THE MAN OF ALL COLORS
Source
There was, once, an old woodcutter who was a widower, and who lived, with his seven sons, in a cabin in the middle of a large wood.
One day the old woodcutter called his seven sons and said to them:
“Boys, I have been sweating until now to earn you some bread. Now that you are grown up, go work for a living. I still have enough strength not to go to alms. When I can't take it anymore, I will take a bag, and I will go begging for my bread from door to door, as Our Lord Jesus Christ once did."
"Father, we are ready to leave. When we have money, we will bring it to you, and you will not go to alms."
"Go then, and may the Good Lord keep you. But first, I want to make a present to each of you."
Then the old woodcutter opened his chest, where there were a patched garment of all colors, and a purse containing six pistoles. He gave everyone a pistole, starting with the eldest son, so that there was nothing for the youngest.
Those who had each received their pistole saluted their father and left. Then the old woodcutter said to the young man who was waiting:
“Boy, take this patched garment, and do not be jealous of your brothers. You will be the Man of All Colors."
What was said was done. The Man of All Colors saluted his father and left.
At sunset, he arrived at the edge of a large forest and sat down at the foot of an oak tree to spend the night. The Man of All Colors was beginning to fall asleep when he heard screams and noise in the branches. It was a thrush that was distressed near its nest because a snake was coming up to eat its young. Immediately, the Man of All Colors took his staff and cut the snake in two.
This snake was of the kind that kept gold hidden underground. He had twelve double gold Louis in his stomach and as many quadruple Spanish pistoles.
"Good ! said the Man of All Colors, the double gold Louis will be for me, and the quadruple Spanish pistoles for my father."
He lay down again under the oak tree, slept all night, and left again at sunrise. After three hours of walking, he stopped at an inn built on the side of the road. When he had eaten the soup and drunk a bottle, he paid the bourgeois woman and asked her for directions.
“Man of All Colors, if you go straight ahead, in three days you will be in Paris. If you turn right, at exactly noon, you will enter the Land of Hunger and Thirst, and you will go I don't know where."
The Man of All Colors took a right. Just at noon, he arrived in the Land of Hunger and Thirst. There, there is no river, no stream, no well, no fountain. The earth there is dry like the bottom of an oven. Men, animals, large and small, herbs and trees, everything dies there, cooked and roasted by the sun.
For three days and three nights, the Man of All Colors walked, without eating or drinking. Then he found, lying on the ground, a dead man, who still held in his right hand a wrought iron bar, weighing nine quintals. The Man of All Colors buried the dead man, prayed to God for him, took the wrought iron bar weighing nine quintals, and set off again until the next morning.
By sunrise, he had left the Land of Hunger and Thirst. But he had before him a mountain as straight as a wall, which rose to more than a hundred fathoms. At the foot of this mountain, he saw a house, the doors and windows of which were all wide open. It was the house of the Soulless Body, which had gone out to make its rounds.
Source: L'Homme de Toutes Couleurs, from the French book Contes populaires de la Gascogne, tome 2, published in 1886
Previous Tale: The Son of the King of Spain
Hello, my name is Vincent Celier.
I am writing translations of folk tales that I found in public domain French books, so that people who do not understand French may enjoy them too.
This is the longer tale in the category "Fairies, Ogres, Dwarves". In fact, this is the only tale with a dwarf in it.
The younger son of the poor woodcutter seems to be unlucky getting only a garment instead of a valuable coin. But, in a very short time, he got more money than all of his six brothers together, when he killed the snake.
This is a picture of a quadruple Spanish pistole.
Source
This morning, Kati and her mother went to the cemetery near the vineyard house to visit the tomb of Kati's father. This is the one on the corner of the cemetery in this picture.
I met Kati's father in 2010. Kati was there when he died and I was there for the funeral in this cemetery.
They bought some groceries before coming back to Kati's mother's house, including a box containing nine frozen vegetarian mini pizzas for me. So, for lunch, I ate these mini pizzas.
I also ate a vegan yogurt.
Several vegan foods are very tasty, while some others are not. Among the tasty ones are yogurts, mayonnaise and some ice creams.
