The Boy and the Magpie - Salting Its Tail

A Swedish Folktale

By: Bill Gordh

Narrated by: Bill Gordh

Length: 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning storyteller Bill Gordh (Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence winner, National Association of Parenting Periodicals Gold Award winner) presents this folk tale live with no script, accompanied only by his own dynamic banjo playing.

A boy was always wishing for things he didn't have. An old magician told the boy if he put salt on a magpie's tail, he could have any wish he made. The boy went out with salt into the woods. All the magpies flew away. One finally spoke with him and told him if he brought her a nice clasp knife, she would let him put salt on her tail.

On his way out of the forest, he collected wild berries and in the village sold them. He went and collected more berries and kept on until he had enough until he could buy a knife. When he showed it to the magpie, she said it wasn't nice enough, and now she wanted a horse and sleigh. He used the knife and began carving little figures. He bought a horse and sleigh. But she wanted a white horse, not a black one, and now she wanted a castle and chests filled with gold.

He used the sleigh to offer rides. He bought more sleighs and horses. Finally he had enough for the castle. He built the castle and worked on until he had the chests of money. He invited the magpie to come. She allowed him to put salt on her tail. He began thinking of what to wish for. The magpie waited. She said, "You took too long" and began to fly away. The boy grabbed a small statue to throw at the Magpie when she landed on a cross beam and pointed out that the boy had all that he ever wished for, and he had done it all himself.

©2013 Bill Gordh (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A Tale of Wishes versus Work

This short Swedish folktale about the boy who always wished for the things he did not have is delightful. 😉 Filled with wisdom for those who seek it, the boy found the magpie and before she would allow him to put salt on his tail, she asked for one thing after another, which the boy went, worked for and brought back to her. He learned to WORK, and in doing so, he gained everything he had ever wanted. He pleased many, made friends, earned worldly goods and even bought the castle that the magpie asked for. And in the end, when the magpie finally allowed the boy to put the salt on her tail, he could not think of ONE THING to wish for. So frustrated was he that he was about to throw a small statue at the magpie, until she said, you have everything you have ever wished for, and YOU did it all yourself. 😀