The Girl and the Dead Man facts for kids

The Girl and the Dead Man is a Scottish fairy tale. It was collected by John Francis Campbell in his book Popular Tales of the West Highlands. He heard the story from a woman named Ann Darroch, who lived on an island called Islay. This tale teaches us about choices and their results.

The Story of the Girl and the Dead Man

Once, there was a poor woman who had three daughters. One day, her oldest daughter decided to leave home and find her own way in the world.

The First Two Sisters

When the oldest daughter was leaving, her mother offered her a choice. She could take a large piece of bannock (a type of flat bread) along with her mother's curse, or a small bannock with her mother's blessing. The daughter chose the large bannock and the curse. As she traveled, she ate her bread. When birds came begging for crumbs, she refused to share any with them.

She soon found a job at a house. Her task was to watch over the body of the housewife's brother at night. This body was "under spells," meaning it was affected by magic. However, on the very first night, the daughter fell asleep. The mistress of the house was very angry and hit her so hard that she died.

The second sister decided to leave home in the same way. She made the same choice as her older sister, taking the large bannock and the curse. She also refused to share her food with the birds. Sadly, she met the exact same end as her first sister.

The Youngest Sister's Journey

Finally, the youngest sister decided it was her turn to seek her fortune. When her mother offered the same choice, she chose the small bannock and her mother's blessing. As she walked, she shared her little bannock with the hungry birds.

She found the same house where her sisters had worked. She was given the same job: watching the dead man's body at night. But unlike her sisters, she stayed awake and alert.

Facing the Dead Man

During the night, something strange happened. The dead body propped itself up on its elbow and grinned at her. The brave young girl was not scared. She threatened to hit it if it didn't lie back down. The body propped itself up two more times. The third time, she hit it with a stick, just as she had warned.

Suddenly, the stick stuck to the body, and her hand stuck to the stick! She had to follow the dead man as it moved. They went into the woods, and as they walked, nuts and sloes (small, sour fruits) hit her. But they kept going and eventually came out of the woods and returned to the house.

A Magical Reward

Because of her bravery and perseverance, the young girl was rewarded. She received a large amount of gold and silver. She also got a special "cordial," which is a kind of magical drink. She used this cordial to bring her two older sisters back to life.

About the Tale's Collection

This fairy tale was collected by John Francis Campbell. He was a Scottish author and scholar who loved to gather traditional stories. He wrote them down in his famous book, Popular Tales of the West Highlands. This book helped preserve many old Scottish stories for future generations.

Important Lessons from the Story

This fairy tale teaches us a few important lessons.

• Kindness Matters: The youngest sister shared her food with the birds, showing kindness. This was different from her older sisters.
• Good Choices: Her choice to take the small bannock with a blessing, and to share, led to a much better outcome. It shows that good choices can lead to good things.
• Bravery and Perseverance: The youngest sister was brave enough to stay awake and face the strange dead man. She also kept going even when things were difficult, like when the stick stuck to her hand.