Reading Diary: Jewish Fairytales
A giant brings Noah a unicorn for the ark, and in return Noah ties the giant to the ark so that he can swim along with the boat and be fed. Og, the giant, rode alongside the boat on the unicorn. Noah bargained with him and told him that he will feed him if he becomes a servant to him. Noah and Og go around the world to plant flowers and fruit. Og gives up four sacrifices to the grapevine (monkey, pig, sheep and lion). If one drinks a little wine, he is harmless like a sheep, a little more he will be strong like a lion, a little more and a beast like a pig and even a little more and he will be foolish like a monkey. Eventually he broke his promise of service to Noah. When he tried to kill the Israelites, Moses stabbed him in the ankle, and he died.
King Hagag rips pages from the Holy Bible for offending him. He then goes hunting where a wild stag had been seen before. When he finally spot the stag, the stag runs away and is too fast for the King. The stag swims across the river, but gets his antlers caught in a tree branch. This gives the king time to catch up, but the stag gets free all of a sudden and so the king must chase him some more. The deer turned out to be a genie trying to teach the king a lesson for what he had done that morning. He took the kings clothes, acted as king, and then left the king there alone. He eventually becomes a beggar only surviving because of food the poor gives to him. He starts to guide blind beggars and refuses to take the throne back because they need him. The genie does not allow him to decline, and gives him back his throne.
When Adam ruled over the animals the cat and the dog were best friends. The winter comes and they end up deciding to "dissolve partnership." The cat went to Adams house to eat all of his mice, and the dog wandered in the cold to find no sign of food. A wolf takes pity on him and gives him scraps, but he nearly gets killed driving intruders away. After failing to keep some sheep safe from the wolves, he stays away from all animals. The dog eventually ends up at Adams house where Adam has him stay because he is loyal and useful. The cat is not happy and tries to fight the dog ever chance she can. From then on dogs and cats have never been friendly again.
Princess Bathia found a baby floating on the Nile River and named him Moses. Nobody wanted Moses to have privileges because he was from the river, not their own. He must be tried for taking the crown of Pharaoh's head. With two choices, fire and gold, he must choose one. If he chooses fire he a foolish child who knows no difference. If he chooses gold he is not an ordinary child and will be punished by instant death. His mother gets a magic stick and wishes he chooses fire, he does. She cannot keep the stick because she cannot read the word on it. Year later Moses reads the word on the stick, and performed wonderful things in life.
David heard a voice calling to him tat he would be King of Israel. He climbed up a mountain that had no life or rocks. All he found was a tree made of horn. The horn was attached to an animal which he mistook for a hill. He is stuck on top of the unicorn and hears a lion from far away. When the lion confronts David, a deer comes to help him run away. He takes him to town where he later becomes king.
Ibrahim's family was starving and wearing rags for clothes. His wife asks his to go get a job. While looking for a job he runs into an Arab who designs buildings, and he helps him get a job. Ibrahim sells the Arab as his slave for 80,000 gold pieces. The Arab is now sold to make a great palace. The Arab told the merchant that he would have it done the next day, and he did so he got his freedom.
The Sleep of One Hundred Years
Jerusalem was destroyed and not beautiful anymore and Onias said it would take more than 100 years to restore. That night he fell asleep and did not wake up for 100 years. He woke up and everything was rebuild and different. He connects with his grandson who is also named Onias. He then realizes he is not for this world so he goes to sleep forever.
King for Three Days
Godfrey was a famous warrior who was cruel and hated jews. He tried to kill all of the Jews and to be victorious went to get a blessing from a Rabbi. He will not bless him but tells him his future of becoming king of Jerusalem, but only for 3 days. Godfrey won and burned the Jews in one synagogue. The Rabbis fortune for Godfrey came true.
The Higgledy-Piggledy Palace
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, was so beautiful that he put her in a box when he went to Egypt so no one would take her for the king. When he got to the border, they customs officers opened the box and took Sarah to the king. The king took her has his wife, but she threatened him to let her go. He says no and a spirit comes to protect Sarah and hits the Pharaoh, and also tortures him. He ends up getting leprosy. Abraham cures him because he lets them go and tells them that if he tries to persecute their descendants then the plague will come back again.
The Rabbi's Bogey-Man
The rabbi was smart, a magician and a scientist and people were afraid of him. He builds a mechanical woman to be his servant on the sabbath. She was controlled by his thoughts. She builds a fire that burns down some houses and ultimately burns her to ashes. He builds another that is a lot bigger and the children call him the bogey man. The rabbi has to end up killing it because it wants to take over.
The Fairy Frog
Hanina's parents call for him to come because they are dying. He tells him to buy everything he is offered at the market. He buys a silver box he can only open at Passover. A frog was inside when he opened it and his wife was disappointed. The frog ate so much that they went into poverty. He blessed them with riches in the end.
