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The Magic Wings: A Tale from China
A strange event occurs across the land when a little Chinese goose girl sprinkles her shoulders with water and begins to wave her arms, believing that she will sprout wings, fly, and enjoy all the beautiful flowers of spring.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 1983
16 people want to read
About the author
Diane Wolkstein
43 books36 followersDiane Wolkstein was a folklorist and author of children's books. She also served as New York City's official storyteller from 1968–1971.
As New York's official storyteller, Wolkstein visited two of the city's parks each weekday, staging hundreds of one-woman storytelling events. After successfully talking her way into the position, she realized "there was no margin for error," she said in a 1992 interview. "I mean, it was a park. [The children would] just go somewhere else if they didn't like it."
She also had a radio show on WNYC, Stories From Many Lands, from 1968 until 1980, and she helped create the Storytelling Center of New York City.
Wolkstein authored two dozen books, primarily collections of folk tales and legends she gathered during research trips. She made many visits to China, Haiti and Africa.
Wolkstein was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. Her father Henry was an accountant and her mother Ruth was a librarian. She received a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's degree in education from Bank Street College of Education. While living in Paris, she studied mime under Étienne Decroux.
Wolkstein was in Taiwan to research a book of Chinese folk stories when she underwent emergency surgery for a heart condition. She died in the city of Kaohsiung at the age of 70.
As New York's official storyteller, Wolkstein visited two of the city's parks each weekday, staging hundreds of one-woman storytelling events. After successfully talking her way into the position, she realized "there was no margin for error," she said in a 1992 interview. "I mean, it was a park. [The children would] just go somewhere else if they didn't like it."
She also had a radio show on WNYC, Stories From Many Lands, from 1968 until 1980, and she helped create the Storytelling Center of New York City.
Wolkstein authored two dozen books, primarily collections of folk tales and legends she gathered during research trips. She made many visits to China, Haiti and Africa.
Wolkstein was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. Her father Henry was an accountant and her mother Ruth was a librarian. She received a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's degree in education from Bank Street College of Education. While living in Paris, she studied mime under Étienne Decroux.
Wolkstein was in Taiwan to research a book of Chinese folk stories when she underwent emergency surgery for a heart condition. She died in the city of Kaohsiung at the age of 70.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 9, 2024
One lovely spring day a poor goose girl in China was herding some geese when she noticed many new flowers growing. She wished to have wings so that she could fly over the hills and fields to see all the beautiful flowers at once. She put water on her shoulders and stood in the sun waiting for her wings to sprout. A grocer's daughter saw her and went home to put milk on her shoulders, and soon every woman and girl - including the princess and the queen - were doing the same with whatever they had. But, only one would be chosen by the Spirit in Heaven Who Grows Wings.
October 4, 2016
This story is so cute. I love all of the old fairy tales from different countries because they bring magic into the strangest areas that my Western mind would not have thought to have.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews