Episode 109: The Three Ravens

The StoryTeller (as part of The Jim Henson Hour)
Air Date	1990
Written by	Anthony Minghella
Director	Paul Weiland

The Three Ravens aired as the second half of Episode 112: Food of The Jim Henson Hour.

An evil witch used her powers to charm a widowed king into marrying her, however she finds his children are standing in the way to her power. The witch uncovers the children's secret hiding place and turns the three princes into ravens. The princess escapes. However, in order to break the spell and free her brothers from life as a bird, she cannot speak a word for three years, three months, and three days. This become a challenge when she falls in love.

Cast

• Miranda Richardson as Witch
• Jonathan Pryce as King
• Joely Richardson as Princess
• Robert Hines as Prince
• Richard Butler as Second King
• Alexander Crockatt as Brother 1
• Charlie Condou as Brother 2
• Jeremy Stuart as Brother 3

Notes

• This episode aired in the UK in 1990. It didn't air in North America until 1997, when HBO aired reruns of the series.
• This episode's story draws on tale type 451 in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther index of folklore: "The Brothers Who Were Turned into Birds". It owes the most to "The Six Swans", collected by the Brothers Grimm.
  • The Storyteller franchise has in development an adaptation of another ATU-451 story, The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens.

Previous episode:	Next episode:
Sapsorrow	(last)