Reflections on International Narrative Research on the Example of The Tale of the Three Oranges

Abstract

The Tale of the Three Oranges, also known in different cultures as L'amour des trois oranges , As tres cidras do amor, La brutta saracina, La mora tuerta, is one of the most favourite fairy tales. The tale can be characterised by a remarkably long text history, it has been recorded in hundreds of variants, and studied by means of the historic-geographic method. On the example of The Tale of the Three Oranges the author has pointed out several barriers and problematic areas in international legend research. The Tale of the Three Oranges - also known as L'amour des trios oranges or As tres cidras do amor, but also as La brutta saracina, La mora tuerta - is one of the most favourite fairytales in the Mediter- ranean region and in the Orient. The tale is somewhat less known in Europe, since it is not included in Grimms' Fairy Tales and other popular fairy tale anthologies. The story is about a Prince, who finds - often after a long adventurous quest - three beautiful maid- ens inside three oranges, lemons or other magic fruits. As soon as the Prince manages to win the third as his bride, he becomes care- less and leaves the girl alone to bring her proper royal clothes, carriage and retinue. He leaves his bride waiting on top of a tree, hanging over a pond, a spring or a well. There comes an exception- ally ugly dark-skinned slave-girl to scoop water, sees the reflection of the Orange Girl in the water, considers the reflection her own, and angrily breaks her mug - no more work from now on! Hearing the Orange Princess laughing in the treetop, the slave-girl realises that she has made a mistake and in a blink of the eye turns from an ignorant black slave girl into a person of sophisticated guile. Hav- ing heard the Orange Princess' story, she devises a cunning plan to deceive the Prince by assuming the identity of the princess. She either pricks the Princess' head with a needle upon which the Prin- cess transforms into a dove, or pushes her into the water upon