Tammy Hua

The six tales in this assignment come from Russia (2 tales), Lithuania, Germany, England, and
the Philippines. The other world in these tales is an animal one and the plot involves the
hero/heroines encounter with an otherworldly animal: a frog, a monkey, a serpent, a dog, or, in
The Scarlet Little Flower, an unidentified hybrid beast. Despite this similarity, these tales
belong to two different Aarne-Thompson types of international folktales.
Can you discern the two different tale types within this set of six tales? If you were to sort these
tales into two groups, how would you do it and which tales would be grouped together? Clearly
explain the criteria by which you sorted the tales. If sorting them into two groups proves too
difficult, then comment on the similarities and differences you observe among these tales. Be
sure to comment on all six tales in your comparative analysis.
One tale type would consist of the princess falling in love with the ugly monster, and he then
transforms into a handsome prince, and the other tale type would consist of the princess or prince
being forced to marry the ugly animal, and being ashamed of it. However, the animal surprises
the prince or princess and ultimately transforms. The Scarlet Flower and the Enchanted Frog
belong to the first type, while the rest belong in the second type. In The Scarlet Flower, the other
world is the lair of the Beast of the Forest. The maiden falls in love with the beast for his
kindness. In the Enchanted Frog, though the father must give the frog his daughter because he
tried plucking the flower, the daughter willingly falls in love with the frog. He is then
transformed and they lived happily ever after.
In the Serpent, the lady does not wed the serpent of her own free will. Also, the serpent is killed
by the daughter's family instead of the two couples living happily ever after. In The Tsarevna
Frog, the prince takes the frog princess against his will. In the Small-Toothed Dog, the girl is
taken against her will. In Chonguita the Monkey Wife, the youngest son also takes the monkey as
a wife against his will.