Folk Tales for Bold Girls

by Fiona Collins

  ‘Which one of you is Tipingi?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m Tipingi,’ said the first boy.

  ‘She’s Tipingi,’ said the other boy.

  ‘We’re all Tipingi!’ said the girl.

  Then they began to dance in a ring and sing:

  I’m Tipingi

  She’s Tipingi

  We’re Tipingi too.

  The old man said ‘Agh!’

  He went back to the woman. He said, ‘I waited by the school, but all the children were wearing green shorts and they all said they were Tipingi. I don’t believe you have a girl to be my servant. You are just trying to trick me. I need a servant. I’ll take you!’

  When Tipingi came home from school, the woman was gone.

  From then on, Tipingi lived peacefully in her own house, with no one to tell her what to do. Her friends came round whenever she invited them, and they all wore whatever colour they liked!

  A TALE FROM IRELAND

  In Ireland, in the old days, people used to say that you must never leave dirty water in your house overnight. When you washed your feet before you went to bed, you had to empty the bowl out of the back door before you went upstairs, otherwise all kinds of creatures and spirits might come in. This story is about what happened when a family forgot to do this.

  An old woman and her daughter lived in a lonely sort of place, and one night they forgot to throw out the feet water. They hadn’t been in bed very long, when they heard footsteps in the yard and a knocking at the door. Then a voice called out, ‘Key, key, let us in.’

  The old woman didn’t answer, nor did her daughter.

  But the key did! It said, ‘I can’t let you in. I am tied to the post at the bottom of the old woman’s bed.’

  Then the voice called out, ‘Feet water, feet water, let us in.’

  The bowl of dirty water tipped over. The water ran across the kitchen floor and the back door opened, letting the water out. And letting the strangers in …

  A woman came in. She had a green face and a horn on her head. Behind her there was another woman with a green face. She had two horns on her head. There was another green-faced woman behind them. She had three horns on her head …

  Seven women came in, one behind the other. Each had a green face. Each had more horns on her head than the one before: the last woman had seven horns.

  The girl got quietly out of her bed, hid at the top of the stairs and watched the strangers. Each one had a bag and each one had a spinning wheel. They sat down, took wool out of the bags and began to spin it into thread.

  This went on for a couple of hours, and the girl’s mother was shaking with fright. ‘When they have finished spinning, what are they going to do?’ she whispered to her daughter.

  ‘Don’t worry, mum,’ said the girl, ‘I’ll get rid of them.’ And, bold as brass, she went down the stairs and picked up the bucket. ‘You must be getting thirsty with all this spinning,’ she said. ‘I’ll go to the well for some water and make you all a cup of tea.’

  She went out of the kitchen to the well. But she didn’t fill her bucket. She put it down and ran as fast as she could to the wise woman’s house. She knocked on the door. When the wise woman opened it, she quickly explained what had happened.

  ‘It’s lucky you’ve come to me,’ said the wise woman, ‘because I know who they are. They come from the wild mountain. I can tell you what to do to get rid of them, but you must throw out the feet water as soon as they have gone, or it will let them back in!’

  And she told the girl what to do.

  The girl thanked her, and back she went to the well, as fast as she could go. When she got there, she shouted at the top of her voice, ‘The wild mountain is on fire, and all the air above it!’

  The door banged open, and the seven women came running out screaming.

  As the girl watched, they rose up into the air and flew away towards the wild mountain. Straight away, she rushed indoors, threw their spinning wheels and bags of wool into the yard and swept out the feet water from the floor. Then she locked the door, and she and her mother went back to bed.

  It wasn’t long before they heard footsteps in the yard again, and a voice called out, ‘Key, key, let us in.’

  But the key said, ‘How can I? I told you, I am tied to the post at the bottom of the old woman’s bed.’

  Then the voice called out, ‘Feet water, feet water, let us in.’

  The feet water said, ‘How can I? I’m out here with you, under your feet.’

  The women shouted and yelled, but they couldn’t get in. They had no power now the feet water had been thrown out. At last, they picked up their spinning wheels and bags and flew away, back to the wild mountain.

