Mothers: everyone has one, and each has a story to tell. Every mother knows that the realities of good parenting call for heroic measures. As these tales from ancient traditions show, most rise to the call the best they can. Whether these mothers have starring or supporting roles in these stories, their actions are the ones on which the tales turn. Here are tales of gentle wisdom and fierce emotion, everyday tasks and unthinkable challenges.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Tía Astucia (Spain) (12:51)
Tía Astucia's lazy daughter marries a man with too much charm … and strange feet. When his devilish nature is revealed, his mother-in-law puts him away for a long, long time.
2. My Own Self (Scotland) (6:38)
A tiny fairy arrives at a cottage on a windswept night and appears before a young boy. But when the boy accidentally harms her, well, then it's time to hide under the covers from the fairy's mother-and perhaps his own.
3. Don't Look Up (British Isles) (14:51)
A girl travels far from home to look for food and work, but she can find neither. Is it any wonder, then, that she approaches a cottage in the dark woods to find a mother who is also a witch?
4. Minding His Mother (Switzerland) (5:55)
Jean is the best of boys and anxious to please his mother. Yet each time he does just what she tells him, he gets into trouble!
5. Loyal Tiger Son (China) (7:40)
A tiger commits a crime and is taken to trial. But the punishment replaces what was taken and gives a grieving mother a new son.
6. Seven Bowls of Rice (Sri Lanka) (8:16)
Banished from home by a cruel stepmother, a girl finds she must care for a prince who has seven mouths … and a taste for human flesh.
7. The Hare as Nurse to the Bear (Russia) (5:21)
A bear must have childcare for his cubs. A fox, a vulture, and a hare apply for the job. But who is the best choice to be a male mom?
