Brewery of Eggshells facts for kids
The story of Brewery of Eggshells is a fascinating Welsh fairy tale. It was collected by Joseph Jacobs and published in his book Celtic Fairy Tales. This tale tells a magical story about a mother, her babies, and some mysterious creatures.
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What is "Brewery of Eggshells"?
"Brewery of Eggshells" is a classic folk tale from Wales. It's about a common belief from old times: that fairies or elves might swap human babies for their own. These swapped babies were called changelings. The story shows how a clever mother figures out if her children are real or if they have been replaced.
The Strange Story Unfolds
The tale begins with a mother who had twin babies. One day, she had to leave her little ones alone for a short time. When she came back, she saw two small elves. They were wearing blue petticoats and crossed her path. This was a strange sight.
Soon, the mother noticed something very odd about her twins. They looked exactly the same as before. But they simply would not grow bigger or stronger. They stayed tiny, like newborns. The mother and her husband started to argue about it. Was it possible these were not their real children?
The Wise Man's Advice
Worried and confused, the mother decided to seek help. She went to a wise man in the village. He listened carefully to her story. The wise man knew about changelings and how tricky they could be. He gave the mother a very unusual piece of advice.
He told her to make a special kind of soup, called pottage. But she had to make it in an eggshell. And she had to pretend she was making enough pottage to feed a whole group of harvesters. Harvesters were people who worked in the fields. This seemed like a very strange task.
A Clever Trick
The mother followed the wise man's instructions exactly. She got a tiny eggshell and started to cook the pottage in it. She acted as if she was preparing a huge meal for many people. The little "babies" watched her. They were very curious about what she was doing.
Suddenly, the children spoke. They exclaimed loudly, "We have never seen anything like this!" They said they had never seen such a thing, even though they were "older than acorns grown into oaks." This was a huge clue! It meant they were not young babies at all. They were ancient creatures pretending to be human infants.
The Real Babies Return
Knowing they were changelings, the mother quickly took action. She threw the two strange children into the water. This bold move made their real parents, the elves, appear. The elves had to take their changeling children back. In return, they gave the human mother her true twin babies. The family was finally reunited with their real children.
Images for kids
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Changeling twins illustrated by John D. Batten, 1892
