When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew (7 page)

Never again did he try to make it so that his wife would be struck dumb. Why would he? He liked listening to her talk. He thought she had much to tell him. He thought there was much he could learn.

It is true, however, that sometimes both of them were silent. That is because they loved each other deeply and truly and more than words can tell.

Encore une fois, c'est la fin.
Once more it is the end.

Ti-Jean here,
Ti-Jean there,
Ti-Jean, Ti-Jean everywhere.
When days are dark,
When work is long,
Ti-Jean, Ti-Jean helps us on.
Always he finds magic.
Always he will dream.
Always he takes journeys,
Fights his way through others' schemes.
Ti-Jean brought from long ago,
Ti-Jean for today.
Ti-Jean, friend to all of us,
À Ti-Jean, dites Hooray!

A Note on Sources

“Ti-Jean and the Princess of Tomboso” originates as “The Princess of Tomboso” in
The Golden Phoenix and Other French-Canadian Fairy Tales
by Marius Barbeau, retold by Michael Hornyansky (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1958). It represents a wonderful example of how stories travel, because although the tale clearly has its roots in the oral traditions of France, it was first collected in Canada from Ojibwa tellers who, presumably, had heard it from the voyageurs.

“Ti-Jean the Marble Player” comes from
Ti-Jean: Contes Acadiens
by Melvin Gallant (Moncton: Editions d'Acadie, 1973). There the story is called “Bonnet Rouge.” Melvin Gallant is from Prince Edward Island and has worked steadfastly to ensure the preservation of Acadian literary and folk traditions.

“How Ti-Jean Became a Fiddler” is from
Mille ans de contes — Québec, textes choisis et commentés par Cécile Gagnon
(Toulouse: Editions Milan, 1996).
Mille ans de contes
is a series, embracing many themes. Cécile Gagnon is one of French Canada's much-loved children's writers. She calls the story “Ti-Jean, le violoneux.”

In working with these stories, I have sought consistently to find means to root them more firmly in the North American landscape and heritage. The stories have been with us a long time now. All have come to us from Europe, but it seemed they might no longer need the kings and queens that are so much a part of European history. The stories might need the history that is our own.

About The Publisher

GROUNDWOOD BOOKS
, established in 1978, is dedicated to the production of children's books for all ages, including fiction, picture books and non-fiction. We publish in Canada, the United States and Latin America. Our books aim to be of the highest possible quality in both language and illustration. Our primary focus has been on works by Canadians, though we sometimes also buy outstanding books from other countries.

Many of our books tell the stories of people whose voices are not always heard in this age of global publishing by media conglomerates. Books by the First Peoples of this hemisphere have always been a special interest, as have those of others who through circumstance have been marginalized and whose contribution to our society is not always visible. Since 1998 we have been publishing works by people of Latin American origin living in the Americas both in English and in Spanish under our Libros Tigrillo imprint.

We believe that by reflecting intensely individual experiences, our books are of universal interest. The fact that our authors are published around the world attests to this and to their quality. Even more important, our books are read and loved by children all over the globe.