Aunt Misery was an old woman, constantly pestered by the neighborhood kids. Apart from giving her that insulting nickname, they climbed her beloved pear tree and snatched its fruits.
One day, a stranger came to her house. In exchange for her hospitality, he granted her wish: that nobody who climbed her tree could descend without permission. Later on, the kids tried stealing pears, and she trapped them. They begged for their freedom and Misery consented - after getting them to promise that they'd never come back.
Death arrived soon after and told Misery that it was her time. She tricked the goddess into fetching her one last pear and kept her stuck to the tree. This caused elderly and sick people to live forever and the situation worsened until Misery released Death. However, she forced the Reaper swear an oath to never return. Thus, Misery is everlasting.
Source: Elder Tales: Stories of Wisdom and Courage from Around the World by Dan Keding.
Tale Type: ATU 330, "The Smith and the Devil"
Variants: "Godfather Misery" in Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane.
No comments:
Post a Comment