Mutzmag, an Appalachian folktale

Series: From the Brothers Grimm

Duration: :53

Year Published: 1992

Creator: Davenport Films

Format: 16mm

Color: Color

Sound: sound

Description: Set in the Appalachian mountains circa 1920, this trickster tale is an American version of the Scottish yarn, Molly Whuppy. Mutzmag, a plucky and resourceful girl, lives with her abusive step-sisters Poll and Nance in a dilapidated backwoods shack bordering a cabbage patch. On her deathbed, the girls' mother bequeathes to 12-year-old Mutzmag a broken pocketknife and a ball of string. After her death, the half-sisters decide to seek their fortunes in the city. Poll and Nance attempt to prevent Mutzmag from accompanying them by setting seemingly impossible tasks for her to perform. Using her wits, Mutzmag accomplishes the chores and the step-sisters grudgingly allow her to come, but only if she acts as their servant girl. On the way, the girls accept the hospitality of a witch and her husband, a brutal giant. Enticing the girls with heaping plates of victuals, the witch and her spouse plot to eat their guests but Mutzmag discovers their sinister plan and saves her ungrateful siblings. The next morning, they arrive at the stately mansion of a wealthy farm couple who plead with the girls to rid the community of the fearsome ogres. Poll and Nance reject the couple's generous offer and continue on to the city. Mutzmag returns to the cabin and employing pocketknife, string, a bag of salt and her innate intelligence kills the witch, rescues the couple's white horse and tricks the giant into drowning himself. With her reward money, Mutzmag builds herself a house next to the farmer and his wife. The fairy tale is accompanied by a short documentary which goes behind-the-scenes of Mutzmag and director Davenport's other fairy tale films.