Jorinde & Joringel collected by the Brother's Grimm --retold by Joanna Straughn
Jorinde was the fairest girl in the land. She and and a handsome youth named Joringel were enjoying the early days of their
betrothal -- taking walks deep into the forest where the rarest flowers bloomed and most splendid birdsong could be heard. One day, they wandered into a mysterious grove they had never seen before. The sky grew dark and a
thick mist surrounded the trees. A strange, sad feeling came over them as though they were going to die.
Jorinde sang–
“My little bird, with the necklace red, Sings sorrow, sorrow, sorrow, He sings that the dove must soon be dead, Sings sorrow, sor—jug, jug, jug.”
Jorinde was turned into a nightingale.
An owl flew three times round about her, and three times cried, “to-whoo, to-whoo, to-whoo!”
Joringel could not move: he stood there like a stone, and could neither weep nor speak, nor move hand or foot.
The sun had now set. The owl flew into the thicket, and directly afterwards there came out of it a witch. She muttered to herself, caught the nightingale, and took it away in her hand.
Day after day and night after night. The first night he slept he had a vivid dream. In the dream he discovered a magical red flower. The next day, he searched the forest and at last he found the red flower. No sooner had he plucked it, than the clouds parted and the mists drifted away. He was standing not far from a castle. He went inside and searched from room to room until at last he heard behind one door, the furious chirping of birds. He opened the door and there stood a grand hall with many hundred willow birdcages all filled with frantically singing bir
ds. Which was his Jorinde? He spied the witch at the back of the hall about to sneak off with a cage in her hand. Joringel aimed the flower at the cage. Its door swung open and out flew the bird. She turned instantly back into Jorinde. Joringel aimed the flower at the witch and she fell to floor and lay silent and still. Jorinde and Joringel embraced. Before leaving, Joringel waved the flower one last time over the whole room. The doors of all the cages swung open and released hundreds of birds all turning back into maidens who rejoiced and returned to their families. On their wedding day, Jorinde and Joringel celebrated with much joy and afterwards lived very happily.
Jorinda wears a wreath "she made from flowers of the forest." The wreath consists of waxed silk flowers hand-painted with acrylics as well as a variety of natural and crafted flora. Her dirndl has an embellished bodice that laces up the back with silk ribbon covered by a removable apron with decorative embroidery, velvet ricrac made of an historic print fabric. The dirndl skirt is a corded woven cotton. The dirndl is worn over a petticoat made from fine European linen. The sleeves are trimmed with natural cotton eyelet and glossy embroidered ribbon. The petticoat is pretty enough to be worn on its own with pushed up full-sleeves or pulled down, long-sleeves. Beneath the petticoat she has coordinating pantaloons. Hand-painted and embellished slippers complete her ensemble.
Bird included too!
