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Author
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Comment
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meganhicks
Registered User
(6/11/06 11:11 am)
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davy and the devil
At the Australian Storytelling Festival last year I heard "Davy and the Devil." The storyteller attributed his version of the story to a British teller, and I'm not proud to say I've forgotten both their names. I have dim memories of reading a story with a similar plot line in a book of Irish tales.
Gist: Davy is miserable working on a fishing boat. One day, he is struck by the spark of intelligence in the eyes of a particularly big fish that's just been netted. He can't find it in himself to kill this fish, so he throws it overboard. His boss sees him do this and fires Davy on the spot.
While he's walking home wondering what he's going to tell his wife, he meets up with the Devil. The Devil says he'll make Davy's fondest wishes come true for 3 years. At the end of the 3 years, the Devil will return with 3 questions, and if those 3 questions don't get satisfactory answers, Davy has to follow him to hell.
Of course, Davy takes the deal. His fondest dream -- in the version I heard, it was to run a tea shop -- comes true and 3 years flies by. When the Devil comes to ask his 3 questions and take Davy away, the fish Davy spared shows up in human form (a fishy looking human form) and befuddles the Devil into asking 3 inane questions, all with easy answers.
...........
Can anybody tell me the origins of this story and where I can find text versions of it?
Thanks.
megan hicks
fredericskburg, va
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mmcphie
Unregistered User
(6/15/06 9:29 pm)
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23oct1974
I have always heard this story as "Duffy and the Devil"--a variant of "Rumplestiltskin"--from Wales, I think. There's a picture book by Harve Zemach.
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mmcphie
Unregistered User
(6/15/06 10:42 pm)
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Duffy
Oops. The story is from Cornwall--not Wales
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meganhicks
Registered User
(6/18/06 8:38 pm)
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davy and the devil
Thanks for the feedback. I'm familiar with Duffy & the Devil -- similar to Rumplestiltskin and another one called The Three Aunties. That's not the one I'm looking for.
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Northerner4me
Registered User
(7/6/06 11:38 am)
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Re: davy and the devil
I have the story on a CD called "Take these chains from my heart" recorded by Taffy Thomas, the renowned British storyteller. Taffy hails from Cornwall originally but now lives in Grasmere in the Lake District. He had a spell as a fisherman at one time. Don't have a text version of it though (unless I transcribed it off the CD which I wouldn't be too keen on doing). I'll be seeing Taffy performing later this summer at both Whitby Folk Week and his minfest at the end of September.
Has a search on google not shown anything?
You may be able to get this CD abroad as Taffy is very popular.
Edited by: Northerner4me at: 7/6/06 5:04 pm
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meganhicks
Registered User
(7/6/06 9:18 pm)
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davy and the devil
Thanks so much! I heard Taffy Thomas perform in Jonesborough several years ago... What a treasure!
I just scoped out his website, and the order form indicates that "Take These Chains from my Heart" is out of stock. Google turns up one reference to the story in a 2005 issue of Storytelling World magazine, and of my 5-year collection of Storytelling World magazines, that's the only issue I can't put my hands on.
You've given me new search terms. I'll Google and Dogpile them for awhile and see if anything else turns up.
Best wishes,
megan hicks
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Northerner4me
Registered User
(7/7/06 1:39 am)
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Re: davy and the devil
I'm glad I was able to help you. The CD lists the track as "The King of the Fishes" - but note that there are a number of other stories with this very same title. You may be able to get this CD from another source. You might also be able to pick up a secondhand copy of it, from either Amazon or Ebay. I need to give my CD a nice clean - one of the tracks is skipping. I'm looking forward to hearing Taffy tell again later this summer.
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