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Once upon
a time...
Once upon a time there lived a man with one daughter and he
made her work hard all the day. One morning when she had finished
everything he had set her to do, he told her to go out into the
woods and get some dry leaves and sticks to kindle a fire.
The girl went out, and soon collected a large bundle, and then she
plucked at a sprig of sweet-smelling rosemary for herself. But the
harder she pulled the firmer seemed the plant, and at last,
determined not to be beaten, she gave one great tug, and the
rosemary remained in her hands.
Then she heard a voice close to her saying, 'Well?' and turning she
saw before her a handsome young man, who asked why she had come to
steal his firewood.
The girl, who felt much confused, only managed to stammer out as an
excuse that her father had sent her.
'Very well,' replied the young man; 'then come with me.'
So he took her through the opening made by the torn-up root, and
they travelled till they reached a beautiful palace, splendidly
furnished, but only lighted from the top. And when they had entered
he told her that he was a great lord, and that never had he seen a
maiden so beautiful as she, and that if she would give him her heart
they would be married and live happy for ever after.
And the maiden said 'yes, she would,' and so they were married.
The next day the old dame who looked after the house handed her all
the keys, but pointed her out one that she would do well never to
use, for if she did the whole palace would fall to the ground, and
the grass would grow over it, and the damsel herself would be
remembered no more.
The bride promised to be careful, but in a little while, when there
was nothing left for her to do, she began to wonder what could be in
the chest, which was opened by the key. As everybody knows, if we
once begin to think we soon begin to do, and it was not very long
before the key was no longer in the maiden's hand but in the lock of
the chest. But the lock was stiff and resisted all her efforts, and
in the end she had to break it. And what was inside after all? Why,
nothing but a serpent's skin, which her husband, who was, unknown to
her, a magician, put on when he was at work; and at the sight of it
the girl was turning away in disgust, when the earth shook violently
under her feet, the palace vanished as if it had never been, and the
bride found herself in the middle of a field, not knowing where she
was or whither to go. She burst into a flood of bitter tears, partly
at her own folly, but more for the loss of her husband, whom she
dearly loved. Then, breaking a sprig of rosemary off a bush hard by,
she resolved, cost what it might, to seek him through the world till
she found him. So she walked and she walked and she walked, till she
arrived at a house built of straw. And she knocked at the door, and
asked if they wanted a servant. The mistress said she did, and if
the girl was willing she might stay. But day by day the poor maiden
grew more and more sad, till at last her mistress begged her to say
what was the matter. Then she told her story--how she was going
through the world seeking after her husband.
And her mistress answered her, 'Where he is, none can tell better
than the Sun, the Moon, and the Wind, for they go everywhere!'
On hearing these words the damsel set forth once more, and walked
till she reached the Golden Castle, where lived the Sun. And she
knocked boldly at the door, saying, 'All hail, O Sun! I have come to
ask if, of your charity, you will help me in my need. By my own
fault have I fallen into these straits, and I am weary, for I seek
my husband through the wide world.'
'Indeed!' spoke the Sun. 'Do you, rich as you are, need help? But
though you live in a palace without windows, the Sun enters
everywhere, and he knows you.'
Then the bride told him the whole story. and did not hide her own
ill-doing. And the Sun listened, and was sorry for her; and though
he could not tell her where to go, he gave her a nut, and bid her
open it in a time of great distress. The damsel thanked him with all
her heart, and departed, and walked and walked and walked, till she
came to another castle, and knocked at the door which was opened by
an old woman.
'All hail!' said the girl. 'I have come, of your charity, to ask
your help!'
'It is my mistress, the Moon, you seek. I will tell her of your
prayer.'
So the Moon came out, and when she saw the maiden she knew her
again, for she had watched her sleeping both in the cottage and in
the palace. And she spake to her and said:
'Do you, rich as you are, need help?'
Then the girl told her the whole story, and the Moon listened, and
was sorry for her; and though she could not tell her where to find
her husband, she gave her an almond, and told her to crack it when
she was in great need. So the damsel thanked her, and departed, and
walked and walked and walked till she came to another castle. And
she knocked at the door, and said:
'All hail! I have come to ask if, of your charity, you will help me
in my need.'
'It is my lord, the Wind, that you want,' answered the old woman who
opened it. 'I will tell him of your prayer.'
