Babiole

Title: Babiole

Sources:
D'Aulnoy, Marie Catherine Baronne. The Fairy Tales of Madame D'Aulnoy. Miss Annie Macdonell and Miss Lee, translators. Clinton Peters, illustrator. London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1892.

Summary: A queen believed that all of her misfortune was caused by a fairy who had not liked her since birth. The fairy's name was Fanferluche. The queen wanted a child, but she believed that this fairy would prevent it. So Fanferluche visited her and told her that her misfortunes were not her fault and that the queen would have a child, but the child would cause her many tears. With affection, the fairy gives the queen a branch of hawthorn that she must attach to the child's head to keep the child from causing her so much sadness. When the child was born, the queen put the hawthorn against her head and the child instantly turned into a monkey. When the branch was removed, she did not return to normal. One of the queen's ladies told her to throw the monkey into the sea and tell the king the child died. She agrees to this plan. A servant is given the box with the monkey inside and is told to throw it into the sea. On his way, he opens it and seeing it's a monkey he tries to kill it. But the queen's sister, riding on a chariot pulled by unicorns with her four-year-old son on her lap says she will take the monkey and pays the servant a large sum. She named the monkey Babiole and gave it to her son as a playmate. When Babiole turned four, she started to speak. The queen took Babiole from her son to entertain herself and to show her off to ambassadors. She learns to play music and paint, but Babiole was sad because she had fallen in love with the boy and was now being kept from him. 
She gained so much attention that the king of the monkeys, Margot, wanted to marry her. She admits to her cousin that she loves him but he rejects her, and her aunt would make her marry the monkey king, so she decides to escape. She tried to swim away, but she sank to the bottom of the river where she met Biroquoi who tells her not to give up hope about her love and to guard a chest that the monkey king gave her. He sends her back to the shore on the back of a tortoise. She was then recaptured by the monkey king's servant. 
She traveled in a carriage until they reached the land where she originally came from. She discovered that that kingdom no longer allowed monkeys of any kind, because of her mother's misfortune. When the queen saw this horde of monkeys (as the king traveled with his army) she thought they meant to attack. She seized them all in a large net. Because of Babiole's appearance, she was not kept as a captive. She charmed everyone she met. When the queen discovered that Babiole was her daughter, she was happy to be reunited. However, her maids convinced her that this would be bad for her reputation so the queen compromises and says she will just lock Babiole away in the castle where she can visit her. Babiole heard her plans and ran away. 
She couldn't find anything to eat, but she remembered the chest from the monkey king and she found an olive inside. When she ate it, she was transformed into a person again. There was also a hazelnut in the box. When she cracked the shell, out poured people who built her a castle. Servants also came out of the shell to wait on her. She lived like a queen. 
At her new castle, she held tournaments. One day, several knights got into a fight and were wounded. When she went to stop them, she discovered that one of the wounded was her cousin that she loved. He tried to impress her with brave feats, but he was only injured further. To prevent him from hurting himself more, she ran away. The fairy Fanferluche captured her and trapped her in a magical glass bottle. Her cousin goes out to look for her and meets Biroquoi. He tells him where Babiole is. Biroquoi gives the cousin weapons and a flying fish to battle the evil fairy. He rescues her and she tells him her story. He regrets the way he acted before, and the two are married. 

Cultural Origins: French, 1698. Published by Madame d'Aulnoy. 

Audience: The detail in this story is great, but in its original form it would be difficult for a young audience. However, I think that transforming into a monkey would keep their attention. There are a lot of elements here that would be easy for a young person to understand, so I would attempt it with them. I think this would be an interesting tale to tell during story time. 

Adaptation Ideas: There are a lot of strange character names in this one. I would change them to something easier for me to remember. I would also try to simplify the story because even though the details are great and rich, I don't think I could remember all of the specifics. I would try to use a monkey voice when Babiole speaks. This would be fun to tell.