[PW] [Publib] "the horse may talk"

[NancyJo]

I asked a story-teller friend about this and she put it out there on a list
she's on. She got this answer.
>See "Three Minute Tales" by Margaret Read MacDonald, pg. 92, story
>called "Teaching the Horse to Speak."  Various sources and motifs and
>listed on pg. 94.

It would be interesting to see what this gives as sources. We don't own the
book so I can't check, but maybe someone else can.

nj

-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org]On Behalf Of Jim
Sanderson
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 10:40 AM
To: ladyhawk at well.com; list at project-wombat.org
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [PW] [Publib] "the horse may talk"


I have always heard this one in reference to St. Louis, King of France.


James W. Sanderson
Supervising Librarian
West Avenue Library
Newport News Public Library
2907 West Avenue
Newport News, Virginia. 23607
(757) 247-8505
(757) 247-2344
www.nngov.com/library



  _____

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of GraceAnne Andreassi DeCandido
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 11:24 AM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] "the horse may talk"


Cross-posted to several lists, forgive me.


For decades, I have been telling a story that I believe I learned from
WBAIradio in the early 1970s, identified as a Sufi story. I have never
successfully tracked it down, although my approach has been desultory over
the years. I would be very grateful if a womb at t or a a publibber might be
able to point me in a direction. Here is the story, as I know it.


A man had offended the king, and was sentenced to death.
"Oh your majesty!" he pleaded. "Allow me but one year, and I will teach your
horse to talk."
Astonished, the king agreed.
The man's friend took him aside and asked, "why did you make such a foolish
promise?"
The man shrugged. "In a year, the king may die. In a year, I may die. In a
year, the horse may talk."


The last line has become a family catchphrase in many situation.


Thank you. GraceAnne


GraceAnne A. DeCandido
Reader Writer Reviewer ~  New York City
Part-time lecturer in children's and YA literature Rutgers SCILS PDS


Favorite titles 2006
 <http://www.well.com/user/ladyhawk/books.html>
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Love isn't what you feel. Love is what you do.
-Madeleine L'Engle, The Wind in the Door



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