ow, ow. But soon she felt comfortable,
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and said, Who shot this arrow? By heaven I would give him the
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moon and the stars. The lad at once jumped out
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before the lioness, who seeing him, said, Was it you that
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healed me? Yes, answered the lad, ask for
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whatever you desire. Give me some milk from your
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utters, which is the only remedy to heal my sick mother.
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In that caves of the lioness there are two cub skins.
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Bring them to me. The lad brought her the two
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whole skins. The lioness filled the skins.
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Here, said the lioness, take these and go, and be careful not
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to harm my little Cubs on your way.
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The lad took the two Cubs, skins full of milk and thinking the
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lioness left. On his way, however, he slyly
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stole the two beautiful Cubs and began to run.
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But the mother lioness smelled her young ones and pursued the
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lad, overtaking him and exclaimed, What's wrong with
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you, human? That is exactly what I asked you
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not to do. I humbly beg your pardon.
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Answer the lad. I was happy with your kindness,
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and wanted to have a permanent keepsake of you, and what better
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thing could I carry with me than your Cubs, which I will nourish
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on a princely diet and keep as my faithful friends.
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The lioness, being much pleased with this answer, allowed him to
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carry the Cubs. He soon came to the old woman's
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house, who asked him if he brought the fair in lioness's
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milk. Yes auntie, I've brought it,
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said the lad, presenting the 2 skins full of milk.
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During the night, however, when the lad was sound asleep, the
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old woman poured out the lionesses milk from the skins
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into a cask and filled them with common goat's milk.
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On the following day, the lad, loading the skins on the back of
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his horse, took the Cubs and went home.
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The stepmother, drinking the milk, exclaimed.
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Oh good, I am healed. The lad again went hunting as
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usual. The witch said to the giant,
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Giant, I'm losing my patience, give me a task that will kill
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that boy dead. What can I do?
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Replied the giant. Your son is the bravest hero
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that has ever lived. No mortal can Vanquish him.
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He will return from any expedition, no matter how
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dangerous it may be. Tell him to bring you a jug of
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the water of life. The witch again feigned sickness
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and when the lad came to see her she said, Oh son, I am dying, my
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bones are breaking. And the crackling of the crispy
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bread echoed down the hall. What can I do for you?
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Ma asked the son sadly, because he was tired of her impossible
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requests. The only remedy for me this time
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is the water of life, and you must go and bring me a jug, or
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else I will die. The lad at once mounted his
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horse, and taking with him the two Young Lions, he went to his
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auntie and told her about the stepmother's request.
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Oh, son, exclaimed the good woman, even I can see that she's
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setting you up. There must be a profit in your
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death. This is the most dangerous
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expedition that any human being has ever undertaken, and no one
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has ever returned from the task you have started upon.
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Be advised, go back. Your mother is a liar.
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No, said the lad, I have to go, the old woman said.
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As soon as you put the jug down, you'll be in a deep sleep.
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First scorpions, then serpents, then beasts of prey, and at last
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all kinds of genie will attack you.
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You will surely die. Oh well, said the lad, taking
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the lions with him. And he started for the fountain
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of the water of life. He came to the fountain and
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found the water oozing out of a tiny stream.
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As soon as he placed his jug under it, he fell asleep for a
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week. Soon scorpions began to attack
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the sleeping hero, but the lions destroyed them all.
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Then the terrible serpents attacked the lad.
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The lions destroyed them too. Soon a whole army of beasts
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surrounded the fountain looking for the lad.
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The lions, after a bloody battle, beat them too.
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At the end of the seven days and nights, the lad awoke and he was
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shocked by the pile of dead beasts around him.
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The 2 lions were now sitting on either side of their master and
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watching him. The lad saw them covered in
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blood and realized that he owed them his life.
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Then he washed them in the water of life and returned to his
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auntie. Did you bring the water of life?
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She asked. Yes auntie, I did, answered the
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lad, presenting her with a jug full of water.
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It was not that you succeeded, returned the old woman, but
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Heaven and your faithful lions that preserved your life.
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During the night, as the lad was sleeping, the old woman poured
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the water of life into another vase and filled the jug with
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common water, which the lad took back to his stepmother and
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drinking it, said, Oh, happy I am healed.
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The following day the lad again went hunting.
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The witch said to the giant, Can't you think of a way to get
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rid of him? If you can't, I'll get rid of
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you. Your stepson's a unique hero,
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and no one can kill him. But you said the giant.
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How? How?
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Exclaimed the witch with great joy.
