Contextual Information
Time of Interview: April 21st, 4:50 p.m.
Location of Interview: Interior of Informant’s Room, Arts and Humanities
Informant’s First Encounter w/ Folklore: Very Early childhood, one of her earliest memories
When Folklore is Performed: At night with children or grandchildren.
Transcript:
My mom used to tell my this story about two princesses, Margarita and Brigeta, who were mermaids with human parents who lived in a castle with indoor moats. The mermaids grew up and fell in love with human princes who wanted them to be humans too, so they went to their aunt Yolanda and asked for legs, because she could grant them one wish. But Yolanda misheard them and granted them shake and bake chicken legs as their one wish instead. They cleared up the misunderstanding, but it was too late. When the mermaids told the princes, they were sad, but they got married anyways because the princes loved them for who they were. And they all ate lots of chicken legs at their huge double wedding and lived happily ever after in the castle with indoor moats!
This is a story that the informant’s mother’s parents would tell her and her siblings when they were children, and have continued to pass it down with every new generation by simply switching out the names and the curse that they receive. In doing so, each generation continues to pass down their take on an important lesson in love, while doing so in a way that is easily understood by children.