Here is the author note from my picture book.—Aaron
Though a number of sources were used for this retelling, the earliest and most authoritative was Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner, Lippincott, Philadelphia and London, 1896; reprinted by Singing Tree Press, Detroit, 1969. For inspiration and a crucial element, I am indebted to storyteller Sheila Dailey and her wonderful audio tape Stories of the Long Christmas, Rumplestiltskin Productions, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, 1986.