Ralph Steele Boggs

In this delightful collection of folktales, recorded by the authors in Spain, and originally published in 1936, Boggs and Davis present ten selections from the diverse oral traditions of that country. Each of the stories they included in Three Golden Oranges is an engaging tale, and taken together, they will provide the reader with an enjoyable hour. Emma Brock's black and white illustrations, both full and partial-page, are sure to add to the enjoyment. Here, the reader will encounter:

The titular Three Golden Oranges, in which Diego, the only son of a widow, sets out on a quest to win the most beautiful girl in the world for his wife. His journey takes him to the palaces of the Sun, the Moon, the East Wind, and finally, to the Garden of the Three Golden Oranges, "just on the other side of the crest of the highest peak in the Sierra Nevada." This tale had many familiar elements, from the series of natural phenomena (sun, moon, wind) visited by the hero, to the three piece of fruit, each of which contained a beautiful maiden.

Tío Paco and His Wonderful Donkey, a humorous tale in which the eponymous Tío Paco, trustful and goodhearted, is deceived by some mischievous students, who convince him that his beloved white donkey, Pedro, is really a disobedient boy in a transfigured state.

Tonino and the Fairies, in which a cheerful, hard-working hunchback finds himself transformed, when he falls asleep under the olive trees one night, and wakes up to see a group of fairies singing and dancing. This tale, in which the hero is blessed, after adding the line "Jueves y viernes y sábado seis" to the fairies' refrain, "Lunes y martes y miércoles tres," is quite similar to the Costa Rican tale, And Sunday Makes Seven, right down to the fate of the villain, who foolishly adds the line "Y domingo siete!" The only difference, that I could see, is that the Spanish variant features fairies, and the Costa Rican, witches.

Don Demonio's Mother-In-Law, in which an irate mother, fed up with her lazy daughter, Pánfila, exclaims in frustration one day: "May you marry the Devil himself, and be done with it!" When an urbane stranger, wearing an odd hat that he never removes, arrives in the village of La Zubia, and begins courting Pánfila, it doesn't take Tía Pía long to figure out what's going on, and she proves more than fit to deal with her unusual son-in-law! This selection, with its second half involving Ricardo, the soldier of fortune who uses the imprisoned devil to win a princess as his bride, feels almost like two tales.

The Shepherd Who Laughed Last, a brief tale in which Tomás, known for his wit and practical joking, finds the tables turned on him, when he thinks to fool the humble shepherd who comes to his Inn one night.

The Golden Parrot, a quest-type fairy-tale, in which the three sons of a wealthy merchant set out on sea voyages, one by one, eventually finding themselves in an island city, where they undertake (one after the other) to locate the king's youngest daughter, the Princess Florinda. Naturally, it is the youngest son, Fernando, who succeeds, smuggled into the palace inside a golden parrot.

The Tinker and the Ghost, in which Esteben the tinker undertakes to rid a castle of its ghost, earning both the castle-owner's reward, and the three sacks of coins (copper, silver and gold) buried by the slain thief whose spirit haunts the place. This tale can also be found in Archie Bennett's The Tinker and the Ghost.

The Goatherd Who Won a Princess, in which Manuel, a humble goatherd, wins a royal bride through his ability to tell marvelous tales.

The Silver Flute, in which Jaime, whose new stepmother is intent on getting rid of him, is given a magical flute by a mysterious old woman on the mountainside, and uses it to enact a Pied-Piper type revenge.

And finally, Black Magic, in which a young man named Benito must escape his erstwhile instructor in Black Magic, when his own abilities outstrip his teacher's.… (más)