Reading Notes, Week 12: More more Celtic Fairy Tales
I think the Irish respect a good con job, but they also have a keen sense of justice if the con wasn't exactly fair. Almost like the idea of honor among thieves... the seven sons of McAndrew were fleeced for all they had, but they kind of deserved it for not thinking anything through. The ploughman who nearly ruined the farmer was actually stopped by divine intervention, as the farmers plea cited his faithfulness to the farm and schedule of ploughing.
Lusmore and Jack Madden are essentially Goofus and Gallant in my eyes, and their rewards for their actions are quite appropriate. Lusmore seems like a splendid fellow with a delightful character, and Jack Madden is in too much of a hurry to bother with paying attention. The other takeaway I liked from the two very different reactions was that Lusmore had no agenda, and was simply enjoying life. Jack Madden came deliberately, seeking his own ends. This kind of reminds me of how people approach friendship or even dating. The best relationships I've ever enjoyed always stemmed from chance, while the worst encounters were usually because I had An Agenda.
Fairies dancing in a ring.
I felt quite sad for poor Elidore, who lived out the rest of his days remembering the good old times with his childhood playmates. Part of me wonders if Elidore could have simply had imaginary friends as a child. His teachers could have used a different approach in his education, and it seems quite natural that his mind wandered far away from the studies in front of him.
The two brothers, reunited at long last in The Ridere of Riddles really brought me back to Gene Wolfe's Wizard Knight series. Sir Able of the High Heart and the Hero of the White Shield would get along splendidly, I'm sure.
Story source: More Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1895).
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