Well, that's...uh, an interesting setup. Wish I could help you out.

What country is the fairy tale from?

I have no idea. XD I heard it when I was a little kid.

Reminds me of the story of Baba Yaga, a Russian/Slavic folk tale about a witch who kidnaps children to eat them and lives in a house that stands on a hen's leg.

It may not be the right one, but it's almost the same archetype, and it might be a start.

You're not the first person to say that. XD

I don't doubt it, sadly. Though it's not really the Baba Yaga story, it is a similar idea.

I've read a *lot* of fairy tales, and I confess this one has got me stumped. The small details, about the eating and humming, I've never heard before.

There are organisations of fairy story types: might those be any help?

I'm actually in a class dealing with fairy tales and archetypes this term and my teacher is looking through her story sources for it as well.

It's funny, I told her about it and posted about it to Facebook and now half the school seemingly is looking for this story. XD

Yeah, I wanna say Baba Yaga but it's not close enough. Time to consult TipOfMyTongue.

Yeah, a lot of people are saying it has similarities with the Baba Yaga stories, but everyone agrees that it's not quite right to be one of hers. XD

I have no clue

babies are so dang nutritious

Rings a bell. Might have to have a talk with someone first though. Old Celtic relative that might know of it, she's in her 90's. just for curiosity what is your ancestral line, who do you think told you the story it may help pin it down.
*hugs*

I honestly don't remember who told it to me. I asked my mom if she remembered the story, but she doesn't, so it wasn't her. It might have been one of my grade school teachers from third or fourth grade maybe? I lived in New York at the time, and New York has a LOT of Native American stuff still around (my elementary school had a Native American name), so it could have been a derivative of one of their stories? Then again, New York has always been a hodgepodge of several cultures, so it's just as likely to come from anywhere else.

well I'm trying to get a hold of an old German friend of mine, and my Celtic nanna to see if they know of it. I'll keep you posted if i hit anything. *hugs*

Ok the German lady just said that it sounds more like Romanian or Hungarian in origin to her. *hugs*

Just for starters: Try old wives’ tale from the Dominican Republic and a witch known as the bruja

Sounds like a German story. Man, nothing gets the little kinder to stay quiet after lights out like telling them that Squirrel Nutkin will bite their thumbs off!

ok. Celtic nanna believes she has heard simmilar stories from Hungry, Russia, Lithuania and France. Believes it may be part of the Koschei or Baba Yaga Cycles. If she remembers anything else she will let me know. I hope if this mystery is solved you will tell us all the full story and where it is from.

*hugs*

Well at this point all the people I've talked to (elderly from German, French, Celtic, Russian and Lithuanian backgrounds) have said it sounds familiar and have come to the conclusion that you may be looking at a Baba Yaga Story however one that is not from the usual origins but a local variation from a town, province or country nearby.

A good example of that is in Germany you have the standardised German language and about 35 or more local variations some of which may only be spoken in one town. Same issue with Aboriginal languages and stories here in Australia.

What you heard as a child may have been a variation not commonly told.

So that is so far the best I can do at this point. I'll keep looking and a friend of mine is hunting for her folklore book that was her mothers. Its written in German so it might take her a little while to translate it. *hugs*

Oh wow! You really are fantastic! X3 *giant fluffy goat hugs* I'll let my teacher know what you've found out. :3

My youngster claims that this is a familiar tale and that gives me a clue who to ask as there are only so many in our family/friends that are the right ethnic background, interests etc that may have any idea at all. It isn't much to go on but if it gets you there in the end that's all that matters. Personally, if you have a friend in New York or can get there yourself, I would hit up an old folks home with people from Europe in there and see if any one there knows the tale. Do some interviews. Folklore from their own childhood often sticks firmly even when modern memories are shaded in grey. Depends on how badly you want to track the story.

The only family friend I couldn't get a hold of was my Romanian Grandmother. Not a literal grandmother but we all call her that. She's gone walkabout as is her nature to do so. She and her immediate family are Romani or Gypsy so who knows when they'll be back.

*hugs*

I wish I could get a hold of friends from New York, but I'm not in contact with any of them anymore. As for getting there...I'm on the opposite side of the country. XD I think the best I might be able to get is that it's quite possibly a derivative of a Baba Yaga story. I mean, I'd like to know the source, but if the best I can get is that it's a Baba Yaga derivative, I may just have to be Haooy with that. Lol

well from other comments and things here it does seem to be a conclusion that its a Baba Yaga derivative. I'm edging toward a Romani variety because they travelled so far and wide that it might explain why it is so familiar to many.

A lot of folklore gets twisted up and blended over time making the tales shaded, lighter, darker or scarier. Unfortunately the march of Christianity around the globe is a bugger for doing that, so the old tales bend under pressure rather than break.

Keep us posted with your final decision on the subject because its a very interesting one.

*hugs*

Well, I am going to keep looking for it, and I've gotten a lot of helpful ideas from a lot of people (you more than anyone else :3). If anyone is interested enough to keep looking with me, I'd absolutely take the help. X3

I'm keeping my ear to the ground on the subject as you most definitely have my curiosity peaked. *hugs*

This info/advice has just arrived from my friend at Adelaide University she types:

Check Haitian mythos as it maybe vodun

Narrow search to legends of a country that has a dark side
eg: Haiti, Asia, Especially Japan, China and Korea; Romania etc
Especially if that country has a strong belief now in the supernatural.
The mythos needs to incorporate witches by other names inc: practitioner, wise woman, shaman etc.


My friend says she is having fun; this hunt is a great distraction and she is very curious. lol

I wouldn't be surprised if half the uni will start looking for this tale. *hugs*

lol I already have half of my school looking for it, too. XD