After Carl Sandburg left Galesburg to find his way in the world of writing, he took a somewhat meandering path. Along the way, he met a young woman by the name of Lilian Steichen. They were married in 1908 in Milwaukee. In a few years, they had three daughters, Margaret, Janet and Helga.

 

The daughters were born during World War I, a time when there was great destruction in Europe and other parts of the world. Millions of people lost their lives; homes and factories were destroyed and many children became orphans. In the United States, men were drafted into the military, there was inflation and food and coal shortages as well as discrimination against foreigners or people with foreign  sounding names. It was a time of disruption for many people. All these happenings made a deep impression on Sandburg.

 

The Sandburg family home was a safe haven of sunlight, of warmth, of love of his wife and children for him.Among all the other writing he did for his books of poetry, for labor publications and for his newspaper job, he began to create an imaginary world for his little girls.

 

Sandburg was of the opinion that traditional fairy tales were of European heritage. There needed to be tales that sounded and felt American. He also knew that children had no preconceived notions about the way words should be used, spelled or pronounced in a story.

 

He created the Rootabaga Country for his daughters. It had many characteristics of the prairie landscape in which he had grown up. It was a fantasy world in which objects such as brooms became characters. The characters did everyday things like get married. The railroad moved on zigzag tracks. The weather could also influence the happenings in this make-believe world. There were no evil beings in this world, although there could be disagreements. The action moved quickly and the characters always seemed happy with their lot and  were optimistic.

 

Each of the Sandburg daughters received a name to go with the Rootabaga stories. Margaret was Spink, Janet was Skabootch and Helga was Swipes.

 

Historic fairy tales go back about 6,000 years. They were part of the oral tradition in many countries around the world. They were told to adults and children to provide examples how to protect yourself (think of Little Red Riding Hood), to teach beliefs and to entertain. They were passed from one generation to the next.

 

Shakespeare used elements of traditional fairy tales in his plays. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer used parts of older fairy tales to tell the stories.

 

Everyone needs some fantasy and cheerfulness in his or her life. The stories Carl Sandburg created for his daughters can be a respite from reality for adults too. They were first published in book form in 1922 and are still being printed.

 

You can buy them from the Carl Sandburg Historic Site, 313 East Third Street, Galesburg, Illinois. Or you can read them on the Internet. https://archive.org/details/rootabagastories00sand