h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

To quit:

smoking
swearing
yelling

Hmmm...

Need to watch that if you quit smoking, you don't end up blowing up like a balloon like I did, and end up swearing about what a blimp you've become, then yelling at folks who say...'Oh my, you've put weight on!'.

good luck with them.

Jick

Prideth/Jick - Yes, I sometimes fing the Ugly Duckling a hard story to read. It's about finding your place, or your people. It's also about transformation through hardship. In the beginning, his mother doesn't know what to do with him. I'm sure that you're the beautiful swan. Beauty is more than skin deep!

have you ever read 'Skeleton Woman' (from 'Women who run with the Wolves')? It's a lovely story, but parts of it are hard for me to read.

tonsil, I knew about the rape in Sleeping Beauty, but I didn't know she gave birth to twins. Tell me more!

I'm still working on my New Year's Resolutions, however losing a bit of weight is one of mine too! I don't think I need give up swearing - I don't do it often enought - shouting? Not sure!

Yep, The Ugly Duckling always did make me , even when Danny Kaye sang it in Hans Christian Anderson, the film. I 'spose it's because that was one of the names my mother called me as a child, that and Callamero (cartoon duckling (?) still in half his shell, who was always ). So, I always believed that one day I'd grow into the beautiful swan. Pitiful, I know, but, that's children for you, they take things literally. Now, and for many years, I've turned it into a joke, and seen the funny side of it, that's why I laughed when I told you about it, . But, thank you for the compliment Z , I think you're a swan too!

I haven't read 'Skeleton Woman' (from 'Women Who Run With The Wolves'). What's it like?

Jick

I'll see if I can pry the book out of Shnooks's room.

Was that Sleeping Beauty?

http://www.katspace.net/b5/myth6.php

Hmm, maybe it was. The reference to the twins is about halfway down the page. "The Sun, the Moon, and Talia"

I don't understand all the Bab 5 cross-referencing, but maybe you will.

Yes, I understand a lot of the cross-referencing. Fascinating piece, tonsil. I'll have another look later on.

Jick !

Sorry, I've ignored your question about Skeleton Woman.

It's a story about a woman who was drowned by her father for some reason. She fell off rocks into a bay and men avoided the area feeling it was haunted. Then a fisherman, wanting to find fish (and a bit desperate, if truth be known) came into the bay. His hook caught in her bones and he hauled the skeleton into his boat. He was terrified and went ashore dragging the skeleton after him. He didn't want to cut his line, because of losing his hook. As he dragged the skeleton over fish and meat drying in the sun, the skeleton ate some of the meat. He went in his igloo and the skeleton came too. He painstakingly disentangled the bones and retrieved his line and hook, feeling rather sorry for the skeleton. He arranged her nicely against the igloo wall and crept into his sleeping bag.

During the night he dreamt and shed a tear; he was lonely. The skeleton stirred and saw the tear. She came over to him and drank the tear. She reached into his sleeping bag and pulled out his heart and began to drum. She drummed herself a new body, put the heart back and crept into his sleeping furs with him.

In the morning, the fisherman found he had a full-fleshed woman, who could teach him the best places to fish ... and they lived happily ever after! or what?

Z , that's some story! I've definitely not read that one, I'm sure I would have remembered something like that! Aren't folks' imaginations amazing? for sure!

Jick

So, what happens to Daddy?

Did he get his come-uppance?

And why was this particular fellow favored?

Didn't you say everyone else avoided that spot?

Daddy plays no further part in the story. Probably he doesn't get his come-uppance in this life.

This particular fellow was favoured because he unwittingly provided food (the drying out food) and drink (the tear) and he knowingly took the trouble to not only untangle his fishing line, but also to make sure the skeleton was put back carefully (the story says that he felt pity for her). So his care for her was repaid in full.

Yes, probably either the fisherman hadn't heard, or he was pretty desperate.