Thread by @inkgypsy

Another #FairyTale for #FolkloreThursday's #tree theme: The Golden Apple Tree & the 9 Peahens.
In a case of the disappearing golden apples, 3 sleepy sons swear to discover the culprit. The youngest gets woken up by midnight (!) & sees 9 chicks (birds-then-girls) fly in...

Art ^ & v: Petar Meseldzija
.. & get serious apple noms. 1 keeps him occupied with 'kindly conversation' & leave him 2 apples by request. Jealous bros employ a stealthy old woman (from the Secret Sista Society we assume) to see how little bro got "them apples". #FolkloreThursday

#FolkloreThursday
Secret stealthy senior hides under bed, under apple tree & sees glowy "waaah" fr bird to chick; sneak-snips lock of her hair. "Screech!" chick back to bird & all little birdies fly away 4eva. Prince upset. Has SSS torn to pieces. He cries. The End. Not really...

Art ^: Rackham
Prince searches the world for the pea, er peahen. Finds a rumored peahen bathing-lake & waits.. Nearby Queen is all "nope on the nude-watching" & bribes Prince's servant to keep him asleep thru any bird-to-chick stuff. #FolkloreThursday

Art ^: William Sewell
Pretty peachick does best alarm clock impersonations but nada. 2 nights rinse, rpt. Chick tells servant "playing for 1 more night only" + a riddle. Prince very GRR w/out peahen (or coffee) & on hearing riddle, murder-ones his servant.
#FolkoreThursday

Art ^: Corey Godbey
#FolkloreThursday
Prince globe-trots - finds private peahen palace. Ta da - it's her! Wedding bells. The End? Not yet.
Take a left turn into Bluebeard - 12 cellars, no lookee #12 or "THERE WILL BE BLOOD!". Prince get curioser & curioser... (art:Violet Brunton)

#FolkloreThursday
Prince finds talking barrel "Thirsty water!" Prince gives barrel a drink. BAM! a DRAGON bursts out from barrel-dimensional-prison, snatches peahen princess & flies away 4eva. The End. (Not The End)
Servant screeches "OMG DRAGON took my princess!"
(Art: HJ Ford)

#FolkloreThursday
Worldwide hide-n-seek. Finds her in dragon palace. Exit horse-left. Dragon also w/horse gets home.
Asks horse: "Hm, chase or snack?"
Horse: "Snack 1st" (prob apples)
Still catch couple.
Dragon: Re the drink, still IOU. You live. Chick's mine.
(Art:R. Leinweber)

#FolkloreThursday
Princess sweet talks dragon: Your horse is fiiine.
Dragon: Yep-magic. Babysit a witchy-mare for 3nights- tougher than it sounds- succeed & a stableful of choice. But it's a trick! The leprous 1 is best. Tricky witch...
Princess whispers prince.
Him: I'll do it.

(Art ^: Robert Anning Bell)
Prince visits witch.
"Yes you can look after my mare but if she's not kept safe you lose your head.." indicates fence with all the skulls sitting on posts. 1 post is head-free. So far.
(You know why we like this tale now, right?)
#FolkloreThursday

Art ^: Naomi Johanna Nowak
#FollkloreThursday
Did we mention the post that had no head shouted:
"O grandmother give me a head!"
Prince: No sweat.
Takes bridle, rides off. Falls asleep... not kidding - tale should be called The Nap Prince!
(Art: Gabriella Hajnal)

#FolkloreThursday
Prince wakes & horse is gone. He's only holding bridle but he has a plan.
(Flashback - While globe-trotting Prince helped: fish-got a scale & favor; fox-got foxhair & a favor; wolf-got wolf-tuft & favor.)
Rubs scale - fish appears: whattup bro?
(pic: Billy Bass)

#FolkloreThursday
Prince, holding up bridle: "Um-she got away."
Fish: "Just turned into a fish. Slap the water w/bridle."
Witch was NOT happy.
2nd night, rpt w/foxes, 3rd night, wolves.
Prince: "Did it!"
Witch: "Choose yourself a horse."
Prince: "The scabby one."
Witch: "Dammit."

(Prev pic source: CBC)
#FolkloreThursday
It's a flying horse!
Prince: "To Dragon's palace!" (arriving) "Get on girl -we're gone!"
Dragon: "Seriously?" (to his horse) "Chase or snack?"
Horse: Crap- that's my horse-bro. No catchin' him."
Dragon: "Cr*p! Try!!"
(Art: John D. Batten)

#FolkloreThursday
Dragon closes in.
Dragons horse: “Bro! Wait! I'm dying here!"
Prince horse: “WTF you carry that monster? Buck him off & JOIN US.”
Dragon horse throws dragon into space & zillion pieces. Princess gets a horse now.
HEA: THE END!
(for real)
(Art: M. Belomlinskij)

I'm sure the Prince & Princess (Queen then) planted lots of golden apple orchards & she never felt the need to turn into a peahen ever again. Or perhaps the prince got the ability to turn into a peacock. We'll never truly know...
(Tale notes follow. #FolkloreThursday Art:Rackham)

Art: Charles van Sandwyk (Folio Society)

The Golden Apple Tree & the Nine Peahens: originally an epic Serbian poem, written as literary #FairyTale by Karadžić in 1853. Andrew Lang included in Violet Fairy Book.

Shares motifs w/ Bluebeard-Swan Maiden-Firebird
#FolkloreThursday

@threadreaderapp Unroll for "The Golden Apples & the Nine Peahens" please. :)