The Old Woman in the Wood
Introduction
This is a gentle 'breaking-the-spell' tale, numbered ATU 442 in the folklorists' catalogue. A prince, together with his servants and horses, has been turned into trees by a wicked witch, and for two hours each day the prince becomes a white dove — until someone recovers a certain ring and the spell is broken. Two old motifs hide inside the story. The first is the magic tree that opens to give food, a bed, and fine clothes; you can find its cousins in 'Cinderella,' at the hazel tree on her mother's grave, and in 'Allerleirauh,' among the treasures hidden in the kitchen. The second motif is more thought-provoking: the dove tells the girl to leave the dazzling jewelled rings alone and to seek only the plainest one, because the real magic lies in the least eye-catching thing. This 'choose the plain, refuse the splendid' test rhymes with the famous casket scene in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice,' where the suitor wins his bride only by picking the humble lead casket over the gold and silver ones. Notice, too, who the heroine is: not a princess, not a warrior, but a poor servant girl who escaped the robbers' knives. Her calm, her kindness, and her judgement free the prince. In the old tales, a hero never had to be nobly born. This retelling is cast in the style of a Chinese fable — plain in tone, short in sentence, and clear in its closing lesson — so that parents and children can read it together by lamplight, just as elders once told stories to the young.
Vocabulary from "The Old Woman in the Wood"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
To die or suffer greatly because you have no food.
挨饿；饿死。
I will surely starve here.
只怕要活活饿死在这里了。
A sudden feeling of fear.
惊吓；害怕。
She jumped from the carriage in fright and hid behind a big tree.
她吓得跳下马车，躲在一棵大树后面。
The hard pointed mouth of a bird.
鸟嘴；喙。
She had not been sitting there long when a white dove flew to her with a little golden key in its beak.
她坐了没多久，一只白鸽飞来，嘴里衔着一把小小的金钥匙。
Places where birds rest or sleep at night.
（禽鸟的）栖息处；栖木。
The hens at home are already on their roosts.
家里的母鸡都该上架了。
Words said quietly to ask God for help or to give thanks.
祈祷；祷词。
She said a quiet prayer, lay down, and fell asleep.
她默默祝祷平安，躺下便睡着了。
Very valuable stones or small objects, like diamonds or rubies.
宝石；珠宝。
When the girl opened it, she found a dress set with gold and jewels, finer than any princess ever wore.
姑娘打开一看，里面竟是一袭缀满金子和宝石的衣裙，比公主穿的还要华贵。
To say hello to someone when you meet them.
问候；打招呼。
An old woman sits by the fire there, and she will greet you.
屋里有个老婆婆坐在火边，会向你问好。
Simple, with no decoration; not fancy.
朴素的；素净的。
Find a plain ring, and bring it to me as fast as you can.
只找一枚素净的，寻到了就快快送来给我。
Shone with many small bright flashes of light.
闪闪发光；闪耀。
They shone and sparkled, and the light made her eyes dizzy.
桌上堆着层层叠叠的戒指，明晃晃的，晃得人眼花。
Feeling that everything is turning around you, as if you might fall.
头晕的；眼花的。
They shone and sparkled, and the light made her eyes dizzy.
桌上堆着层层叠叠的戒指，明晃晃的，晃得人眼花。
Very bad or evil.
邪恶的；恶毒的。
She is a wicked witch.
她是个狠毒的女巫。
Magic words that can change a person or thing.
咒语；魔法。
His servants and horses, who had been turned into trees as well, were freed from the spell at the same time, and they all came to stand beside him.
那些同样被变成树的仆人和马匹，这时也都解了咒，齐齐聚到他身边。
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
What is truly precious is not always the most dazzling. The dove makes the girl pass over a table of jewelled rings and take the plainest one, because the key to the spell lies in the humblest place. Never judge worth by glitter alone.
Educational Value
This fable helps children learn to stay calm in hard times, to follow good advice, and not to be fooled by shiny things but to value what truly matters. An ordinary girl, through courage and kindness, can achieve great things.
Tips for Parents
While reading, ask your child: why does the dove tell the girl to leave the shiny rings alone? Why does the girl stay silent when the old woman speaks to her? And why can an ordinary servant girl, not a princess, save the prince?
Talk About It
- The dove makes the girl pass over a whole table of shining rings and take only the plainest one. Why is the least eye-catching thing sometimes the most useful?
- The old woman greets the girl with a smile, but the girl answers not a word. Why do you think 'not engaging' is a good way to deal with a bad person?
- The heroine is only a poor servant girl who has lost everything, yet she saves a prince. What does a hero really need?
- When the dove asks for help, the girl agrees without a second thought. If someone who helped you asks you for help, should you say yes at once?
- The prince says that as long as the witch keeps the ring, he cannot become human again. What other stories do you know where a small thing holds the key to breaking a spell?
