Andrew Lang found the tale of Kate Crackernuts on Orkney. It's a terrific story, and should be much better known.
It tells the tale of two sister princesses. One of them has her head transformed (by her wicked stepmother, naturally,) into the head of a sheep, and the story tells of the journey of the sisters to find a cure.
Their quest takes
them to a castle where the king has two sons, (so we can hope for a double happy ending, hurray,)
one of whom is not only very sick, but has an annoying habit of vanishing in the middle of the night.
Of course the human-headed princess, Kate, follows him, and uses her nuts to such cunning effect that...
...well, they all live happily ever after, of course.
...well, they all live happily ever after, of course.
The story involves
a nice little baby fairy, too.
Terrific stuff.
Especially all the nuts.
Especially all the nuts.
Sounds ace. Not one I'd heard of though I must have read it in the dim and distant past if it was in one of the Coloured Fairy Books. It's probably a good thing that we can hardly remember a fraction of what we've read. Or I can't...
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