  From then on, you can be sure that the girl and her mother always threw out the feet water and tidied everything up before they locked the door and went to bed each night.

  A TALE FROM SCOTLAND

  Once upon a time there were three sisters, and their names were Milly, Polly and Molly Whuppie. Even though Molly was the youngest, she was the boldest.

  One day, their parents took them into the wood and left them there! (Don’t let your parents do this: it’s a very bad idea, and if they do it, they will feel really sorry afterwards …)

  Milly and Polly cried and cried, but Molly said, ‘Let’s go out into the world to seek our fortunes!’ So they walked and walked until they came to the edge of the wood, and they saw a great grey castle. Molly went straight to the front door and knocked.

  A little old woman opened the door.

  ‘Excuse me,’ said Molly, politely. ‘We are three sisters and we are lost in the woods. We are very tired, and hungry and thirsty. Please could we come in to have a little rest, and maybe something to eat and drink?’

  The old woman replied, ‘Well, you’re welcome to come in, my dears, but I live here with my son, and he’s a giant. He has a great big bommieknocker for bashing people with. If he comes home while you are here, he is sure to bop each one of you with his bommieknocker and eat you all up.’

  ‘If we go before he comes home, can we come in?’ asked Molly. ‘We are really tired from all the walking.’

  ‘Well, all right then,’ said the old woman, and she let them in.

  The girls went into the kitchen, and the old woman gave them some bread and milk. Before they had finished, they heard the front door slam, and very heavy footsteps coming down the corridor to the kitchen. They didn’t have time to run away. They didn’t have time to hide …

  Then they heard something else. It was the voice of the giant. He was saying what giants always say:

  Fee, fi, fo, fum,

  I smell the blood of an Englishman.

  Be he alive, or be he dead,

  I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!

  In came the giant. He was big. Bigger than big. He was carrying a great big stick. The girls knew this was his terrible bommieknocker. He said, ‘I’m hungry and I’m thirsty, Mum.’

  His mother quickly filled a bucket with milk for him. He drank it all in one gulp. She stuck two loaves of bread together with butter and cheese and gave him his sandwich. He ate it in two bites. He was still hungry. He looked at the girls.

  ‘Hello, Mr Giant,’ said Molly, quickly. ‘How nice to meet you. It’s lucky that you aren’t going to eat us.’

  ‘Aren’t I?’ asked the giant.

  ‘Oh no,’ said Molly. ‘You see, we aren’t men, we’re girls, and we aren’t English, we’re Scottish. So that’s all right, isn’t it?’

  The giant didn’t know what to say. But he was still hungry, so he thought of a plan.

  ‘It will soon be dark,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you stay the night here?’

  Molly didn’t think it was a good idea, but her sisters did. They were very tired. Soon they were all tucked up in three little beds in the spare room. But Molly still didn’t think it was a good idea, and she made her sisters hide under the beds. She put pillows under the bedclothes so it looked as though they
were all asleep in their beds. Then she crawled under her bed and hid too.

  Just in time!

  The bedroom door opened and the giant crept in. He was carrying his great big bommieknocker.

  He patted Milly’s bed until he felt the shape of the pillow. ‘There you are,’ he whispered, ‘and here you are!’ And he bopped the bed with his great big bommieknocker!

  He patted Polly’s bed until he felt the shape of the pillow. ‘There you are,’ he whispered, ‘and here you are!’ And he bopped the bed with his great big bommieknocker!

  He did the same to Molly’s bed too, and then he laughed a horrible laugh. ‘In the morning, I shall have smashed little girls on toast for breakfast,’ he said. And off he went to bed.

  As soon as he had gone, Molly called her sisters out from under the beds. She led them out of the bedroom and along the corridors of the giant’s castle, until they came to the front door. They let themselves out very quietly, and ran away through the forest as fast as they could. They ran and they ran until they came to a deep, steep valley.

  There was a bridge across the valley, made of one hair. They ran across the Bridge of One Hair and so they came safely to another kingdom.