-- Vincent Celier
Another interesting tale. Just like the woodcutter, As human flesh, there is a level we reach that we will no longer have strength to work or feed our love ones. The woodcutter had to find himself in this situation and he did the right thing calling his sons and giving them each something to hold onto in their search for bread. it is a bit sad that the youngest son did not get any pistole from his father but I love the fact that he respected his father's words and he was not jealous in anyway. I know for sure that the youngest son who is the man of all colours will be a great man even though all he got from his father was a patched garment.
I wonder how people were surviving in a land were there is no food or water. It was a good news that the man of all colours walked pass through the land and came out alive. I don't think I personally can survive without food and water for three days.
The cemetery looks neat and beautiful. Kati must have missed her father so much. I can relate to the feeling of loosing a love one and visiting their grave.
Bon appetit is all I can about this mini pizzas. Seriously, I feel like having a bite already😋
These mini pizzas looking very 😋 tasty. Whenever I goes outside at restaurant, even at dinner I want to eat pizza. I love to eat it so much.
If We talk about the story, woodcutter was a hard worker and he take care of his sons very beautifully.
He was also a self respecting man who do not wants to go at anyone's door to earn his bread.
He doesn't want to go for alms inspite of great poverty.
Why he has only six pistols and gives his younger son a cloth of all color. He became the man of all colors, like the cover page picture?
When I was reading the story, I was thinking that he will change his colors according to the situation.
The power of this color will be shown next I think.
One thing I don't understand that why he goes to right side to the land of hunger and thirst. He buried the old man, he was his father?
Interesting story. Thanks for sharing these stories.
Wow here we all go with another story. It seems interesting I like it too. The woodcutter was somehow right when we are young we do jobs , earn money, do overwork just to give a good life style to our family our Childers. The woodcutter spend his life to serve his son's and now his is a poor old man. I think his other son's are not too bold but the man of all colors have it deep art. His mind and vision may be bright as like as his coming future. His father called it man of color's because I think he has seen his Inner soul work. As people say art comes from inside he must be good in something else great. Hoping for the best and waiting for the up coming part . That pistole was old but having charm.
These little tiny pizza's are looking Yummy, attractive. But I'm not in great love for vegetables. Enjoy your lunch.
Many times in our lives we learn to do things that we never thought we could do, for example the father told them that he could no longer continue and that now they had to work to earn their bread, all his children were obedient, he gave them all something, and the one who least believes he could be lucky for what the father gave him, he was very obedient to receive those mended clothes, and gave him a great lesson not to be envious of his brothers, as always in all these stories, surprising things always happen.
I'm not totally vegetarian, however, I love to eat lots of vegetables. Those mini pizzas looked delicious, Bon appetit even if a little late.
It seems fate has chosen the man of all colours to take him through a course different from that of his six brothers.
First he didn't get a wonderful gift like other if his Brothers and then later on he goes a part that brings him good and bad at the same time.
I was wondering why the man of many colours decided to wanted the land of hunger and thirst. He could have gone to Paris where things might be more easier for him.
I guess the central theme of this episode is on fate and the way life makes choices for us at times. I wish the man of many colours luck as he begins his adventure.
What you and Mary did is the best. Have a wonderful stay sir.
And yeah before I forget, tomorrow 31st Oct is your birthday. In advance Sir @vcelier.
The sons of the woodcutter all got pistole from their father with the exception of the youngest son whom he gave a parchment of many colours.
The man of all colours would face many trials along his way as he searches for greener pastures but he would return a king. His destiny has started speaking for him already, by killing the snake, he has gold and money.
Oh Katie's Dad is late! So sorry about that. I can now understand the emotional attachment Katie's Mom has to that cemetery, her husband was buried there.
I love your pizzas
The old woodcutter reserved the most blessing for the youngest son in his infinite wisdom. Many colours always bring luck just as in the case of Joseph in the Bible and I can intuitively say that he would be the most successful of the seven sons.
I am not a vegan and I have not tasted vegan food but those mini pizzas look appetizing.
This is another interesting tale, but not the faries. The woodcutter has done his best his children by providing for their needs at all time. But now that he is getting older, he needs to retire and have his children look after me.
He called his children and told them about his plan of stopped working, but he gave them what they needed in order for them to survive. The youngest child is wise enough not to envy his brothers. He accept 'garment of all color' and goes his way. He is able to make fortune by getting the snake into two. He is wise enough to leave some portions of his adventures outcome to his father.
