This is post #22 of my penance after I have been blacklisted by Hivewatchers for plagiarizing.
No need to upvote this post, as the payout has been declined.
But comments are welcome. I will continue to upvote all meaningful comments.
THE TWO TWINS
There once was a man who spent all his time fishing. One day this man caught a big fish.
“Man,” said the Big Fish, “let me go."
"No, Big Fish. I want to take you to my wife, who will cook you, and we will eat you together."
"Man, let me go. I will teach you a place where you can catch as many fish as you want."
So the man let the Big Fish go, who showed him a place where he could catch as many fish as he wanted.
The next day, the man returned to fishing and caught the Big Fish again.
“Man,” said the Big Fish, “let me go."
"No, Big Fish. I want to take you to my wife, who will cook you, and we will eat you together."
"Man, let me go. I will teach you a place where you can catch as many fish as you want."
So the man let the Big Fish go, who showed him a place where he could catch as many fish as he wanted.
When he came home, his wife said to him:
“My man, how did you manage to catch so many fish, yesterday and today?"
"Woman, yesterday and today I caught a Big Fish who asked me to let him go, and who showed me a place where I caught as many fish as I wanted."
"Listen, my man. If you get this Big Fish back, bring it to me. I want to eat it."
The next day, the man returned to fishing and caught the Big Fish again.
“Man,” said the Big Fish, “let me go."
"No, Big Fish. I want to take you to my wife, who will cook you, and we will eat you together."
"Man, let me go. I will teach you a place where you can catch as many fish as you want."
"No, Big Fish, I can't. I told everything to my wife, who recommended bringing you if I took you back because she wants to eat you."
"Well, man, since I must be eaten when you have returned to your house, you will give my head to your female dog, my tail to your mare, and my belly to your wife. Your female dog will make two little dogs, your mare two foals, and your wife two twins."
The man returned to his house bringing back the Big Fish, and he gave the head to his female dog, the tail to his mare, and the belly to his wife.
In due time the female dog made two little dogs, the mare two foals, and the woman two twins. The two little dogs, the two foals, and the two twins grew up to the age of twenty. The resemblance was so great, for each pair, that it was impossible to distinguish one man or animal from the other.
After twenty years, the two twins each took a horse and a dog and armed themselves to travel the world. They walked for a long, long, long time until they came to a crossroads where there was a stone cross.
“Brother,” said the eldest of the twins, “this is where we must separate. I'm heading towards the rising sun. You, go off into the setting sun. You will strike this stone cross with your sword when you come home. If blood comes out, it will mean that something bad has happened to me. But if nothing comes out, it will be a good sign, and you will be able to follow your way home."
— Brother, that is agreed. »
The two brothers separated and went, one towards the rising sun, the other towards the setting sun.
Source: Les Deux Jumeaux, from the French book Contes populaires de la Gascogne, tome 1, published in 1886
Previous Tale: The Turkey Sitter
Hello, my name is Vincent Celier.
I am writing translations of folk tales that I found in public domain French books, so that people who do not understand French may enjoy them too.
This tale is the first of two tales in a section of the book that the author titles "Perilous Adventures".
Here again, we have repetition, as in many other tales. The conversation between the man and the big fish is almost the same for three consecutive days.
Also, when the big fish sees that he will die, it tells the man who will kill him how to profit from his death. We have already seen this in two other tales.
My parents had 11 children, 8 boys and 3 girls. As one of my sisters, Brigitte died a long time ago, we are only 10 now. So, I have 7 brothers and two sisters.
Today, I saw 3 of my 7 brothers: Philippe (#1), Benoit (#7) and Antoine (#6). I am the number 3.
I left the Abbey at 8:30 and arrived at the farm of my brother Benoit around 11 o'clock.
The truth is that the farm is now owned by his son Clément, as Benoit is retired.
As it was Clément's 44 birthday, for lunch we went to celebrate it in a restaurant in Dreux, the nearby city.
Then, they drove me to the station and I left on the train to Paris.
After I arrived in Paris, I took the métro to go to the house of my brother Antoine and his wife Marie-Hélène, in Châtillon.
This is where I am now, and I will stay there until next Monday, the 16th, when I will fly back to Pécs, in Hugary.
-- Vincent Celier