Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Many years ago in the Andes Mountains there lived a cold-eyed witch. All through the summer she slept.  But at the first snowfall she awoke, full of glee. For winter was her hunting time and her eating time. By some strange magic she was able to draw children to her one by one, and how…

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a girl so poor that she had to wander about the world looking for work. One day a farmer hired her to watch his cows. So each day she would take his cows to the meadow and bring them back at the end of the day. One morning in…

ONCE upon a time there was a king whose wife had died in childbirth, leaving behind a dear infant daughter, the Princess Anne. When the princess was nearly grown the king married again, this time to a woman who also had a daughter, and her name was Kate. The stepmother became the new queen, and…

LIKE ALL OTHER maidens and lads, Janet grew up knowing that she must never enter the woods of Cartherhaugh. The fairies that dwelt in the forest there were known by all for doing strange and evil mischief to visitors. But Janet’s father, the earl, owned the land where the forest stood, “and why shouldn’t I…

There was once a boy in Ireland, and Guleesh was his name. A little way off from Guleesh’s house stood a very old round fort, an ancient fort it was, that was called a rath.  At midnight one night, Guleesh was leaning against a wall of the rath and looking up at the beautiful white moon. …

There was once a princess of England who was a most charming princess when she wanted to be, but as with many other young people, royal or not, she was someone who was quite sure of what she wanted and when she wanted it, and didn’t mind saying so.  There was one thing she knew,…

Simpleton was the youngest of three brothers. Each brother chopped wood for a living. One day, the oldest brother went off to the forest where he met a dwarf. “Please,” said the dwarf, looking hungrily at the oldest brother’s basket, “Won’t you share your lunch with me?” “Why should I?” snapped the oldest brother. The…

HIGH in the Andes Mountains a frog lived in a cool stream. The frog had been born with a right leg much longer than the left leg. “If only I had two perfect legs like my brothers and sisters,” bemoaned the frog whenever she saw her limping reflection in the water.  She could tell her brothers…

ONCE IN SCOTLAND a young lad was so smitten with a bonny lass that he did nothing but think of her night and day. At last he summoned his courage, offered her his heart and asked for hers to return. Flattered was she but alas! her heart was already offered to another. She sweetly smiled…

Once a king made the unfortunate mistake of joking about the large nose of an enchantress who lived in the forest. Instantly the enchantress appeared before the King. Fixing her angry eyes on him and wagging her finger before his face, she said, “There will come a time when you shall have a son. This…