January activities

Which are the best known children stories in your country?

Fairy Tales

Little red riding hood

Goldilocks and the three bears

Jack and the beanstalk

Slovak National Story

"About 12 Months"

Azorean Stories
The kingdom of Atlantis

In the great civilizations of antiquity it was said that beyond Hercules' Columns, nowadays known as Gibraltar’s Strait, laid the domains of the powerful kingdom of the Atlantes.
That empire was formed by one federation of ten kingdoms, under Poseidon’s protection, which explains their irreprehensible behaviour. They didn’t allow themselves to be influenced by vice or luxury.
Atlantis was a lovely dream place. The land supplied precious wood; they had mines with precious metals; thriving agriculture benefited from the exceptional climate; the houses and palaces displayed comfort and wealth; they had superb roads and bridges. This good easy life made possible the emergence of new artists and wise men.
Everyone wanted to enjoy and make the best out of their kingdom's wealth, even though they never forgot to practise the art of war.
It was easy for the Atlantes to protect their land from those who wanted to defeat the prodigious Atlantis. They succeeded doing so in such a degree that they started to be driven by pride and eagerness to extend their domains.
The mighty army of Atlantis spread out into the known world and ruled all nations.
The greatest atlantes army grown up for every known world dominating all the people. Blinded by triumph, they let the gods down by falling into a life of luxury and corruption where pride and vanity took over.
Zeus organised a council with all the gods to punish the Atlantes. There were major earthquakes, skies were as dark as night, fire ravished the forests, the sea overflew and swallowed villages and cities.
Atlantis and all its prosperity were forever lost in the greatness of the sea, but nine of the higher mountains of that beautiful land remained above the sea. Many years later, those small islands, the only remains of what used to be a great continent, were colonized. Nowadays they can be found in the nine Azorean Islands. Their excellent climate and breathtaking sights still remind us of the prosperity of the lost Atlantis.


In, Ângela Furtado Brum (recolha e arranjo de textos), Açores: Lendas e Outras Histórias, Jornal de Cultura, 1994. p. 16.

9th grade translation

THE MAN AND THE GIANT

Once upon a time, a man found a giant which terribly frightened him. He immediately started to devise a way to escape from him. When the giant was close enough to hear him, the man stared at the sky and inquired: - Are you coming or not? Are you coming or not? After hearing that the giant asked: - Who were you talking to? The man answered: - There was an ox here and I kicked him really hard. He flew across the skies and I am still waiting for him to come down. The giant wondered: This man is definitely stronger than me! I don’t want to have anything to do with him. By doing so, the man managed to beat the giant using only his brains and quick thinking.

In, Ângela Furtado Brum (recolha e arranjos de textos), Contos Tradicionais Açorianos, João Azevedo Editor, Ponta Delgada,2003. p. 194.


Translation: Filipe R. and Jorge L. - 6th grade

THE STOLEN PIGLET

Once upon a time, there was a man, his wife and their little baby. One day he stole a piglet and when he realised that they were carrying a search in all the houses to find the piglet, he said to his wife: - Take the baby with you and go to your mother’s place. She did so. He remained there and decided to put the piglet in the baby’s cradle hiding him inside the blankets. The local men arrived in a short while and found the man cradling a baby and singing: - Nanim, nanim, nanim, I really wish your mummy was here! Everyone there thought that he was singing to his son and wanted his wife there to take care of their little baby. They left the man alone without the slightest suspicion. Nevertheless, what the man really wanted was the piglet’s mum since she was bigger and fatter.

In, Ângela Furtado Brum (recolha e arranjos de textos), Contos Tradicionais Açorianos, João Azevedo Editor, Ponta Delgada, 2003. p. 191.

Translation: Ana Rita Cardoso e Joana Patrício, 9th grade

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Martinlongo School

The legend of the enchanted Moorish

It is told that in the old castle of Alcoutim lived a Moorish princess, that after having being left by her parents was enchanted, guarding a treasure.
To disenchant the Moorish and keep the treasure, it is necessary to face a monster.
Near the castle there are two holm-oaks, with the trunks eaten by time and it is there that the Moorish and the monster are.
Who wants to disenchant the Moorish princess, will have to go near to the holm-oaks, on the seventeenth of March, at midnight, face the monster with cold steels. It will only be possible to defeat the monster, if the cold steel is stuck in a black stain on his head.
It is said that up to today nobody managed to defeat the monster, to disenchant the Moorish and to keep the treasure.

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From Turkey

CAT AND THE LIVER

After the Hodja got the recipe for liver from his friend, he bought again some liver and because he liked it very much, he wanted to eat it often. But everytime when he brought livers he couldn't eat it, because his wife said that the cat took the liver and fled away. One day the Hodja became angry and said: “Woman, I brought liver! Where is it?” “Oh”, said his wife. “The silly cat took it and fled away.” At the same time the cat was in the room. The Hodja caught it, brought a steelyard and weighted the cat. Then he said: “That is exactly two kilos. And the liver which I brought was also two kilos. Now tell me: If that is the liver where is my cat, if that is the cat, then I want my liver.”

A FORTY YEAR OLD WINE

One day, a neighbour said to the Hodja: Have you a wine that is forty years old? Yes I have, replied the Hodja. Can you give me a little, asked the neighbor. “If I gave a little to everybody asking for it”, said the Hodja, “It would not be forty years old!”