Half-Man facts for kids

"Half-Man" is a fascinating French fairy tale. It was collected by Achille Millien and Paul Delarue, who gathered old stories from different places. This tale is about a special young man who is only "half" in some ways but proves to be very clever and brave. It's a type of story found in many parts of Europe, known as Aarne-Thompson type 675. Another similar story is called Peruonto.

The Story of Half-Man

A Special Son

Once upon a time, there was a farmer and his wife who had three sons. The youngest son was quite unique: he had only one arm and one leg. Despite this, his parents loved him very much.

One day, their mother asked the sons to go into the forest to collect wood. The two older brothers walked faster and soon left Half-Man behind. They reached a river, where an old woman was waiting. She asked for help to cross the river, but the older brothers rudely said they were too busy.

The Magic Wand

Soon, Half-Man arrived at the river. When the old woman asked for his help, he kindly agreed. Even with only one arm and one leg, he managed to help her safely across. To thank him, the old woman gave him a special magic wand.

Half-Man used the wand to gather wood very quickly. Then, he used its magic to transform himself into a fine, wealthy gentleman. He went to speak with his father, who was sad and told him how poor they were. His father also mentioned how much he loved his youngest son, even though he was only "half a man." Half-Man then changed back to his normal self and used the wand to fill their home with lots of delicious food.

The Princess and the Prince

One day, Half-Man went for a walk and saw the king's beautiful daughter. He used his magic wand to make something amazing happen: the princess became pregnant with a baby boy who would be able to walk and talk right after he was born, and he would say that Half-Man was his dad.

Nine months later, the princess gave birth to a son. Just as the magic foretold, the baby boy could walk and talk! The king was very surprised and asked the boy to point out his father. The king gathered all the men in the kingdom, and the young prince walked right up to Half-Man and said he was his father.

A New Home

The king was very angry about this strange situation. He ordered all three sons, including Half-Man, to leave the kingdom. As soon as they were far enough away, Half-Man used his magic wand to create a magnificent castle out of thin air!

He then went ahead of the princess and changed back into the wealthy gentleman. He met the princess, but she refused to speak with him. She said she would never betray Half-Man, the true father of her child. Half-Man then revealed his true self, and the princess was very happy to see him.

The Truth Revealed

After some time, Half-Man invited three kings to his new castle, one of whom was his father-in-law (the princess's father). During their visit, Half-Man's son was playing with three shiny golden apples. Half-Man secretly used his wand to put one of the golden apples into his father-in-law's pocket.

When the boy noticed a missing apple, he complained. Half-Man ordered the castle to be searched, and then he insisted that all the guests be searched too. When the golden apple was found in the king's pocket, the king was shocked and confused. Half-Man then explained that the same magic that put the apple in his pocket was the magic that had made his daughter pregnant. This way, he proved his innocence and showed his amazing powers.