A Portuguese Folktale: The Jew, the Squire and the Partridges ~ Final

Art by StarTwo

This folktale had the strange power over us that invoked mental song-singing of “Twelve Days of Christmas” and it’s lyrics:

“On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.”

Until we remember how grim the tale is… Despite that, we’re happy to bring you this story where its first appearance was on “Fabulário Português” in the XV century, dealing us in how much guilt can eat you up from inside.

As the previous folktales, this is Illustrated, translated and adapted by yours truly, StarTwo.

The Jew, The Squire And The Partridges

A Portuguese Folktale: The Jew, the Squire and the Partridges ~ Preview

Art by StarTwo

Life these Holidays has been very creative to say the least, and as a result we’ve had some sinuous road to drive lately but we’ve been able to manage and to break this slight interruption, we’re back with another Folktale.

Make sure to check this Friday’s post for the story on this illustration preview!

★stay inspired★

Portuguese Folktales. Thirteen Posts in One!

Art by StarTwo

It is a wonder to realize that we’ve been translating Portuguese Folktales for about two years already. Such a delight!
In this way, we (hopefully) have been providing you, dear readers, a source of quirky entertainment and also share our illustrations, which are something we adore to do.

We have decided thus to go back in memory lane and invite you to check all the folktales we have translated, adapted and illustrated and help us decide – up to now March 2021 – which is the best!
And to help you on your quest, we have prepared a little description of each, in our best Netflix style! Please enjoy and do let us know which is your favourite! It will help us decide what kind of tales we should share next!

1: The Aunts – posted on January 15, 2019
Because her own grandmother deemed her too good to even marry a king, the young girl in this story will need to face three impossible tasks. Impossible to those who don’t possess the help of three “aunts”, that is.

2: The Goat-Footed Lady – posted on January 25, 2019
Beautiful and mysterious, the woman Sir Diogo fell in love with had only one rule: never make the sign of the holy cross ever again. They marry and have two children together, but can Sir Diogo keep his promise?

3: The Spider Bride – posted on March 22, 2019
A seemingly inept boy and a hardworking, tiny spider. Will this be a perfect match?

4: D. Caio/Sir Fall – posted on May 3, 2019
Some people learn the hard way that bragging about skills you don’t have, is not a good idea.

5: The Maiden’s Pearls – posted on June 21, 2019
Envy and greed await the Maiden and her brother and their sole saviour is a talking dog named Cylindra!

6: Cardil, the Bull – posted on August 9, 2019
Because of a gentleman’s bet, a King’s servant has his loyalty tested in a most disloyal way.

7: Almond Trees – posted on August 30, 2019
The beautiful, romantic legend of how Portugal got its famed almond trees.

8: The Magician – posted on November 22, 2019
Impetuous and too full of himself, a young lad learns that magical powers can bring either fortune or doom.

9: The Ingratitude Of Children – posted on December 6, 2019
An elderly father decides to teach his daughters the ultimate life lesson.

10: Story From Below The Ground – posted on January 10, 2020
Forced to go live underground with a mysterious being, this girl will have her life thrown upside down until the very end.

11: The Envious Queen Part 1 and 2 – posted on July 17 and on July 31, 2020
A naïve young girl protected by her elderly father’s will and magic comes face to face with an envious, malignant queen. What could go wrong?

12: The Knight And The Pact With The Devil – posted on February 19 2021
Beware of sweet temptation, easy riches and the power of the Holy Virgin!

13: The Tower of Babylon – posted on March 19, 2021
A Maiden. A Tower.  Brother’s love and brother’s jealousy. Is their bond as thick as an old woman’s hair?

Let us know on the comments section which is your favourite and why – we’re really curious to know!

★stay inspired★

A Portuguese Folktale – The Knight and the Pact with the Devil ~ Detail 2

Art by StarTwo

As the last detail for this illustration, we round it up with the regret-filled devil, thinking why is he suddenly riddled with such a misfortune that makes his plans fail, time after time.

In case you haven’t read the story yet, please check out our previous post with our own translation and full illustration right ►here◄!

★stay inspired★

Portuguese Folktale: The Tower of Babylon

Art by StarTwo

Here in Portugal one of our country’s adages- “Quem conta um conto acrescenta um ponto”, means something like “Someone who tells a tale, adds to the story.”
This couldn’t be truer about the folktale we are about to share with you today. We found out there are all sorts of variations, from the North to the South of the country; to the point we are considering presenting later on the version that was told to one of us by her great grandmother.
You could say then, that this is a StarTwo version of the tale as we have decided to mix the version from the Porto region with the Algarve version!

But for now, sit back with a nice beverage in hand and enjoy today’s Portuguese folktale!

The Tower of Babylon – artwork, adaptation, and translation by StarTwo