click here for more images
The story is adapted from the traditional tale, Nix Nought Nothing, as illustrated by Arthur Rackham in a collection of English Fairy Tales compiled in 1890.

The King is away fighting when his son is born, so - as a temporary measure - the Queen calls the baby Nothing-At-All  until he gets back.  But on the journey back the King is tricked into promising a Giant 'nothing at all' in return for safe passage across a river.

The Giant - who turns out to be a Magician - eventually claims his prize and takes the boy off as a playmate for his daughter.  The Magician's Daughter and Nothing-At-All grow very fond of each other and ask the Magician for his permission to get married.  The Magician sets three tasks for Nothing-At-All that the Magician's daughter helps him with.  But - despite the girl sacrificing her fingers and five of her toes - they slip-up on the final task and have to make a run for it.  They eventually defeat the Magician with the help of a magic flask.

But it's not over yet!

The Magician's Daughter is a 50 minute piece of story-telling theatre suitable for age five and upward.

The multi story version is told and animated by a couple of washerwoman in the antiquated palace washroom.  They are about to be replaced by washing-machines.  But before they go they remember the stories associated with the garments they're washing for the final time.  And they use what's around them - mops, cloths, brushes, dryers and soap-suds - to illustrate the adventure.