The Boy and the Magpie - Salting Its Tail: A Swedish Folktale

Award-winning storyteller Bill Gordh (Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence winner, National Association of Parenting Periodicals Gold Award winner) presents this folk tale live with no script, accompanied only by his own dynamic banjo playing.

A boy was always wishing for things he didn't have. An old magician told the boy if he put salt on a magpie's tail, he could have any wish he made. The boy went out with salt into the woods. All the magpies flew away. One finally spoke with him and told him if he brought her a nice clasp knife, she would let him put salt on her tail.

On his way out of the forest, he collected wild berries and in the village sold them. He went and collected more berries and kept on until he had enough until he could buy a knife. When he showed it to the magpie, she said it wasn't nice enough, and now she wanted a horse and sleigh. He used the knife and began carving little figures. He bought a horse and sleigh. But she wanted a white horse, not a black one, and now she wanted a castle and chests filled with gold.

He used the sleigh to offer rides. He bought more sleighs and horses. Finally he had enough for the castle. He built the castle and worked on until he had the chests of money. He invited the magpie to come. She allowed him to put salt on her tail. He began thinking of what to wish for. The magpie waited. She said, "You took too long" and began to fly away. The boy grabbed a small statue to throw at the Magpie when she landed on a cross beam and pointed out that the boy had all that he ever wished for, and he had done it all himself.