Message from jwyss

[Anonymous]

Mayer, Marianna and Winslow Pels Turandot. New York: Morrow Junior Books.
1995

Turandot, a beautiful and talented princess of China, has been forced by her father to find a husband and marry. She acquiesces under the condition that each suitor must ring a large gong and answer three riddles of her choosing. She would marry whoever answered correctly, but a failed suitor would be beheaded and have his head impaled on the wall of the city.
Despite the number of failed suitors, Calaf, the son of a dethroned Mongol khan, falls in love with Turandot and rings the gong. He answers three riddles:
1. "In the dark night, a many colored phantom flies. It soars and spreads its wings above the gloomy crowd. People call to it, asking, begging favors. At dawn the phantom vanishes. Yet it is born again in each heart when darkness falls and so it goes: Every night it soars anew, every day it dies. What is it?"
2. "It burns like a flame, but it is not fire. sometimes it smolders like a fever, but boredom will cool it. If you lose heart or die, it grows cold. Yet begin to dream, and the flame flares anew." What is it?
3. "What is the ice that gives you fire, and that your fire turns colder still. It is pearly white and black as night. If it welcomes you, you are its slave or king. Name this thing or die!"
Although Calaf successfully answers, Turandot protests and would know if he would marry her against her will. He would not and replies he will leave forever if she can but tell him his name on the morrow. No one in Beijing will sleep that night as they search for the stranger's identity. In the morning, before court is called, Calaf meets Turandot and, to preserve her dignity, gives her a gift--his name. When her father asks if she knows his name, she responds.....

I like picture books that have great illustrations, and this one does. They can make great short lessons and can be the source of great posters and PowerPoint literature shows. I especially like the story of Turandot because its origins are interesting and the riddles are great. I try to keep the students thinking by putting a riddle and a wordle on the board every day so I make them think about Turandot's riddles before giving or acknowledging correct answers.

Many trace the tale to The Thousand and One Nights or The Arabian Nights, but I think this is incorrect and have confused the source with The Thousand and One Days or The Persian Tales.

This site contains another similar version of the tale but the riddles are different and in verse:Turandot