The Queen of Paradise's Garden

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta, co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities: British
Views of Canada, 1880–1914, and author of The Salvation Army and the
Public.

“This is,” the author informs us, “a free adaptation of a tale from Newfoundland oral tradition.” It was originally told to collectors by Albert Keeping of Grand Bank and later published in Folktales of Newfoundland (1996). It is, like many Newfoundland folktales, a borrowing from the European tradition (much akin to a Grimm’s tale), and the story of the three brothers (two hard-hearted and one kind-hearted), the youngest of which is rewarded in his quest, is well-known. But the many local additions, and the decision to retain features of the local dialect and the cadences of the local voice lend it a distinctiveness which enhances the telling. It is illustrated in a whimsical fashion wholly in keeping with the tone of the story. The only problem is with its packaging: it seems designed for young people but the story itself, the style of telling, and the appended commentary seem to be geared to an adult audience. But, since folk tales have always inhabited that “in-between” land, this may not be a problem after all. Recommended.