Fairy Tales Remade: Drunken Boy

I picked up a copy of The Encyclopedia of Vampires and Werewolves, 2nd Edition, from the library last week. I'm pretty sure there's a new version out, but I take what I can get for free, heh. I love these kinds of books because they are a goldmine for inspiring story premises, and this one doesn't disappoint. I could flip through for days and come up with 100 different ideas.

One entry jumped out at me that I wanted to share:

DRUNKEN BOY: In Japanese lore, an ogre demon who dresses in red and likes to gorge himself on blood. The Drunken Boy's favorite victims are women. He is attended by other ogre demons.
In lore the Drunken Boy is quelled by the medieval hero Raiko, who, in disguise, manages to enter the ogre's lair. The Drunken Boy and his ogre followers are drinking blood from their female victims. Raiko reveals himself and battles the ogres. He decapitates the drunken boy, but the ogre fights on for a time. Raiko eventually triumphs. He takes the trophy head back to Miyako, the imperial capital (Kyoto), as well as the female captives.
~ page 144, Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Remade fairy tales are such a big trend these days, and I couldn't help thinking this would make a great addition, especially for the YA fantasy category. You could keep the hero, Raiko, or go a step further and maybe let one of the young victims stand up against the monster. This might even work as an urban fantasy if you wanted a modern setting.

What do you think? Any other fairy tales you'd like to see from a fresh perspective?


Cheers!
Ella