Master Maid: A Tale of Norway

by Aaron Shepard, Pauline Ellison (Illustrator)

Leif is a likeable fellow, but he never wants to listen to anyone, and he always has to do things his own way. So when his father warns him not to go work for the troll, that's just what he does!

The troll seems nice enough, but the jobs he gives Leif are trickier than they seem. Leif can only succeed with the advice of a beautiful and mysterious maiden he discovers in the troll's kitchen. But will he be wise enough to take her advice? And what will they do when the troll figures out he's been fooled?

A lively Norwegian folktale that goes to show that women know best!

TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN AARON'S BOOK "FOLKTALES ON STAGE," OR FREE ON AARON'S WEB SITE.

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Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," "The Adventures of Mouse Deer," and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater.

Pauline Ellison is an award-winning artist, designer, and illustrator from the UK. Among her many works are the book covers of the 1975 Bantam Books paperback edition of Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy.

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"An engaging but little-known Norwegian folktale, expertly told and nicely illustrated. . . . Shepard's concise story line and evocative language make this an ideal choice for telling or reading aloud." -- Denise Anton Wright, School Library Journal, June 1997

"It's the details that make [this story] interesting." -- Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 1997

"It's always a pleasure when Aaron Shepard has a new book published, and his latest is no exception. The boy, the troll, the beautiful girl, and the impossible tasks will be familiar to many storytellers; what is new is the way Aaron makes this story sparkle." -- Katy Rydell, Stories, Summer 1997

"Aaron Shepard has done it again. And after reading his latest, I'd say Master Maid is his best yet." -- Kate Frankel, Storyline, Fall 1997

"This enchanting fairy tale is a clever and lively story that makes a mark for gender equity. Aaron and Pauline have done a great job bringing this charming story to life." -- Kip Nead, Growing Up, Nov. 1997

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When the troll had gone, Leif said to himself, "Not look through the house? Why, that's just what I want to do!"

So Leif went through all the rooms till he came to the kitchen. And there stirring a big iron pot was the loveliest maiden he had ever seen.

"Good Lord!" cried the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I've just got a job with the troll," said Leif.

"Then heaven help you get out of it!" said the girl. "Weren't you warned about working here?"

"I was," said Leif, "but I'm glad I came anyway, else I never would have met you!"

Well, the girl liked that answer, so they sat down to chat. They talked and talked and talked some more, and before the day was done, he held her hand in his.

Then the girl asked, "What did the troll tell you to do today?"

"Something easy," said Leif. "I've only to clear the dung from the stable."

"Easy to say!" said the girl. "But if you use the pitchfork the ordinary way, ten forkfuls will fly in for every one you throw out! Now, here's what you must do. Turn the pitchfork around and shovel with the handle. Then the dung will fly out by itself."

Genres: Picture Books, Folklore, Fairy Tales

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

Aaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

First recorded by Asbjørnsen and Moe in the nineteenth century, The Master Maid (Mestermø in the original Norwegian) is the story of a willful young man who, against the advise of his father, finds work with a troll. The tasks he is given - cleaning out the troll's stables with an enchanted pitchfork, fetching his fire-breathing stallion, collecting a tax from the fairies - would have proven impossible to complete, were it not for the help of the Master Maid, a beautiful and wise young woman held captive by the troll. But when the troll finally loses patience, and orders the Master Maid to make Leif into stew, the young couple must escape, with their erstwhile captor in hot pursuit...

Aaron Shepard's retelling of this traditional Norwegian tale contains only the first half of the original, omitting all of Leif and the Master Maid's adventures, subsequent to their being rid of the troll. Although I personally prefer a complete retelling, the author's approach here works fairly well, as the original is so episodic, and he cuts off at a natural spot. I did like that Shepard included a brief note at the beginning, discussing his source material, his decision to abridge it, and some of the other variants of the tale to be found in world mythology, most notably the ancient Greek tale of Jason and Medea. Pauline Ellison's watercolor illustrations are very pretty, with their incorporation of folk motifs into the details, although her human faces somehow didn't look quite right. All in all, a very appealing folktale retelling.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been a bit infatuated with Norway and this tale has some great elements (love the maid's hair and dress) including a TROLL. Oh, yeah! It's an engaging little tale about Lief, who always thinks he knows better than anyone else and likes to break rules, and who is saved from various bad ends when he heeds the advice of the Master Maid (after first trying his own way and failing!) I'm a bit uncertain what the message of this book might be. I almost thought Leif was an anti-hero since he never listened to the girl's wise advice and kept doing things he wasn't supposed to--but I think the ending alleviates any concern that he is a chauvinist. The illustrations are quite nice and overall it's a pleasant read though nothing really outstanding, in my opinion. Still, I'm eager to read more picture books set in Norway now! :-)

Oh, and I love that the title "Master Maid" is a sort of translation for something in Norwegian meaning "Supergirl" ;-)

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! Glad we bought it. I especially got a kick out of the end.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like the Greek myth of Jason and Medea. I'm happy I found this version from Norway, I love stories about maidens, heroes and TROLLS! This is a story about a boy that always thinks he knows best and is saved from terrible ends by the wisdom and help of the master maid (Super girl) and eventually falls in love with her and have a HEA.