Afanasyev, A.N. (Ralston, W.R.S.). “Vasilissa the Fair.” The Riverside Anthology of Children’s
Literature. Ed. 6: p 340.

“Vasilissa the Fair” is the story of a girl living with a cruel stepmother and mean stepsisters.  They want to get rid of her, so they send her to the evil Baba Yaga- who likes to eat little Russian children.  Vasilissa finds her and does what the Baba Yaga says and eventually gets out alive, with the help of a little doll her dead mother gave her.  She returns to her home, and through supernatural help, she is accepted again.  Themes such as supernatural assistance and goodness rewarded are present.

Chrisman, Arthur Bowie. “Ah Tcha the Sleeper.” The Riverside Anthology of Children’s Literature. Ed. 6: p 395.

Ah Tcha Tcha was an orphan boy who grew up, worked hard and eventually became very wealthy.  He also became wealthy because of his greed.  One of his workers, being a witch and very frustrated with his constantly enforced work ethic, casts a spell on him which will make him sleep “eleven hours out of every dozen.”  He eventually loses everything he has, because he is never awake to keep his farm running.  The witch, in the mean time, gets into a predictament with a dragon.  While the dragon is chasing her, Ah Tcha wakes up and helps her.  She casts a spell on the leaves around him, and as the leaves are all he has, he eats them.  He starts to be more and more awake. This story explains why there is caffeinated tea (Java- doo gives explanation for blue sky) and also shows themes of supernatural help and being accepted back into one’s society.

Kha, Dang Manh; Clark, Ann Nolan. “In the Land of Small Dragon.” The Riverside Anthology of Children’s Literature. Ed. 6: p 398.

This Cinderella Story is Vietnamese based and expresses themes such as: beauty=goodness, wicked stepmother, evil stepsister, and supernatural help. Through this cultural story, the values of hard work and humility are displayed.  This story is different because the supernatural help is actually nature at work, in supernatural ways.

Lang, Andrew. “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.” The Riverside Anthology of Children’s Literature. Ed. 6: p 407.

“Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp” contains similar elements of supernatural assistance and being received back into a society the character was initially rejected from.  Aladdin is a poor boy, although clever, who inadvertently falls in love with the princess of his land.  A man, masquerading as his uncle, tries to trick him into get????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????                                                                                                                                ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????                                                                                                                                ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????                                                                                                                                 ?????????????  ?????????????
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