Myth, Legend, Tales and otherwise...

[TeaDidikai]

So, I wanted to make a collection of favorite myths from Guild Members.

Rules

1) Cite the culture/theology the myth comes from.
2) Type the story as you would tell it- no C&P.
3) One story per Post
4) This is designed to be a collection, if you wish to discuss a part of a myth or legend, please start a new thread.  

[TeaDidikai]

Index

Firaooni - of Rroma Origin as told by Tea Didikai
The Sparrow- of Japanese Origin as told by Boadicia
Little Furball- of German Origin as told by Deo
Coyote and Teeth in the Wrong Places- of Native American Origin as told by Tattered Angel  

[TeaDidikai]

Firaooni
(Rroma)

Back when the Rroma were but one family, children of the gods and first wandering the earth- a babe was born to a Rroma woman. She was nearly starved and unable to produce milk. The babe had almost died in labor, and she knew she had to find food, so she left him near their tent and went to find get something to eat.

The baby cried and cried.

One of the Devlesko- what one might call an “angel”, happened upon the baby and nursed it from her own breast.

Firaooni grew up being somewhere between a mortal and a god, having suckled from the Devlesko’s breast. He grew into a smart and quick witted young man, and eventually a King.

The Devlesko declared that Firaooni must live a life of piety, except on Friday when he could indulge as he saw fit.

Firaooni often held lavish feasts on Friday.

One Friday- a soulless man came amongst the revelers. With venom he mocked Firaooni, insulting him and his hospitality for his table had bowed with many kinds of meat; but Firaooni had forgotten the fish.

Firaooni, being a good host ran out into the night and returned with fish.

The soulless man was beside himself- he had thought Firaooni would not have been able to find fish at the late hour- so he struck Firaooni. He laid blows that drove Firaooni into the ground up to his knees like a tent peg.

As the soulless man was about to land a life ending blow, Firaooni’s foster mother, the Devlesko told him to defend himself with his small knife.

When the soulless man swung- Firaooni sliced him open. Out poured two hideous black serpents. They hissed and said that if Firaooni were to eat them- he would be twice as strong! Firaooni saw that they were filthy- mokado, and killed them instead.

Thus Firaooni was never all good, nor all bad, but at least he was clean inside.  

[Boadicia]

The Sparrow (I think)
Japanese

An old woman was walking down a rode one day when she came upon some children. They were throwing rocks at a sparrow in a tree. One rock smashed into the bird, and the sparrow plummetted to the ground. The old woman yelled at the children. Realizing they were caught, they dropped their rocks and ran away.

The old woman approached the sparrow and carefully picked it up. She carried it home. That night, she mended its broken wing and kept it in a little box. She fed and nursed it everyday until it was completely healed. The old woman had developed a bond with the little sparrow, so she was very sad to let it go, but she knew it would not be right to keep it. With a heavy heart, she gave the bird her farewells and released him.

A few days later, the old woman was startled to see the little sparrow sitting in her window. It dropped a single seed on the window sill before flying away. The old woman realized the seed was a gift of gratitude, and she cherished it. She planted it in her backyard. The next day, she was shocked to see giant vines growing from where that single seed had been. Each vine had huge gourds growing from them. The old woman cut down one of the gourds and sliced it open. An endless supply of rice tumbled out of the gourd. Realizing her good fortune, the old woman happily shared her new new bounty with her neighbors.

Unfortunately, one of her neighbors was a bad tempered woman that no one liked. As soon as this woman discovered what happened and how, she decided that she wanted her own garden. She walked around until she found another sparrow sitting in a tree. Thinking quickly, she picked up a rock and threw it at the bird. The bird crashed to the ground. Not being gentle, the woman carried the bird home. She tended to its wound and kept it fed, but she made no efforts to be loving. When the bird healed, she released it and demanded that it bring her a seed of her own.

A few days later, the sparrow returned with the seed. It left it on the window sill and flew away. The woman planted the seed and waited for it to grow.

As expected, giant vines appeared from where the seed had been. The woman greedily cut down one of the gourds and sliced it open. Instead of an endless bounty of rice, a swarm of flies flew out and surrounded her. They bit and stung her ceaselessly until she died.  

[Deoridhe]

Little Furball
(German)

Once there was the most beautiful Queen in the world, who bore her husband a single child, a girl. Shortly thereafter, she became very ill. Upon her deathbed, she extracted a promise from the King that he would marry no women less beautiful than she was. He was to use a portrait of her painted as a gift for their wedding to judge any women he might be interested by.

The years passed, and the King grew very lonely, but he could find no women as beautiful as his late wife, neither among nobility nor peasantry.

In time, his daughter grew into a beautiful young women. Many said she was as beautiful as her mother, and some daring few claimed she was even more beautiful. She was gentle, intelligent, prudent, and accomplished. Her father began to notice her, not as a father does a daughter but as a man does a suitor, as it became apparent she would be the only woman as beautiful as his late wife. He came to her and told her she was to be his bride.

Horrified, the princess cast about for a way to dissuade her father from his vile plan. Thinking to thwart him, she demanded as a gift a dress the color of the stars, and as brightly twinkling as they are. He drew together his most accomplished tailors, opening his vault to them, and in three days time he presented to her a dress which she could not deny held the sparkling brilliance of the stars.

Despairing, the princess demanded of him a dress as silvery as the moon, and as cool an remote as they are. Once more he drew together his most accomplished clothiers, giving them all they asked for, and in three days time he presented to her a dress which she could not deny held the silvery remoteness of the moon.

Becoming desperate, she demanded of him a dress as brilliant as the sun, and as blinding and shining as it is. A third time he drew together the best in his kingdom, again his vault belched forth gold, and in three days time he presented to her a dress which she could not deny held the shining brilliance of the sun.

As a last ditch attempt to repulse him, she demanded a coat of many furs - one which every type of animal in the kingdom gave it's skin to make. He called together his huntsmen, he rallied his seamstresses, and in three days time he presented to her a coat containing the fur of every animal in his kingdom. He also informed her they would marry in three days time, will she, nil she.

That night, the princess folded up her three dresses so small they could fit inside of a walnut shell, stained her face and hands with walnut juice, and donned the coat of many furs. Alone, wearing a cast off pair of slippers, she left the palace on foot.

She walked for many says and many nights, coming without knowing it into the kingdom of another King. One morning, as she lay sleeping in a hollowed tree, this King and his huntsmen came upon her. Thinking her some strange wild animal, the King ordered her bound and brought to his castle. She awoke while they were binding her, terrified of the armed men who surrounded her, but they soon reassured her, asking who she was and where she came from. "I am but a poor, motherless child alone in the world," she replied. Taking pity on her, they offered her a place in the palace scullery as a drudge for the cook.

The cook was a proud man but a kind one; he restricted her to the most basic of tasks, but gave her a home in a little hovel under the bridge leading into the castle. Each day she would toil in the kitchen, gradually gaining more work as the cook gained more faith in her ability, but always wearing the fur coat. Over time, the staff began to call her Little Furball.

Several months after she came to live at the castle, the King held a great Ball and invited all of the eligible ladies from all the surrounding countries to attend, as he sought a wife. The night of the ball, Furball begged the cook to allow her to go out early and watch the revelers arrive in their beautiful dresses. Granting her permission, he cautioned her to return in time to help prepare the King's dinner.

Furball ran to her hovel and threw off her coat of many furs. She washed her face and hands and pulled from the walnut shell the dress as sparkling as the stars. It was so brilliant, that the tiny light she had brought in with her went out in shame. Quick as a shooting star, she dashed up onto the bridge and entered the ball.

As soon as the King saw her, he would dance with no other. They spoke and they dance for what seemed like hours, and while they danced the king caught a small golden spinning wheel in her hair, so he would always be able to find her. As the dancing ended, though, she smiled at him so sparklingly that he was blinded and fled from the ball, dashing to her small hovel, putting off her beautiful dress, staining her face and hands once more, and donning her fur coat. She made it back into the kitchen in good time.

The cook, however, was distraught. He was so busy with all of the other dishes, that he didn't have time to give the King's dinner the personal attention it required. He commanded Furball to make it instead, but to mind she didn't get a single hair in it! She prepared a lovely bread soup, and right before it was taken out of the kitchen she slipped the small golden spinning wheel into the bowl.

