The Little Old Woman and the North Wind E:233
After the North Wind repeatedly blows away this little old woman’s bowl of flour that she want to use to back bread, the woman decides to go and visit the North Wind and demand that he return her flour. A fun tale from Norway that teaches children the value of tenacity. (duration -8 minutes) An episode from storytelling podcast, Journey with Story, for kids ages 4-10.
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The Little Old Woman and the North Wind
Episode 233
July 13,2023
Do you know what the word tenacious means? Let me try it in a sentence for you -She is such a tenacious student that she revised her homework three times until she knew it was perfect.
So, yes tenacious means – determined or stubborn – someone who doesn’t quit or give up easily.
Hello everyone. I’m Kathleen Pelley- welcome to Journey with Story. Today’s story is a tale from Norway about a little old lady who is very tenacious – let’s listen and hear in what way she is tenacious.
Thanks to all of our tenacious listeners who have not given up on rating, reviewing and sharing our podcast with others. If you haven’t already done so, do take a moment to rate and review our podcast now.
Let’s take a journey with the Little Old Woman and the North Wind.
Once upon a time, there was a little old woman who wanted to bake a loaf of bread. So she hurried off to the miller and bought a bowl of flour, and returned home eager to start her baking. But just as she neared her house, the North Wind whisked by and blew her flour to the four corners of the world.
The little old woman was most perplexed at such a stroke of bad luck, but she took another coin from her purse and set off once more to buy another bowl of flour from the miller. As she neared her house, the held the bowl very close and carefully to protect it, but the North Wind blustered right by her and scattered the flour to the four corners of the world.
Now the little old woman was most annoyed, and determined not to give up her quest to bake a loaf of bread. So, she took another coin from her purse and went back to buy another bowl of flour from the miller. But on her way home, everything happened as before and the North Wind gushed by her scattering the flour to the four corners of the world.
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“Enough!” declared the little old woman. “Now I will just go myself to the North Wind and demand that he give me back my three bowls of flour.”
So, off she marched. She walked a very long way until she came to a mountaintop where she found the North Wind.
“How are you?” asked the little old woman.
“Quite fine, thank you,” replied the North Wind. “What might I do for you, dear lady?”
“I would like to ask you to return the three bowls of flour that you blew away.”
“I am sorry, dear lady,” said the North Wind, “but I am afraid I cannot do that, for I have blown those bowls of flour to the four corners of the world. But I will give you something so that you will never be hungry again. Here is my magic tablecloth. Whenever you say to it, “Cloth, spread yourself,” it will be covered with the finest food and drink you can imagine.”
The little old woman thanked the North Wind for his kindness, took the magic tablecloth and started back home.
Now, since she had not slept for such a long time, she decided to spend the night at an inn along the way. Once she was settled in her room, she laid out her magic tablecloth, saying “Cloth, spread yourself.”
Immediately the cloth was covered with a sumptuous feast the likes of which she had never seen in her life. As she began to eat, the smells of all these delicious dishes wafted under her door, as the innkeeper was walking by. He peeked through the keyhole and when he spied the tablecloth, he decided that he must have it for himself.
He waited until the little old woman was sound asleep in her bed, and then he sneaked into her room, took the tablecloth and hid it in his cupboard.
The next morning the little old woman was distraught to find her magic tablecloth was missing. “What a calamity,” she cried, “but I must simply go back to the North Wind and tell him what has happened.
So back she went to the montaintop where the North Wind stayed and she told him how her magic tablecloth must have been stolen.
“Do not worry,” said the North Wind, “I will give you my magic staff. All you have to do is to return to the inn and say, “Staff, dance!” The staff will then dance on the toes of the thief who stole your magic tablecloth.”
The little old woman thanked the North Wind for his kindness and once more returned to the inn. There she found the innkeeper entertaining his guests with a magnificent feast all spread out on her magic tablecloth.
At once, she cried out, “Staff, dance!”
The staff danced right over to the innkeeper, dancing on his toes.
“Please, please, I beg you,” cried the innkeeper, “stop this staff. Stop it!”
“Only if you return to me what is rightfully mine,” said the little old woman.
The innkeeper gladly handed her the magic tablecloth, and the little old woman went on her way, while the staff danced its way back to the North Wind.
From that day forward, the little old woman was never hungry again, for the magic tablecloth provided her with the most delicious and sumptuous food all the days of her life.
So, do you see how this little old lady’s tenacity paid off? If she had just given up the first time the North Wind blew away her flour, then she would not have ended up with such a good outcome. And so the story souvenir of this story is? Yes, I think it must be that being tenacious is a very good quality – if at first you don’t succeed, then try, try try again.
Cheerio then, join me next time for Journey with Story.