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Tell me how, and I will do it. Don't you remember the three red
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hairs on his head? As soon as they are plucked, he
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dies. On the following day, the witch
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said to the lad. Come, son, lay your head in my
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lap and take a nap. The lad did so and soon slept.
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The witch immediately took hold of the three red hairs and
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pulled them out. A spasm or two later and the
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hero died. Now giant, said the witch, take
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that sword and chop this corpse into small pieces.
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Not me, I can't chop such a hero, you coward, Shouted the
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witch, and taking the sword, she chopped the corpse into small
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pieces, put them into a sack and threw them over the garden wall.
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1 little finger fell into the garden.
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The lions learned that their master was killed, and that his
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chopped body had been put into a bag.
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They immediately took hold of the bag and carried it to the
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old woman, the Hostess of the hero.
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Opening the bag, she took out the body, and putting every part
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in its proper place, made it whole.
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Only the little finger was missing.
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She explained to the lions what was missing, and they at once
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went, and smelling their master's finger in the garden,
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they found it and brought it to the old woman, who put it in its
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proper place. Now she brought the milk of the
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fairy lioness which she had secretly preserved, and poured
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it all over the body. Immediately all the broken
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bones, muscles and sinews came together, and all the members
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being united, the body became as sound and delicate as that of a
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newborn babe. Then she brought the melon of
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life and put it before his nostrils.
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As soon as the lad had smelled it, he sneezed 7 times.
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Then she poured the water of life down his throat.
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At once the lad opened his eyes and jumped up, saying, Oh, what
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a sound sleep that was. It overpowered my senses.
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Sleep, exclaimed the old woman. Yes, asleep.
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A dirt nap and she told him what had happened.
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Now my good auntie, said the lad, you have done a great
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kindness, A kindness that I can never reward.
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May heaven reward you. He brought a horse load of gold
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and a horse load of silver for her, saying These are for you.
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Spend as much as you like and pray for me as long as you live.
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The lad came to his palace and found that his beautiful bride
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was locked in the dark cellar where she was left to starve the
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witch, his stepmother was in an excess of merriment with the
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giant and half a dozen kids around her.
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They were all amazed to see the hero enter and the giant was
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about to run through a secret door when the lad seized him
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saying What's up coward, why are you running?
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Stop and solve this puzzle for me, whose ugly youngins are
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infecting the very air of my palace.
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They are my children from your mother, answered the giant.
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Mother. I have no mother, exclaimed the
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lad. You increase so soon, do you?
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Now you're going to have great merriment.
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Go and bring me from Yonder mountain wood enough to build a
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large pile. The giant obeyed, and soon a
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large pile of wood was built in the courtyard of the palace.
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The lad struck a Flint and lighted the wood.
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Soon the whole pile was on fire, burning like a furnace.
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Now giant, said the lad, take a hold of these bastards and throw
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them into the fire. 1 by 1. The giant obeyed and all of the
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children were burned on the pile.
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Bring now Yonder witch and throw her into the fire, ordered the
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lad. She also shared the fate of the
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bastard children. Now shall I throw you also?
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Asked the lad of the giant Hero. Exclaimed the giant.
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I honor you, I will obey you well then, said the lad, I will
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not kill you. Come pass under my sword and
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swore obedience to me. The giant kissed the sword and
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passing under it, became the bond man of the lad.
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The lad then released his beautiful wife from the dark
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prison. They celebrated their nuptials
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for 40 days and 40 nights and enjoyed a happy life ever after.
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Thus they attained their wishes. May heaven grant that you may
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attend your wishes. Three apples fell from heaven,
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one for me, one for the storyteller, and one for him who
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entertained the company, the and.
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That was a long one. I was surprised a little bit by
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the mild swear and also burning the children.
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Yikes. I was also surprised, you know,
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just that whole story, but also how long it was.
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Still, it was a fun one, but a long 1, so I'll shut up now.
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The podcast shout out is to Alexa Texture, which just
22:03
recently dropped an episode. This is March that I'm recording
22:07
this and it's on hiatus a bit, but it's back on.
22:12
But it's not. But it is.
22:13
I'm not sure, but it's a lovely intro to etymologies of words.
22:17
Amy and Ryan do a great job of telling stories about words and
22:20
just being cool word nerds. And my listener shout out is to
22:25
Pittsburgh, home of my aunt and uncle.
22:28
This city is one of the ones that I've been to a few times.
22:31
I've been to the Church, Brew Works, and someday I might even
22:34
see a Penguins game. And so the yin's that are my
22:38
listeners in Pittsburgh, I say thank you and good night.