Courage In Fables, Folktales, And Fairy Tales

Courage is defined in fables as being brave and heroic, but the term is not constrained to these two points. Courage means different things to different people. It may be an obstacle for someone to wake up in the morning, and to bypass that hurdle is courageous. Courage found in fables, folktales and fairy tales is defined by three points. These points are selflessness, staying positive in the face of adversity and facing fears. The first definition of selflessness means that one focuses on others before oneself. Selflessness can be found in the folktale, “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” The eldest daughter knows that her family is poor, and so she takes up the white bear’s offer. The eldest daughter is truly courageous, for she did not question the bear, she only saw an answer to her family’s plight. Similar to the eldest daughter, a young girl from the folktale, “The Warrior Maiden” acts in a similar manner. This young girl named Aliquipiso notices her tribe’s struggles, and in an act of selflessness she chooses to sacrifice herself for …show more content…
In the folktale, “The Price of Jasmines and Lilies” the third daughter is plagued by an oppressive father, yet she still finds the courage to follow her path to Allah. For this courage the third daughter is forsaken, and she is left to roam. The child of this daughter too was cursed, her aunt chooses to steal her eyesight in return for a drink of water. Even in her time of struggle, the daughter makes it a goal to stay positive, and follow the path to Allah. Likewise, the young girl from the folktale, “The Black Cloth” shares in this infinite perseverance. The young girl was wrongfully punished endlessly by her stepmother, yet through it all, the daughter always smiled. The stepmother did give one last task, a black cloth that the young girl must wash. To the stepmother’s dismay, the young girl returned with a cloth white as