The Golden Apples

Many cultures have versions of The Golden Apples, a folktale in which (generally) an honest young prince must undergo life-threatening trials to win the hand of a princess and, along the way, is put in greater danger by his own naivete and his two greedy older brothers.

In the hands of veteran Torontonian storyteller Dan Yashinsky, The Golden Apples mixes the contemporary with the traditional – kings, castles and magical foxes – along with high-power weapons, headphones and sneakers. A young person will be entertained in a new way upon reading it, may identify with the modern touches and so remember the story. It’s humorous and instructive at the same time.

Yashinsky has been telling stories for a living for more than forty years, having founded the Toronto Storytelling Festival in 1979, part of a movement that has made storytelling an established genre of entertainment and education for young people. He was awarded the first Jane Jacobs Prize in 1999 for his urban activism and has received many other accolades and awards over the years. He currently works as a storyteller at Baycrest Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

The Golden Apples reflects Yashinsky's upbeat, jaunty storytelling style, as can be seen on YouTube videos. He adapts the traditional story to today’s sensibilities so that Jack, the young prince on his quest, would rather face death than steal a kiss from a princess as per the instructions of a king. He said it all in one breath, then he dropped his eyes and just looked at the floor. Princess Lucy is suitably impressed with his honesty and thoughtfulness and kisses him, both saving his life and putting him under her spell.

The two young people also spend the night together in the princess’s room, although what goes on behind those closed doors isn’t mentioned. All in all, the cheesecake-baking prince and the guitar-playing princess are a good match. Mostly, they both have good, kind hearts and want to work out life together, as partners.

Russian artist Ekaterina Khlebnikova’s illustrations are semi-realistic but quirky, a complement to Yashinsky’s text. The golden bird’s odd appearance belies a stealthiness at stealing apples. Khlebnikova also includes more curious birds. The bird on page 26 responds to events, weeping at the news that Jack has been sentenced to death for trying to steal the golden bird.

Khlebnikova’s simple paintings set on bright white paper have an old-time feel. But Jack is a typically modern kid, with an unkempt mop of curly hair, Lucy wears a pert polka-dot dress with runners, and her bedroom walls are plastered with Nirvana posters. The hotel where the two brothers end up has a ferris wheel and a casino – it’s a perfect den of temptation.

The fox is slightly outsized, especially his tail. But it’s a magic fox that has to carry a lot of people on his tail, so it makes sense. The forests are painted in a variety of greens and blues; the bark of the willow trees are dotted with black and splashed with leaves, creating a believable setting through which the red fox dashes.

The Golden Apples is a delightful retelling. A child will smile through this story whether an adult read it or as a read-alone, and, through rereading, will absorb positive attitudes and behaviours. A teacher can make good use of this book in a unit about storytelling, story adaptations, fairy tales and folk tales.