And the Wind looked on her and knew her again, for he had seen her
in the cottage and in the palace, and he spake to her and said:
'Do you, rich as you are, want help ?'
And she told him the whole story. And the Wind listened, and was
sorry for her, and he gave her a walnut that she was to eat in time
of need. But the girl did not go as the Wind expected. She was tired
and sad, and knew not where to turn, so she began to weep bitterly.
The Wind wept too for company, and said:
'Don't be frightened; I will go and see if I can find out
something.'
And the Wind departed with a great noise and fuss, and in the
twinkling of an eye he was back again, beaming with delight.
'From what one person and another have let fall,' he exclaimed, 'I
have contrived to learn that he is in the palace of the king, who
keeps him hidden lest anyone should see him; and that to-morrow he
is to marry the princess, who, ugly creature that she is, has not
been able to find any man to wed her.'
Who can tell the despair which seized the poor maiden when she heard
this news! As soon as she could speak she implored the Wind to do
all he could to get the wedding put off for two or three days, for
it would take her all that time to reach the palace of the king.
The Wind gladly promised to do what he could, and as he travelled
much faster than the maiden he soon arrived at the palace, where he
found five tailors working night and day at the wedding clothes of
the princess.
Down came the Wind right in the middle of their lace and satin and
trimmings of pearl! Away they all went whiz! through the open
windows, right up into the tops of the trees, across the river,
among the dancing ears of corn! After them ran the tailors,
catching, jumping, climbing, but all to no purpose! The lace was
torn, the satin stained, the pearls knocked off! There was nothing
for it but to go to the shops to buy fresh, and to begin all over
again! It was plainly quite impossible that the wedding clothes
could be ready next day.
However, the king was much too anxious to see his daughter married
to listen to any excuses, and he declared that a dress must be put
together somehow for the bride to wear. But when he went to look at
the princess, she was such a figure that he agreed that it would be
unfitting for her position to be seen in such a gown, and he ordered
the ceremony and the banquet to be postponed for a few hours, so
that the tailors might take the dress to pieces and make it fit.
But by this time the maiden had arrived footsore and weary at the
castle, and as soon as she reached the door she cracked her nut and
drew out of it the most beautiful mantle in the world. Then she rang
the bell, and asked:
'Is not the princess to be married to-day?'
'Yes, she is.'
'Ask her if she would like to buy this mantle.'
And when the princess saw the mantle she was delighted, for her
wedding mantle had been spoilt with all the other things, and it was
too late to make another. So she told the maiden to ask what price
she would, and it should be given her.
The maiden fixed a large sum, many pieces of gold, but the princess
had set her heart on the mantle, and gave it readily.
Now the maiden hid her gold in the pocket of her dress, and turned
away from the castle. The moment she was out of sight she broke her
almond, and drew from it the most magnificent petticoats that ever
were seen. Then she went back to the castle, and asked if the
princess wished to buy any petticoats. No sooner did the princess
cast her eyes on the petticoats than she declared they were even
more beautiful than the mantle, and that she would give the maiden
whatever price she wanted for them. And the maiden named many pieces
of gold, which the princess paid her gladly, so pleased was she with
her new possessions.
Then the girl went down the steps where none could watch her and
cracked her walnut, and out came the most splendid court dress that
any dressmaker had ever invented; and, carrying it carefully in her
arms, she knocked at the door, and asked if the princess wished to
buy a court dress.
When the message was delivered the princess sprang to her feet with
delight, for she had been thinking that after all it was not much
use to have a lovely mantle and elegant petticoats if she had no
dress, and she knew the tailors would never be ready in time. So she
sent at once to say she would buy the dress, and what sum did the
maiden want for it.
This time the maiden answered that the price of the dress was the
permission to see the bridegroom.
The princess was not at all pleased when she heard the maiden's
reply, but, as she could not do without the dress, she was forced to
give in, and contented herself with thinking that after all it did
not matter much.
So the maiden was led to the rooms which had been given to her
husband. And when she came near she touched him with the sprig of
rosemary that she carried; and his memory came back, and he knew
her, and kissed her, and declared that she was his true wife, and
that he loved her and no other.
Then they went back to the maiden's home, and grew to be very old,
and lived happy all the days of their life.
The Sprig of Rosemary
from the Pink Fairy Book
Story Edited
by Andrew Lang |