  Soon they saw another great grey castle. Molly went straight to the front door and knocked.

  A king opened the door.

  ‘Excuse me,’ said Molly, politely. ‘We are three sisters and we’ve come a long way. We are looking for work. Have you got any jobs we can do?’

  ‘Where have you come from?’ asked the king.

  ‘We’ve come across the Bridge of One Hair,’ said Molly.

  ‘Oh no,’ said the king, ‘you couldn’t have come from there. There’s a giant there. He eats anyone who goes across the Bridge of One Hair. No one ever comes back.’

  ‘Well, we have,’ said Molly.

  The king was very impressed. He said they could come to live in the castle and work there.

  A few days later, the king said to Molly, ‘I’ve been thinking about the giant. I’ve heard that he has a great big bommieknocker. If only there were someone brave enough and bold enough to go over the Bridge of One Hair and take away his great big bommieknocker, he wouldn’t be able to hurt people any more.

  Molly, I can only think of one person brave enough and bold enough to do it. And that person is Molly Whuppie. Will you go? If you will, I will give you whatever you want.’

  ‘Well,’ said Molly, ‘I can’t really think of anything that I want, and I don’t know if I can do it. But I’ll try.’

  So away she went, over the Bridge of One Hair and through the forest in the dead of night, until she came to the giant’s castle.

  She crept through the corridors of the castle until she came to the giant’s bedroom, and peeped round the door. The giant’s bed was in the middle of his room, and he was fast asleep. His head was on his pillow, and leaning against the bed was his great big bommieknocker.

  Very quietly, Molly crept into the bedroom.

  Very quietly, she picked up the great big bommieknocker.

  Very quietly, she crept out of the bedroom.

  But just as she went through the door, the bommieknocker tapped against the door post. It only made a little noise, but it woke the giant! He jumped out of bed and he chased her.

  So she ran. And he ran.

  Molly ran through the corridors of the castle and the giant ran after her. She ran through the forest in the dead of night, and the giant ran after her. She ran until she came to the Bridge of One Hair, and the giant ran after her. She ran across the Bridge of One Hair.

  But the giant was too big and too heavy to cross over. He had to stay on his side. He shook his fist and shouted, ‘Molly Whuppie, Molly Whuppie, don’t you ever come here again!’

  And Molly, on the other side, grinned and waved in a very annoying sort of way, and called out, ‘Twice more, my friend, will I come here again.’ She took the great big bommieknocker back to the king’s castle.

  He was delighted. ‘Now my people will be safe. Thank you, Molly. What can I give you?’

  ‘I can’t think of anything I want,’ said Molly, ‘but my sister Milly really likes horses. Maybe you could give her a farm?’

  The king was very happy to give Milly a farm, and Milly was very happy with her horses.

  Soon the king started thinking about the giant again. He said to Molly, ‘I’ve been thinking about the giant. I’ve heard that he has a magic purse of gold, and no matter how much money you take out, it is never empty. If only there were someone brave enough and bold enough to go over the Bridge of One Hair and bring me his magic purse of gold, I could buy hospitals and schools and libraries and parks and all the things my people need. Molly, I can only think of one person brave enough and bold enough to do it. And that person is Molly Whuppie. Will you go? If you will, I will give you whatever you want.’

  ‘Well,’ said Molly, ‘I can’t really think of anything that I want, and I don’t know if I can do it. But I’ll try.’

  So away she went, over the Bridge of One Hair and through the forest in the dead of night, until she came to the giant’s castle.

  She crept through the corridors of the castle until she came to the giant’s bedroom, and peeped round the door. The giant’s bed was in the middle of his room, and he was fast asleep. His head was on his pillow, and next to his head was his magic purse of gold.

  Very quietly, Molly crept into the bedroom.

  Very quietly, she picked up the magic purse of gold.

  Very quietly, Molly crept out of the bedroom.

  But just as she went through the door, the magic purse tapped against the doorframe. It woke the giant! He jumped out of bed and he chased her.

  So she ran. And he ran.

