Helga's Dowry: A Troll Love Story

Helga's Dowry: A Troll Love Story

Story and Pictures by Tomie dePaola

1977

Hey Kiddos! My last Tomie dePaola post was Strega Nona, which is about a magic pasta pot and the mayhem that ensues when it falls into the wrong hands. I have several Tomie dePaola books but none more charming than Strega Nona, that is, until I added Helga's Dowry to my collection. Helga, in particular, has charmed it's way from mommy's bookshelf onto the Boog's. Admittedly, I will pretty much buy anything with his name attached to it, making Mr. dePaola one of my most fave illustrators. (Number one on my list being the late Maurice Sendak) I have gotten quite good at spotting them on my thrifting excursions. Although, after laying eyes on one of his illustrations you will pretty much agree that his work is quite unmistakable.  

Helga is the loveliest troll in three parishes but, after being orphaned as a troll child, she was also the poorest. This became a problem for her when handsome Lars asks for her hand in marriage, for it is troll law that Helga must posess a dowry. With moonstruck eyes, Lars tells Helga he will go ask old Rich Sven for some advice.

Sven's Advice? Why, marry his daughter Plain Inge. With 30 Cows, 3 Chests of Gold and a mountain pasture, Plain Inge would make him the richest troll in the land! (with the exception of the troll king of course)

Upon hearing this news, Helga decides to take maters into her own hands! She writes Lars a note asking him to wait for her and she decides to go make her own fortune to supply herself with a suitable dowry.

"SOME PEOPLE ARE ARE LAZY, SOME PEOPLE VAIN,

SOME PEOPLE ARE GREEDY;

IT'S ALL HELGA'S GAIN!"

She goes into the Land of People and bargains her way into a dowry of 35 Cows, in exchange for laundry, 4 Chests of Gold in exchange for everlasting beauty and, after clearing out the timber, a Pasture of her very own!



Upon learning that Lars was not going to wait for her and had intentions of marrying Plain Inge in her stead, she dismisses him.....

Only to receive a purposal from the Troll King himself, who is no need of riches and certainly in need of a hard working Troll wife!

What is really funny about this story, is that the Troll King has been interested in Helga all along! You can see him hiding within most of the illustrations watching Helga hard at work.



Also By:
Strega Nona

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The Sesame Street Storybook: The Magic Apple

The Sesame Street Storybook
The Magic Apple
Verse Adaptation by Albert G. Miller
Illustrated by Kelly Oechsli
1971

There was once a simple far boy, poor but honest as the dickens, and he worked from dawn to midnight, pitching hay and feeding chickens.

"I am poor and I am honest," said the farm boy, "but it's rough working every day till midnight pitching hay and other stuff."

Thought the poor but honest farm boy, as he leaned upon his rake,

"if I had one wish to wish for, There is only one I'd make. I would wish the trade this barnyard and this yucchy farm-boy life, for a dandy golden palace and a princess for a wife."

He was sound asleep one  morning underneath an apple tree, when he heard a great explosion that was loud as it could be. BOOM! A lady stood beside him, saying,

"Hello there, young fella. I'm your handy fairy god-ma, like the one in Cinderella."

Pointing upward in the tree, the fairy answered,

"If you pick that magic apple what you wish will come to be."

Then there came a loud explosion, and before her godson spoke, she had vanished very quickly in a cloud of purple smoke.

"I can't reach that magic apple," said the farm boy. "Not at all."

So he grabbed the tree ans shook it, but the apple wouldn't fall.

Then he got so tired from shaking that he tumbled in a heap underneath the magic apple, where he promptly fell asleep

Then his snoring shook the tree trunk from he bottom to the top and the rosy magic apple fell into his mouth- KER-PLOP!

"Glugga-mugga," said the farm boy."Argha-bargha, google-gapple."

But you couldn't understand him 'cause his mouth was full of apple.

To make a long story short, a king shows up and, as luck would have it, he had been looking fro a farm boy since the spring who possessed a magic apple. He invites the farm boy to move into his palace and marry his daughter. He even sweetens the pot by offering him his own apartment with a stove and running water! Well, how can the farm boy resist an offer like that?

The princess didn't look exactly like the princess of his dreams, but a small oversight compared to a life full of banana milkshakes and rubber duckies.

This was the first in the in a series of larger format anthologies known as The Sesame Street Storybooks.

Also By:

The Sesame Street 1,2,3 Storybook

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These Are Your Kids On Books Poster

Denver, Colorado non-for-profit literacy group, Burning Through Pages, has introduced a series of well designed posters designed to get parents and kids excited about reading. The poster, shown above, has received 10,710 likes and 9,389 shares on Facebook, since it's launch on April 24th.

"Burning Through Pages Inc. has one goal and one goal only:

To inspire a love of reading in today's youth by recommending, donating, and discussing books."

Reading time with The Boog is something that is extremely important to me. When I was a little girl, reading wasn't a priority in my household. It wasn't until my most favorite aunt enrolled me in an I Can Read Program that I became infatuated with books. I took my little tote full of books with me everywhere the entire summer! Television has all the components laid out for you, on the other hand, a book challenges you to make the story your own. These posters reflect that philosophy. :)

The posters can be purchase here.

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More To Life

 

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More To Life

Stories and Pictures by Maurice Sendak

1967

I watched a documentary, directed by Spike Jonze, entitled "Tell Them Anything You Want" in which Sendak divulges an obsession with death stemming from early experiences with the Holocaust, the Depression and his exposure to images of the Lindberg baby. The latter of which inspired the writing of this book and features his actual Sealyham Terrier, Jennie. It was made into a Motion Picture starring Meryl Streep as the voice of Jennie.

The beginning of this book opens on the life of Jennie. Jennie is no ordinary dog. She is destined for greater things. She just doesn't know what she seeks.....

The images above are essentially the first part of the story. As you can see the Baby meets a terrible demise by the hands of the lion..... Jennie travels on and stars in a play loosely based on her exploits... I don't want to give too much away, you'll have to dig up a copy and experience the story first hand. All I can say for certain is this, this book is on the existential side.

THE END

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