Passing along some wonderful stories and posts from a great storyteller lady.

This from Jackie Baldwin of Story Lovers

http://www.story-lovers.com/listsmothersdaystories.html

A few gems from it

1) This is a Portuguese folktale, perfect for Mother's Day. It is found in Folk tales from Portugal by Alan S. Feinstein. The title of the tale is "The Remarkable Woman" on page 99.
Bones: Once upon a time there lived a remarkable woman who was known as Mae. She was so remarkable that everyone she worked for expected her to do everything they asked of her without the slightest hesitation or complaint. And she did. The story goes through a string of tasks...The father of the family calls fror more butter more bread. The little brother cries "Mae, Mae, I can't find my socks," And she would rush to get him what he wanted. The big sister would call "Mae, there's a button missing from my coat," Come sew it on for me please or I'll be late for school." And she would. With a complaint or frown Mae would do everything asked of her. Help the father take the tools to the field, clean the house, make the beds, dust, mend, make lunch for the father. Help him weed the garden. She never complained. When the children came home form school she greeted them with a smile and prepared dinner and helped them with their homework. After dinner she cleared the table, washed the dished, finished the mending and read the little brother a bed time story. "Now, it may seem that everybody in this house expected a great deal from Mae and were even inclined to take advantage of her. This is quite true. But it is also happens that they all loved her very much. In fact the thought there was no one else in the world as wonderful as her. But, you see, almost every family in Portugal had a Mae of their own who did practically everything that had to be done for them too. And each family felt there was nobody else in the word as wonderful as their own Mae. Now, of course, they couldn't all be right. But, the again, no one could really call them wrong either. For Mae is the word in Portuguese for Mother

 

16) My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World: A Russian Folk Tale - a Russian Folktale - also an old picture book - In it a little boy is crying because he is lost, and when asked what his mother looks likes says, "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world." All the men go about seeking the young, attractive women to soothe the boy, but he keeps repeating that he wants his own mother, "the most beautiful woman in the world." Finally, a cart pulls into town with a plain looking woman wearing a babuska covering her unruly hair. She is looking around frantically. All heads turns as the boys cries, "My mother." As the boy jumps into his mother's arms, the women and men of the village smile, saying "... the most beautiful woman in the world."