The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South facts for kids
First edition
|
|
| Author | Robert D. San Souci |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jerry Pinkney |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's picture book, folklore |
| Published | 1989 (Dial Press) |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 32 (unpaginated) |
| ISBN | 9780803706194 |
| OCLC | 18873666 |
The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South is a children's picture book published in 1989. It was written by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. The story is based on an old Creole folktale. It tells the tale of a kind girl who is treated badly by her family. She meets a magical old woman in the woods and receives special eggs filled with treasures.
Contents
Story Summary
In the past, there lived a widow with two daughters. The older daughter, Rose, was mean. Her younger sister, Blanche, was kind and hardworking. Their family lived on a farm where they raised chickens and grew beans and cotton. The mother always favored Rose. Blanche did all the chores, like ironing clothes, picking cotton, and stringing beans. Meanwhile, her mother and Rose would relax on the porch, dreaming of moving to the city.
Blanche Meets the Old Woman
One very hot day, Blanche was sent to get water from the well. There, she met an old woman who was thirsty. Blanche kindly gave her water. The old woman thanked her and walked away.
When Blanche returned home, her mother and Rose were angry because she took too long. Rose then found the water was warm and poured it out. Blanche was scolded harshly and punished. Feeling sad, she ran away into the woods.
In the woods, Blanche met the old woman again. Blanche told her what had happened. The old woman invited Blanche to stay with her for a while. She led Blanche deep into the woods to her house. As they walked, tree branches moved aside to make a path. The old woman told Blanche not to laugh at anything she saw.
Strange Sights at the Cabin
When they arrived at the old woman's home, Blanche saw many strange things. There was a two-headed cow with twisted horns that sounded like a mule. There were also chickens of many colors that whistled like mockingbirds. Some chickens hopped on one leg, some had three, and some had four. Blanche remembered the old woman's warning and did not laugh at any of these unusual sights.
Inside the cabin, Blanche helped the old woman. She lit the fire to cook dinner. As Blanche went to get firewood, the old woman took off her head to brush her two long braids. After putting her head back on, she gave Blanche a beef bone to put in the pot. The pot quickly filled with delicious stew. When Blanche was given a single grain of rice, the mortar overflowed with rice.
Later that night, Blanche and the old woman sat outside. They watched male and female rabbits come out and dance. The male rabbits wore fancy coats, and the female rabbits wore long dresses. Blanche soon fell asleep, and the old woman carried her inside.
The Talking Eggs
The next morning, Blanche milked the two-headed cow. It gave her the sweetest milk. Before Blanche left for home, the old woman took her to the chicken house. She told Blanche to take the eggs that said "take me" and to leave the eggs that said "don't take me." Blanche noticed that the plain eggs said "take me," and the fancy-looking ones said "don't take me."
The old woman gave Blanche one last instruction. Once Blanche was close to her home, she should throw the eggs over her shoulder. A surprise would appear when the eggs broke. Blanche said goodbye to the old woman and left.
As Blanche neared her home, she threw the eggs over her shoulders. Amazing things appeared! There were rubies, diamonds, gold, silver coins, beautiful silk dresses, satin shoes, a fancy carriage, and a fine brown and white pony to pull it. Blanche loaded all the treasures into the carriage and rode the rest of the way home.
Rose's Greed
When Blanche arrived home, her mother and sister were shocked by all her new things. Her mother wondered where she got them. She even had Rose help carry the treasures inside. That evening, the mother cooked dinner for the first time in a long time. She started to act much nicer to Blanche.
While Blanche was asleep, her mother told Rose to go into the woods the next morning. She wanted Rose to find the old woman and get the talking eggs for herself. The mother planned to send Blanche away afterward and keep everything. Rose asked why they couldn't send Blanche away that night. Her mother said there wasn't enough for just the two of them yet.
The next morning, Rose went into the woods until she found the old woman. Rose told her she was Blanche's sister and asked to be taken to the cabin. The old woman agreed, but warned Rose not to laugh at anything.
Rose's Disobedience
When they arrived, Rose did the opposite of Blanche. She laughed at the two-headed cow and the multi-colored chickens. The old woman shook her head, disappointed. Rose also doubted the magical meat bone and rice. As a result, she went to bed hungry.
The next morning, Rose was told to milk the two-headed cow. She still made fun of it and got sour milk. They had to drink coffee without cream. When the old woman took off her head to brush her hair, Rose grabbed the head. She demanded that the old woman give her the same presents Blanche received.
Calling Rose a "wicked girl," the old woman told her which eggs to take from the chicken house. Rose then left the old woman's head on the porch. She went to the chicken house and ignored the advice. She took the eggs that said "Don't take me" and ran off into the woods.
The Consequences
As soon as Rose was far from the cabin, she tossed the eggs over her shoulders. Out came whip snakes, toads, frogs, yellowjackets, and a big old gray wolf. They began to chase Rose, who ran all the way home.
When the mother saw Rose being chased, she grabbed a broom to fight off the creatures. But it didn't work. The creatures chased Rose and her mother into the woods.
By the time they returned home, they were angry, sore, stung, and covered in mud. They found that Blanche had already left for the city to live like a grand lady. Blanche remained kind and generous. For the rest of their lives, Rose and her mother could never find the old woman's cabin or the talking eggs again.
Awards and Recognition
- 1989 Coretta Scott King Book Illustration Award - honor
- 1989 Irma Simonton Black Book Award - winner
- 1990 Caldecott Medal - honor
