THE TALKING EGGS STUDY GUIDE
Prepared by Jill Ramsey, M.ED.
Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
Tennessee Technological University

• Genre: Creole folktale
• Theme: Rewards vs. Punishment
• Motif: Magical Objects

Robert D. San Souci's Caldecott Honor Book, THE TALKING EGGS, is adapted from a Creole folktale originally included in a collection of Louisiana stories by the folklorist Alcee Fortier and published late in the nineteenth century. The tale seems to have its roots in popular European fairy tales, probably brought to Louisiana by French émigrés. Variations of the story suggest that it was gradually spread orally through other areas of the American South.

In the story, a poor widow and her two daughters live on a farm that looks like "the tail end of bad luck." Blanche, who has to do all the work, runs into the forest one day and meets a strange old woman who give her the gift of special eggs, which will turn into riches when she throws them over her shoulder. But she is warned to take only the ones that say, "Take me." Blanche does as she is told even though the ones she leaves are jewel-encrusted. When she arrives home with fancy clothes and a carriage, her mother plots to steal Blanche's things and send Rose for more. When Rose is faced with the choice of eggs to take, she steals the jeweled eggs and is paid for her greediness by the release of snakes, wasps, and a cloud of bad things that chase her home. Jerry Pinkney's rich and colorful illustrations bring this consummate tale of "generous person/greedy person" to life.

THE TALKING EGGS would be a wonderful book to use as part of a cross-cultural study of folktale variants and motifs. The number of variants of a single folktale can fascinate beginning students of folklore. For example, in THE TALKING EGGS, a poor girl is kind to an old woman and in return is given some lain eggs that become riches when tossed behind her. In the Philippine tale retold by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey entitled ROCKABY CROCODILE, a kind bear and a greedy one end up in similar situations when one rocks a cranky baby by crocodile while the other ignores it. In John Steptoe's MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, the sister who takes time to stop and help people is the one who wins the prince's love. The theme of rewards for a generous and willing person and punishment for a greedy and disobedient one seems to be universal.

A motif that could be studied through THE TALKING EGGS is that of magical objects. In many folktales, they are essential elements. A magical object in the hands of a good character often heightens their courage and cleverness, while in the hands of a bad character may cause disaster. This element is perfectly illustrated by Blanche, the good character, and by Rose, the bad character. When Blanche obeyed the old woman and used the eggs properly they became treasures. Rose, however, disobeyed and misused the magical eggs. She was punished for her greediness. There are several cross cultural folktales that could be compared using the magical object motif. In Andrew Lang's ALADDIN AND THE MAGICAL LAMP, both a ring and a lamp play essential parts. In Elizabeth Winthrop's MASILISSA THE BEAUTIFUL, the heroine is able to outwit Baba Yaga's demands with the help of a magical little doll given to her by her mother. In Tomie de Paola's STREGA NONA, the title character owns a magical cooking pot that can be started by saying "Bubble, bubble, pasta pot" to make all the pasta anyone needs. But Big Anthony, a true noodlehead, starts the pot without observing Strega Nona's method of getting it to stop: blowing three kisses. The title character of Arlene Mosel's THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN has a magical rice paddle that she uses to good advantage both underground and above.

Suggested follow up activities: