Hello one and all!
It's Thursday, so I thought it would be interesting to delve into some folklore again. The story below is a Dutch tale and I hope everyone enjoys it.
The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese
One day there was a twelve year old boy called Klaas Van Bommel. He had a very healthy appetite and never seemed to be able to eat enough. This young boy was a farmer's child, and at every meal there was cheese, which he really enjoyed but it just wasn't in thick enough slices for liking.
Even though the family wasn't very rich there was still more than enough to eat. Sometimes the cheeses that piled up in the pantry were enough to feed a whole town. Klaas always wanted more cheese, no matter how much there was on the table though.
On one summer evening Klaas was crying as he went to bed after being scolded by his mother. He had teased one of his sisters so that she gave him her piece of cheese. His stomach felt heavy as he lay there that night.
The boy went to the window to get some fresh air. He thought he saw lights darting about down in the forest, one light moved closer and he thought he heard a whisper in his ear. The voice became clearer and said:
"Come with us. There is plenty of cheese."
He was very puzzled. Could it be the fairies that travelers always talked about? The voice became even clearer, and again said:
"Come with us. There is plenty of cheese."
Klaas convinced himself that he'd just see what it was all about and then return to bed. He pulled on his clothes, then hurried downstairs. He ran to the pine woods and reached the fairy ring. What he saw astounded him: there were small creatures the size of dolls that darted with light in their wings. He even didn't have time to gather himself before the fairies encircled him. All in unison they said:
"Come with us. There is plenty of cheese."
Fairies clasped both of his hands and they continued their dance along the faerie ring. The boys' feet felt light and he danced, danced, danced. As the sky began to lighten he fell down exhausted. While he lay there the fairies fed slice upon slice of cheese. He felt so happy, there was no one to scold him, and he could eat as much as he wanted.
His jaw became progressively more tired as he ate and ate. The fairies would surely stop now.
But these fairies were indefatigable. They flew to the four directions of the wind and gathered cheese, dropped them where the boy lay and zipped off to gather more. Klaas looked up in despair as a cheese wall surrounded him. The fairies didn't know that he was sick because they wren't privy to human emotions.
The big pile of cheese became unbalanced and Klaas could only scream it all toppled on top of him, crushing him flat.
But he awoke. The early morning sun came through his window. He sat up in his bed and felt the dew on his clothes and his mouth there was a clod of grass.
It's Thursday, so I thought it would be interesting to delve into some folklore again. The story below is a Dutch tale and I hope everyone enjoys it.
The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese
One day there was a twelve year old boy called Klaas Van Bommel. He had a very healthy appetite and never seemed to be able to eat enough. This young boy was a farmer's child, and at every meal there was cheese, which he really enjoyed but it just wasn't in thick enough slices for liking.
Even though the family wasn't very rich there was still more than enough to eat. Sometimes the cheeses that piled up in the pantry were enough to feed a whole town. Klaas always wanted more cheese, no matter how much there was on the table though.
On one summer evening Klaas was crying as he went to bed after being scolded by his mother. He had teased one of his sisters so that she gave him her piece of cheese. His stomach felt heavy as he lay there that night.
The boy went to the window to get some fresh air. He thought he saw lights darting about down in the forest, one light moved closer and he thought he heard a whisper in his ear. The voice became clearer and said:
"Come with us. There is plenty of cheese."
He was very puzzled. Could it be the fairies that travelers always talked about? The voice became even clearer, and again said:
"Come with us. There is plenty of cheese."
Klaas convinced himself that he'd just see what it was all about and then return to bed. He pulled on his clothes, then hurried downstairs. He ran to the pine woods and reached the fairy ring. What he saw astounded him: there were small creatures the size of dolls that darted with light in their wings. He even didn't have time to gather himself before the fairies encircled him. All in unison they said:
"Come with us. There is plenty of cheese."
Fairies clasped both of his hands and they continued their dance along the faerie ring. The boys' feet felt light and he danced, danced, danced. As the sky began to lighten he fell down exhausted. While he lay there the fairies fed slice upon slice of cheese. He felt so happy, there was no one to scold him, and he could eat as much as he wanted.
His jaw became progressively more tired as he ate and ate. The fairies would surely stop now.
But these fairies were indefatigable. They flew to the four directions of the wind and gathered cheese, dropped them where the boy lay and zipped off to gather more. Klaas looked up in despair as a cheese wall surrounded him. The fairies didn't know that he was sick because they wren't privy to human emotions.
The big pile of cheese became unbalanced and Klaas could only scream it all toppled on top of him, crushing him flat.
But he awoke. The early morning sun came through his window. He sat up in his bed and felt the dew on his clothes and his mouth there was a clod of grass.
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