Kallo and the Goblins facts for kids

Kallo and the Goblins is a fascinating Greek fairy tale. This story was collected and shared by Fani Papalouka, Nikolaos Politis, and Haris Sakellariou, helping to keep this traditional tale alive. It tells the story of two sisters and their adventures with magical creatures.

The Story of Kallo and the Goblins

Two Sisters: Kallo and Marbo

In this tale, there was a woman who had two daughters. The older daughter, named Marbo, was not very pretty. Her younger sister, Kallo, was very beautiful. People often admired Kallo and felt sorry for Marbo. This made Marbo feel jealous and angry. Because of her jealousy, Marbo made Kallo do all the hard work around their home.

Kallo's Journey to the Mill

One day, their mother needed flour. She asked one of the girls to go to the mill to grind grain. Marbo quickly insisted that Kallo should be the one to go. Kallo went to the mill, where many people were already grinding their grain. She had to wait a long time. Just before the miller went to bed, Kallo's grain was finally poured into the mill. She knew she would have to wait until it was ready.

Kallo Outsmarts the Goblins

Around midnight, strange creatures called goblins appeared. They were scary and threatened to eat Kallo! Kallo, being very clever, thought quickly. She told the goblins they could not eat her while she was wearing her old, plain dress. She said she needed a brand new, fancy dress first. The goblins, surprisingly, went and stole a beautiful dress for her.

Once she had the dress, Kallo kept asking for more things. She said she needed a warm coat, an umbrella, a comb, and even face powder. She kept thinking of new items, making the goblins go back and forth to get them. Kallo kept them busy until the first light of dawn appeared. Goblins are creatures of the night, so they had to leave quickly when the sun began to rise.

Marbo's Unlucky Trip

After the goblins left, the miller finished grinding Kallo's grain. Kallo returned home with her flour and all the wonderful things the goblins had given her. Marbo was very envious of Kallo's good fortune. She wasted the flour Kallo had brought home. On New Year's Day, more flour was needed, and Marbo decided to go to the mill herself. She hoped to get gifts from the goblins too.

When the goblins appeared, Marbo was not as clever as Kallo. She screamed for help when they started to scratch her face. The miller heard her cries and came to save her. Marbo did not get any gifts from the goblins. Instead, she came home with a scratched face.

A Sister's Kindness

Even though Marbo had been unkind, Kallo showed her kindness. Kallo used the special face powder the goblins had given her. She put it on Marbo's scratched face, and it healed her skin completely. This shows that even after bad treatment, kindness can still win.

Related Fairy Tales

• Diamonds and Toads
• Father Frost (fairy tale)
• Mother Hulda
• The Old Witch
• The Three Heads in the Well