Description
From out of his pocket the prince drew a walnut and when he opened it, there lay a dress that had upon it the sky and the stars, the Pleiades and the morning star.
The tales in this book came to us through oral tradition. Niki Marangou’s sources for her written adaptations are as follows:
“Olver’s Bird”: Giorgos Charalambous Admitos, a pupil of Paphos high school, told this story in 1942 or 1943 to Costas Prousis, who transcribed it in Laographiki Kypros (Vol. 43). This adaptation by Niki Marangou (1994) also includes elements of the story “The Forty Ogres of Pyrgos and the King of the Golden Apple”, transcribed by Athanassios Sakellarios in Kypriaka (Athens, 1891).
“The Prince Who Became a Tailor”: Composed of two folk tales transcribed and published by Nearchos Klerides in Kypriakes Spoudes (1959). The first tale, “Kkeletin”, was told by an 87-year-old man, Antonis Beis from Yialousa, and the second, “Three Princes and Three Princesses”, was told by Panayis Pantelis from Lysi.
“Bitter Lemons”: Vasilou Dimitri, a 75-year-old woman who could not read or write, told this story to the folklorist Nearchos Klerides, who transcribed it and published it in the journal Kypriakes Spoudes (1959).
“Manolis and the Dervishes”: Adapted from “The Story of the Oracle”, transcribed by Athanassios Sakellarios in Kypriaka (Athens, 1891).
“Kypris and Noufris, the Two Paphians”: Christina Papapavlou, from the village of Agros, told this story to the folklorist Nearchos Klerides, who transcribed it and published it in Kypriakes Spoudes (1960).
“The King and the Cobbler”: Dimitris Mallotides, from the village of Kritou Terra, told this story to Nearchos Klerides, who transcribed it in Kypriakes Spoudes (1960).
“The Story of the Little Dog and the Little Cat”: Told to Nikolas Konomis in 1951 or 1952 in the village of Asha. He transcribed it in Deltio tis Ellinikis Laographikis Etaerias (1962).