On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ten lords a-leaping!
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!
What the ten lords symbolize is a fairly simple symbol: the Ten Commandments. Even people who aren't particularly religious will no doubt have heard of them a few times in their lives:
1. God is the one true God we must worship.
2. Don't create idols, or "graven images," as they're called. The story of the Golden Calf from the book of Exodus is one not-so-fine example.
3. Don't take God's name in vain. God's name is sacred and must be kept so at all times.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day and observe it as such.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. Don't kill.
7. Don't commit adultery. Love and respect your spouse.
8. Don't steal.
9. Don't bear false witness. Always tell the truth and refrain from malicious slander.
10. Don't covet.
2. Don't create idols, or "graven images," as they're called. The story of the Golden Calf from the book of Exodus is one not-so-fine example.
3. Don't take God's name in vain. God's name is sacred and must be kept so at all times.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day and observe it as such.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. Don't kill.
7. Don't commit adultery. Love and respect your spouse.
8. Don't steal.
9. Don't bear false witness. Always tell the truth and refrain from malicious slander.
10. Don't covet.
My fantasy version:
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ten flimsy fairies!
Nine mystic mermaids,
Eight hearty hobbits,
Seven dwarves a-mining,
Six flying horses,
Five magic rings,
Four mountain trolls,
Three phoenixes,
Two forest fauns,
And a unicorn as white as the snow!
Nine mystic mermaids,
Eight hearty hobbits,
Seven dwarves a-mining,
Six flying horses,
Five magic rings,
Four mountain trolls,
Three phoenixes,
Two forest fauns,
And a unicorn as white as the snow!
The interesting thing about fairies is that there are so many different ways to depict them. In some versions, they're cute and harmless, sometimes downright silly, and they represent love, magic, and springtime.
In other versions, they're more nasty and malicious, representing immorality, sexual depravity, abduction, cruel humor, and even death.
Disney's Tinker Bell in particular kind of skirts the line between good and bad fairies. She has plenty of traits that are not so ideal, but on the other hand, she does learn her lesson, even if she must learn it the hard way. I appreciate very much how, like Peter Pan, she becomes a lot more likable in Return to Never Land, so I definitely consider Return to Never Land one of the better Disney sequels.
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