It will be interesting to see how the tale end, what happens to his older brothers and what they are able to do with their gift.
How thoughtful are they to have visited the tomb. It is a good things so that the death won't be forgotten.
I'm sure you enjoy yourself to the fullest. Have a nice day.
Here comes another interesting French story. The woodcutter was indeed a responsible father who actually knew his role as a father. I said he is a responsible father because he gave birth to seven children and was able to train them up to the stage where he now knew that they were no longer kids and that they could care for themselves, he had to now tell them to go in search for there daily bread. The woodcutter did not just sit at home and wait for his children to go and bring food to his table, he also went to beg for alms. This also tells that he wasn't a lazy father.
The woodcutter actually trained his seven children very well, because they were also ready and willing to go in search of their daily bread. The woodcutter gave from the eldest son to the sixth son a pistole and gave the youngest son a patched garment. The youngest son collected it without complaining or being jealous of his older brothers. And he was lucky enough to get twelve double gold Louis from the snake he killed. I guess he was blessed with the twelve double gold Louis because he wasn't jealous of his older brothers. He was contented with what his father gave to him.
It is another interesting story. The woodcutter must have a good reason for giving the parchment of many colours to his youngest son, perhaps to bring him luck. But I feel that the youngest son would make it but I don't know why he chose to travel to the land of hunger and thirst instead of going on to Paris.
You said vegan food is delicious and I would love to try it out when opportuned.
I believe the old woodcutter is really making a good thing for all of his seven sons to understand how the world works and for them to be up to the standard in case if he lives the world. They them been taught how to cater and make a living for themselves is very important.
I believe the young man must have been jealous at first. But I love the wisdom the old woodcutter actually made in presently his point of view to him. I can see the story of Joseph in this story.
The younger son might be thinking he must have really been the most unlucky among all of them but it turns out that he became the most successful among them all.
There is something I love about the man of colours. I love the fact that he was not jealous of his brothers. It it was another person, he will be jealous and something bad may even happen to him but he chose to listen to his father.
Also, the man of colour is so brave for him to have killed the snake. Also, I love the fact that he prayed to God and also buried the lifeless man he saw in the land of hunger. That means he did very well and he's a kind person.
I really wish to know the end of this story and I'm sure that he will go home to make his father proud
The old woodcutter who has seven sons which he shared pistole to them,giving the youngest just the patched garment and called him the man of all colours.
They all left immediately every one of them was given a pistole.
I would say that the old woodcutter knows what might happen by giving the youngest a patched garment.
I like the intelligence of the man of all colours because he didn’t say he would take the quadruple Spanish pistoles but the instead he claim to give to his father while he chose to take the double gold Louis . I love his level of integrity.
When he asked for direction from the bourgeois woman,he was given two different directions I wonder why he chose to go to the land of hunger and thirst instead of Paris.
I would say,the old woodcutter knew the kind of children he has and he doesn’t want to end up his life begging for alms
Let’s wait and see the next part of the story.
The story reminds me of the biblical Joseph whose father made a coat of many colours for. He later became the prime Minister of Egypt. Could the case of the youngest son of the woodcutter be akin to that of Joseph? Well lets read on and see how the story unfolds.
A new story, a new beginning. And in this one we find out about The Man of All Colors which has embarked on a remarkable journey, and along the way has demonstrated his compassion and resourcefulness while facing various challenges along the way. Something that we can learn and do in our lives as well.
It's fascinating how quick fortunes can change, like with the snake incident. The Land of Hunger and Thirst sounds daunting; I'm eager to see what happens next.
I am following you from now on Sir @vcelier
I think this story is a good reminder that we should never give up on our dreams, no matter how difficult they may seem. We should also be willing to help others, even when it is not easy. If we do these things, we will be rewarded in the end.
#hive #posh
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This is really great what you are doing, translating these old stories so that they can reach a wider audience. I remember when years ago in my 20s when I started traveling to Mexico a lot and heard songs in Spanish. I desperately wanted to understand what they were saying so I spent a lot of time learning to speak Spanish.
Long story short, it really got me thinking about all the languages out there and the songs and stories being told that I'll never be able to know because of the language barrier. I will definitely be reading these folk stories!
By the way - thank you so much for your witness vote. It really makes a difference!