The Treasure
This goat mask is supremely creepy and I imagine the pope looked somewhat like this.
(Jullbock from wikimedia commons)
Observations:
- There is a certain lack of information given in the beginning. The story just starts off strong and keeps going with almost no context
- It seems a bit odd that the old man could not get anyone to lend him money, not even the pope. It seems like the pope should be generous? I wonder if this is a little theme in Russian fairytales
- I feel bad for the old man. All of the people in his town seem terrible and greedy
- What kind of town does this man live in where he feels like he has to dig his own wife's grave?
- Okay the money seems like the least of this man's problems to be honest
- I love that the second the pope gets the money he decides to be a good pope
- The story is written with small spurts of dialogue, which I enjoy. It feels like a very basic storytelling technique but it works well. I think I could emulate this.
- Somehow the story has escalated such that there is now a man dressed in a goat skin. What is actually happening?
- Maybe it's just me, but it feels sacrilegious for the literal pope to put on a devil costume and to scare an old man who just buried his wife. Also I am supremely grossed out.
- I like the idea of adding a slightly gross element to a story, though. I have already talked about trying to write something scary, but I have never thought about writing a bit of gore. I think I could come up with something as weird as this story!
- It is poetic justice that the goat skin fused with the greedy pope. I can not say that I enjoy the ending, but it is somewhat satisfying.
Overall, this story was weird, but it gave me a good sense of the Russian storytelling technique. It reminded me of the Brothers Grimm storytelling style with the dark twists at the end and the overall dark themes. I enjoy this type of story, but it still makes me feel odd inside.
Bibliography:
Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887)
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