Today we have a reverse chronology of the folktales behind the classic children’s story, Sleeping Beauty. The famous kiss that woke the princess comes from the Brothers Grimm’s Briar-Rose (1812). Charles Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty in the Wood (1697) has no kiss but lots of talk, a hasty wedding followed by a night of “very little sleep”, and an added section where the prince’s mother (an Ogress) decides to make a meal of their children. Perault’s inspiration was the Giambattista Basile’s Sun, Moon and Talia (1634). Here, the king “gathers the first fruits of love” (rapes) the poor unconscious girl. More…
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My Sweet Sixteenth
In this story by Brenda Wilkinson, a school friend helps a young a girl deliver her baby in her upstairs bedroom while a house-full of guests celebrate her “Sweet Sixteenth” birthday downstairs. The baby’s father wanted her to keep it; she wanted a termination but waited too long. The next morning, she secretly takes the baby to a hospital, claiming she found it on the street. Fortunately, the truth comes out and the prospect of family shame encourages her to keep the child, which she now loves. Themes include naivety, choices and consequences, deception, abortion, friendship, social image, and motherhood. More…
The Company of Wolves
The early part of Angela Carter’s Company of Wolves comprises background and several anecdotes which build anticipation and atmosphere. The main story, which doesn’t start until one-third of the way through the text, is an adult-oriented adaption of Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood. Carter reinforces Perrault’s original theme through eroticism. The addition of the wolf choir outside the cabin (“Who has come to sing us carols, she said.” “Those are the voices of my brothers, darling; I love the company of wolves.”) reflects the feminist view (and Carter’s?) that all men have an innate desire to deflower young women. More…
The Luck of Roaring Camp
In this story by Bret Harte, strange things happen when a Californian gold prospecting camp “adopts” an orphaned baby born to its only woman resident, the camp prostitute. The birth brings a streak of good fortune to the camp, resulting in the baby being named Thomas Luck. The Luck’s presence inspires the men to clean up the camp, their habits, and themselves. The camp prospers, and there is even talk of encouraging families to move there for the sake of the child. Unfortunately, the Luck’s luck cannot defeat nature. Themes: isolation, lawlessness, community, change/redemption, the inconstancy of luck. More…
Key Item
In this story, Isaac Asimov’s favorite supercomputer Multivac has a big problem. It doesn’t respond to commands, and isn’t following its built-in program to self-diagnose the cause. As the global economy depends on Mulitvac, this could result in panic across the world. Teams of technicians have been trying to identify what is wrong for three days. Finally, a scientist discovers the “key item” needed to fix the problem. It is a simple thing that we are all taught to use as children. Themes include the dangers of Artificial Intelligence and/or relying solely on technology, scientific hubris, good manners. More…