DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0170
ioo8
Appendix F
and told him all that had happened. Thereupon he brought his wife out of the
hen-house, but had his mother bound to two vicious mules and torn asunder by
them.
(e) Two Sons with Apples and a Daughter with a Star in a Folk-tale
from Sicily.
(5) A Sicilian parallel to the foregoing tales is entitled The Herb-gatherer's
Daughters1. A herb-gatherer died and left three daughters alone in the world.
The eldest said : ' If I were the wife of the royal butler, I would give the whole
court to drink out of one glass of water, and there would be some left.' The
second said : ' If I were the wife of the keeper of the royal wardrobe, with one
piece of cloth I would clothe all the attendants, and have some left.' The youngest
said : 1 Were I the king's wife, I would bear him three children—two sons with
apples in their hands, and a daughter with a star on her brow.' The king hap-
pened to overhear them talking and sent for them next morning. The eldest and
the second sister made good their promises and received in marriage the royal
butler and the keeper of the royal wardrobe. The youngest became queen on
condition that, if she failed to bear two sons with apples in their hands and a
daughter with a star on her brow, she should be put to death. A few months
before the queen's children were born the king went on a campaign. When they
were born as she had foretold, the two elder sisters, jealous of her lot, bribed the
nurse to substitute little dogs for them and sent word to the king that his wife
had given birth to three puppies. He wrote back that she should be taken care
of for two weeks and then put into a tread-mill. Meanwhile the nurse carried
the babies out of doors and left them for the dogs to eat. Three fairies passed
by, admired them, and gave them three gifts—a deer to nurse them, a purse
always full of money, and a ring that would change colour when any misfortune
befell one of them. The deer nursed the children till they were grown up. Then
the fairy that had given the deer came and said : ' Now that you have grown up,
how can you stay here any longer?' 'Very well,' said one of the brothers, ' I
will go to the city and hire a house.' 'Take care,' said the deer, 'that you hire
one opposite the royal palace.' So they all went to the city and hired a palace
as directed. The aunts, seeing the apples in the hands of the boys and the star
on the brow of the girl, recognised them at once and told the nurse. The nurse
visited the girl and said that, to be really happy, she needed the Dancing Water.
One of the brothers rode off to get it. On the way he met a hermit, who said :
'You are going to your death, my son ; but keep on until you find a hermit older
than I.' He met another hermit, who gave him the same direction. He met a
third hermit older than the other two, who said : ' You must climb yonder moun-
tain. On the top of it you will find a great plain and a house with a beautiful
gate. Before the gate you will see four giants with swords in their hands. When
the giants have their eyes closed, do not enter ; when they have their eyes open,
enter. Then you will come to a door. If you find it open, do not enter; if you
find it shut, push it open and enter. Then you will find four lions. When they
have their eyes shut, do not enter; when their eyes are open, enter, and you will
see the Dancing Water.' The lad followed these instructions, filled his bottles
with the Dancing Water, and returned in safety to his sister. They had two
1 G. Pitre Fiabe novelle e racconti popolari siciliani Palermo 1875 i ( = Biblioteca delle
tradizioni popolari siciliane iv) 316 ff. no. 36 'Li figghi di lu Cavuliciddaru' (Palermo).
There is a slightly condensed translation of this tale in T. F. Crane Italian popular
tales London 1885 p. 17 ff. I have abbreviated T. F. Crane's version.
Appendix F
and told him all that had happened. Thereupon he brought his wife out of the
hen-house, but had his mother bound to two vicious mules and torn asunder by
them.
(e) Two Sons with Apples and a Daughter with a Star in a Folk-tale
from Sicily.
(5) A Sicilian parallel to the foregoing tales is entitled The Herb-gatherer's
Daughters1. A herb-gatherer died and left three daughters alone in the world.
The eldest said : ' If I were the wife of the royal butler, I would give the whole
court to drink out of one glass of water, and there would be some left.' The
second said : ' If I were the wife of the keeper of the royal wardrobe, with one
piece of cloth I would clothe all the attendants, and have some left.' The youngest
said : 1 Were I the king's wife, I would bear him three children—two sons with
apples in their hands, and a daughter with a star on her brow.' The king hap-
pened to overhear them talking and sent for them next morning. The eldest and
the second sister made good their promises and received in marriage the royal
butler and the keeper of the royal wardrobe. The youngest became queen on
condition that, if she failed to bear two sons with apples in their hands and a
daughter with a star on her brow, she should be put to death. A few months
before the queen's children were born the king went on a campaign. When they
were born as she had foretold, the two elder sisters, jealous of her lot, bribed the
nurse to substitute little dogs for them and sent word to the king that his wife
had given birth to three puppies. He wrote back that she should be taken care
of for two weeks and then put into a tread-mill. Meanwhile the nurse carried
the babies out of doors and left them for the dogs to eat. Three fairies passed
by, admired them, and gave them three gifts—a deer to nurse them, a purse
always full of money, and a ring that would change colour when any misfortune
befell one of them. The deer nursed the children till they were grown up. Then
the fairy that had given the deer came and said : ' Now that you have grown up,
how can you stay here any longer?' 'Very well,' said one of the brothers, ' I
will go to the city and hire a house.' 'Take care,' said the deer, 'that you hire
one opposite the royal palace.' So they all went to the city and hired a palace
as directed. The aunts, seeing the apples in the hands of the boys and the star
on the brow of the girl, recognised them at once and told the nurse. The nurse
visited the girl and said that, to be really happy, she needed the Dancing Water.
One of the brothers rode off to get it. On the way he met a hermit, who said :
'You are going to your death, my son ; but keep on until you find a hermit older
than I.' He met another hermit, who gave him the same direction. He met a
third hermit older than the other two, who said : ' You must climb yonder moun-
tain. On the top of it you will find a great plain and a house with a beautiful
gate. Before the gate you will see four giants with swords in their hands. When
the giants have their eyes closed, do not enter ; when they have their eyes open,
enter. Then you will come to a door. If you find it open, do not enter; if you
find it shut, push it open and enter. Then you will find four lions. When they
have their eyes shut, do not enter; when their eyes are open, enter, and you will
see the Dancing Water.' The lad followed these instructions, filled his bottles
with the Dancing Water, and returned in safety to his sister. They had two
1 G. Pitre Fiabe novelle e racconti popolari siciliani Palermo 1875 i ( = Biblioteca delle
tradizioni popolari siciliane iv) 316 ff. no. 36 'Li figghi di lu Cavuliciddaru' (Palermo).
There is a slightly condensed translation of this tale in T. F. Crane Italian popular
tales London 1885 p. 17 ff. I have abbreviated T. F. Crane's version.