A short while later, the King called for the cook. Promising her dire recompense if she got hair in the King's dinner, the cook went to him.

"I know you did not make this dinner," the King said, "for it is too different and delicious. Send to me who made it."

The cook called for Little Furball, and she came before the King disguised. He asked her, "Who are you, and why did you come here."

"I am but a poor motherless child alone in the world," said she, "and I work in the scullery and live below the bridge."

"How did this golden spinning wheel come to be in my soup?" She simply looked at him. Finally, he sent her back to the kitchen.

In a month's time, the King held a second ball, and again Little Furball begged to go watch the revelers in their beautiful clothes. The cook allowed her, though cautioning her to return in time to make the King's favorite soup.

This time, she donned the dress as remote as the moon. Swift as a moonbeam, she joined the other revelers, and once more she dazzled the King as they danced. While they were dancing, he contrived to catch a golden hook on her sleeve.

Once more, she smiled so as to blind him with the light of a full moon and returned to her kitchen life, placing the golden hook into his soup right before it was sent to him. Again, he called her before him, asked where the hook had come from, and received no answer.

A month later, another ball was announced. Little Furball again gained permission to see the revelers, with the caveat that she return in time to make the King's soup. This time she chose the dress as shining as the sun, and like a sunbeam, stole into the ball and the King's arms. This time he caught a small gold ring around her littlest finger. He also, cleverly, ordered the music to go on for longer than it had before. It was not until she nearly needed to be back in the kitchen, that she realized she had to go. Like a solar flare, she blinded the King with brilliance and fled back to her kitchen life.

Lacking the time to take care, she threw the coat of furs on over her sunlight dress, hastily stained her face and hands, and hurried into the kitchen just in time to make the King's favorite Bread Soup and hide within it the golden ring.

Again, the King called her before him, and again he asked her where the ring came from, but this time he noticed her pale finger where the stain hadn't quite caught on. Striding forward, he caught her hand. As she struggled to free herself, the fur coat fell from her shoulders, revealing her glorious dress. She wiped the walnut stain from her face and hands, and stood before him as radiant as ever.

They were married and lived happily ever after.  

[TatteredAngel]

Here, as promised to Tea, is my favorite off-color Coyote Story – sexual content warnings apply:

Coyote and Teeth in the Wrong Places
(Native American, I'm not sure which tribe it was recorded from)

Coyote was wandering the world when he heard of an evil sorceress who lived alone with her two gorgeous daughters. Many young men were tempted, and sought out the dwelling of the sorceress to sleep with the beautiful girls, but none came back alive. This was, of course, the kind of challenge Coyote could not pass up, so he traveled to find the sorceress.

The person who told Coyote of this woman cautioned him not to sleep with the daughters, for in doing so, he would surely die. Coyote scoffed at this, wondering how sleeping with two beautiful girls could end his life, and he put the warning at the back of his mind.

When he arrived at the old woman's dwelling, she did not seem like an evil sorceress at all, and treated him very kindly. She had her two daughters serve Coyote a sumptuous meal, and when Coyote was full and sleepy, she offered him a comfortable place to sleep, between her two daughters.

Coyote, despite the warnings, could not help wanting to have sex with the beautiful girls, and he was pleased when the younger of the daughters pressed close to him. But what she whispered in his ear was another warning. She said that soon, her sister would ask him to have sex with her, but he must not do that. When Coyote asked why, the girl said that it was because the sorceress had given them teeth in the wrong places, and that if he had sex with either one of them, his p***s would be chewed off. She told him with sorrow that although the older girl was the old woman's real daughter, she was just a prisoner, enchanted by the sorceress, and did not wish to see another young man harmed this way.

When the older girl pressed close to Coyote and asked him to have sex with her, he said he would first have to remove his clothes, and as he did, he retrieved one of his arrows. He stuck that into the older girl as he laid above her, and killed her. Coyote then took his knife and killed the evil sorceress as well. He came back to the young woman, and asked her to come with him and be his wife.

She told him that she would love to go with him, but that she was still cursed with teeth in the wrong places, and feared killing him. Coyote told her this was not a problem, and so saying, knocked the teeth from out of her-- except for one, which he left in for his own pleasure.