Saturday 21 March 2009

Short Story Weekend: Godmother Death by Jane Yolen


My first short story read for Carl's Once Upon a Time III challenge.

You think you know this story. You do not.

You think it comes from Ireland, from Norway, from Spain. It does not. You have heard it in Hebrew, in Swedish, in German. You have read it in French, in Italian, in Greek.

It is not a story, though many mouths have made it that way.

It is true.

How do I know? Death, herself told me. She told me in that whispery voice she saves for special tellings. She brushed her thick black hair away from that white forehead, and told me.

I have no reason to disbelieve her. Death does not know how to lie. She has no need to.


Death is tapped on the shoulder one day and asked to be the Godmother to a peasant child just about to be born. Shocked at the request she complies and promises to look after her godson when he becomes a man.
Despite his peasant background Death transforms the young man into a world famous doctor, a doctor who knows just who will die and who will not. For years this is successful until the doctor is rushed to the side of a beautiful dieing princess, struck by her beauty he tries to trick Death.

This story can be found on the wonderful Endicott Website here

8 comments:

Ana S. said...

One of my favourite stories <3

Vasilly said...

This story sounds great! I'm off to read it.

Becky said...

Oh, I just loved it :) I didn't know that such good short stories were on the web :)

marineko said...

Oh, I loved this story! Thanks for reminding me of it :)

Lynda said...

Sounds good - will be reading it later - thanks ;0)
My short story for today is here:
http://lyndasbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/princesses-forum-by-linda-kavanagh.html

DesLily said...

I have little love for short stories... I almost envy those who like them because you can read whole stories in one sitting

Maree said...

Fantastic-sounding story, and I love the premise :)

Shelley said...

This sounds great--I'm going to read it this afternoon!