Almondseed and Almondella

Almondseed and Almondella is a Greek fairy tale collected by Georgios A. Megas in "Folktales of Greece". [Georgias A. Megas, "Folktales of Greece", p 189, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1970]

It is Aarne-Thompson type 1641 Doctor Know-All. [Georgias A. Megas, "Folktales of Greece", p 246, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1970] Other types of this type are "Doctor Know-all" and "The Charcoal Burner".

ynopsis

A poor man saw a black hen, tied to the weaver's, and heard a woman calling for help because her black hen had been stolen. He pretended to learn where it was by reading in a book, and she gave him two piastres. He decided to become a seer. One day, the king's servants came, asking whether the queen would have a boy or a girl; he read through his book, muttering "Boy, girl, boy, girl. . . ." until they tired of it and left. The queen had twins, a boy and a girl, and the servants told the king. The king, whose coffer had been stolen, sent for him to learn about the theft. In a room, he asked for almonds; the first night, he said, "This is the first" meaning the first night, but one of three thieves was eavesdropping and thought it meant him. He ran to his confederates. The second one went the next night, and when the man said, "The second has come", meaning the night, the thief took it to mean him. When the third thief heard him the third night, they begged for mercy and showed him where they had hid the coffer. The man presented it to the king. They walked in the garden. The king picked an almond from a tree and asked him what he had in his hand. The man's name was Almondseed, and his wife was Almondella. He spoke of Almondsell, whom Almondella let fall into the king's hand, but the king took it for the almond and its tree, and gave him gold.

References