  Molly ran through the corridors of the castle and the giant ran after her. She ran through the forest in the dead of night, and the giant ran after her. She ran until she came to the Bridge of One Hair, and the giant ran after her. She ran across the Bridge of One Hair.

  But the giant was too big and too heavy to cross over. He had to stay on his side. He shook his fist and shouted, ‘Molly Whuppie, Molly Whuppie, don’t you ever come here again!’

  And Molly, on the other side, grinned and waved in a very annoying sort of way, and called out, ‘Once more, my friend, will I come here again.’ She took the magic purse of gold back to the king’s castle.

  He was delighted. He used it to buy hospitals and schools and libraries and parks and all the things the people needed.

  ‘Thank you, Molly,’ said the king. ‘What shall I give you?’

  ‘I can’t think of anything I want,’ said Molly, ‘but my sister Polly really likes clothes. Maybe you could give her a clothes shop?’

  The king was very happy to give Polly a shop, and Polly was very happy selling clothes.

  Soon the king started thinking about the giant again. He said to Molly, ‘I’ve been thinking about the giant. I’ve heard that he has a magic wishing ring, and if you are wearing it, whatever you wish for will come true. If only there were someone brave enough and bold enough to go over the Bridge of One Hair and bring me the magic wishing ring, I could wish for everything my people need, and make them happy.

  Molly, I can only think of one person brave enough and bold enough to do it. And that person is Molly Whuppie. Will you go? If you will, I will give you whatever you want.’

  ‘Well,’ said Molly, ‘I can’t really think of anything that I want, and I don’t know if I can do it. But I’ll try.’

  So away she went, over the Bridge of One Hair and through the forest in the dead of night, until she came to the giant’s castle.

  She crept through the corridors of the castle until she came to the giant’s bedroom, and peeped round the door. The giant’s bed was in the middle of his room, and he was fast asleep. His head was on his pillow, and his hand was by his head.

  His thumb was on his hand. And on his thumb was the magic wishing ring.

  Very quietly, Molly
crept into the bedroom.

  Very quietly, she got hold of the magic wishing ring.

  Very carefully, she pulled it off the giant’s thumb.

  It was too big for her to wear, so she put it over her head and round her waist, like a belt. Then she turned to go out of the bedroom.

  But a great big hand grabbed her.

  The giant sat up in bed. ‘So, Molly Whuppie,’ he said. ‘I’ve got you now.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Mollie. ‘You have.’

  ‘Well, Molly Whuppie,’ said the giant, ‘if I was Molly Whuppie and you were the giant, what would you do now, eh?’

  ‘If I was the giant and you were Molly Whuppie, I don’t know what I would do. But I’m not the giant, I’m Molly Whuppie. And I do know what to do.’

  Molly touched the magic wishing ring around her waist and said, ‘I wish we were at the Bridge of One Hair!’

  In a flash they were there. Molly jumped out of the giant’s hand and ran across the bridge.

  Even in his pyjamas, the giant was too big and heavy to cross over. He stamped his foot and shook his fist and shouted, ‘Molly Whuppie, Molly Whuppie, don’t you ever come here again!’

  And Molly, on the other side, grinned and waved in a very annoying sort of way, and called out, ‘Never more, my friend, will I come here again.’

  She took the magic wishing ring back to the king’s castle. He was delighted. He used it to wish for everything that was needed to make the people happy.

  ‘Thank you, Molly,’ said the king. ‘What shall I give you?’

  ‘I can’t think of anything I want,’ said Molly, ‘except that I really like having adventures. Maybe you could make me your Chief Adventurer?’

  The king was very happy to make Molly his Chief Adventurer, and Molly was very happy too. She carried on having adventures for the rest of her life. And she never went back over the Bridge of One Hair again.

  A TALE FROM WALES

  Seren lived near the River Llugwy (you say it a bit like this: huh-lig-whee) in North Wales. Her mother loved to sing, and Seren had a sweet singing voice too. Her father was a blacksmith, and Seren grew up to the sound of her mother’s songs, the ringing of her father’s hammer on the anvil and the crackle of the fire in the forge.