DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0172
TOIO
Appendix F
Apple, the Speaking Bird spoke to him and bade the sister and brothers invite
him to a grand dinner on Sunday. At the dinner the bird got a counter-invitation
for them all to dine with the king on the Sunday following. When they were
assembled at the king's table, the bird related the whole story, ending with the
words : ' These are your children, and your wife was sent to the mill and is dying.'
The king at once embraced his children, and went to find his wife, who was at
the point of death. He knelt before her and begged her pardon. Then he asked
the bird to pronounce sentence on the aunts and the nurse. The bird sentenced
the nurse to be thrown out of the window and the aunts to be cast into a caldron
of boiling oil, This was done forthwith. Then the bird departed ; and the king
lived in peace with his children and his wife.
(f) Two Sons with a Gold Star and a Daughter with a Silver Star in a
Folk-tale from Brittany.
(6) It must not be supposed that tales of this type are found only in the
Greek and Italian area. Here, for example, is a version entitled The Bakers
Three Daughters from Plouaret in Brittany1. An old baker had three daughters,
who one evening after supper were talking confidences. The eldest said that
she loved the king's gardener. The next, that she loved the king's valet. The
youngest, that she loved the king's son, and, what was more, that she would
have by him three children—two boys with a gold star on their foreheads and a
girl with a silver star. The prince chanced to be taking a walk that evening,
accompanied by his gardener and his valet. He overheard the conversation,
summoned the girls to his presence next morning, and granted the desires of
them all. The young queen was delivered of a fine boy with a gold star in the
middle of his forehead. But the jealous sisters, acting on the advice of an old
fairy, had secured a midwife, who exposed the babe in a basket on the Seine and
substituted a puppy for him. The prince was much distressed, but bowed to the
will of God. The babe floated down the river, was picked up by the king's
gardener, and reared by the gardener's wife. Again the queen bore a boy with
a gold star on his forehead. The midwife exposed him too in a basket on the
Seine, and substituted a puppy for him. The prmce, who by this time owing to
the death of his father was king, was again deeply distressed, but submissive
to the will of God. The second boy, like the first, floated dowm stream, was
found by the gardener, and given to the gardener's wife. Once more the queen
bore a child—a girl with a silver star in the middle of her forehead. The midwife
exposed her in the same manner and substituted a puppy for her. This time the
king was very angry : he felt that it was not God's doing, but that there was
some mystery behind it all. So he had the queen shut up in a tower, with nothing
but bread and water to live upon and a little book to read. The girl, like the
boys, was found on the water by the gardener and reared by his wife. In due
time their foster-parents died, and the children were taken into the palace by the
king, who liked to have them about him. Every Sunday they were to be seen in
the royal pew at church, each wearing a head-band to cover up the star: these
head-bands puzzled people. One day, when the king was out hunting, an old
woman (it was the midwife disguised as a beggar) came to the palace and began
to compliment the girl : she was fair indeed, but if only she had the Dancing
Water, the Singing Apple, and the Bird of Truth, there would not be her like
upon earth ! Her eldest brother set out to seek these marvels for her, and, before
1 Text unpublished, French translation by F. M. Luzel in Milnsine 1878 i. 206 ff.
I have abridged F. M. Luzel's rendering.
Appendix F
Apple, the Speaking Bird spoke to him and bade the sister and brothers invite
him to a grand dinner on Sunday. At the dinner the bird got a counter-invitation
for them all to dine with the king on the Sunday following. When they were
assembled at the king's table, the bird related the whole story, ending with the
words : ' These are your children, and your wife was sent to the mill and is dying.'
The king at once embraced his children, and went to find his wife, who was at
the point of death. He knelt before her and begged her pardon. Then he asked
the bird to pronounce sentence on the aunts and the nurse. The bird sentenced
the nurse to be thrown out of the window and the aunts to be cast into a caldron
of boiling oil, This was done forthwith. Then the bird departed ; and the king
lived in peace with his children and his wife.
(f) Two Sons with a Gold Star and a Daughter with a Silver Star in a
Folk-tale from Brittany.
(6) It must not be supposed that tales of this type are found only in the
Greek and Italian area. Here, for example, is a version entitled The Bakers
Three Daughters from Plouaret in Brittany1. An old baker had three daughters,
who one evening after supper were talking confidences. The eldest said that
she loved the king's gardener. The next, that she loved the king's valet. The
youngest, that she loved the king's son, and, what was more, that she would
have by him three children—two boys with a gold star on their foreheads and a
girl with a silver star. The prince chanced to be taking a walk that evening,
accompanied by his gardener and his valet. He overheard the conversation,
summoned the girls to his presence next morning, and granted the desires of
them all. The young queen was delivered of a fine boy with a gold star in the
middle of his forehead. But the jealous sisters, acting on the advice of an old
fairy, had secured a midwife, who exposed the babe in a basket on the Seine and
substituted a puppy for him. The prince was much distressed, but bowed to the
will of God. The babe floated down the river, was picked up by the king's
gardener, and reared by the gardener's wife. Again the queen bore a boy with
a gold star on his forehead. The midwife exposed him too in a basket on the
Seine, and substituted a puppy for him. The prmce, who by this time owing to
the death of his father was king, was again deeply distressed, but submissive
to the will of God. The second boy, like the first, floated dowm stream, was
found by the gardener, and given to the gardener's wife. Once more the queen
bore a child—a girl with a silver star in the middle of her forehead. The midwife
exposed her in the same manner and substituted a puppy for her. This time the
king was very angry : he felt that it was not God's doing, but that there was
some mystery behind it all. So he had the queen shut up in a tower, with nothing
but bread and water to live upon and a little book to read. The girl, like the
boys, was found on the water by the gardener and reared by his wife. In due
time their foster-parents died, and the children were taken into the palace by the
king, who liked to have them about him. Every Sunday they were to be seen in
the royal pew at church, each wearing a head-band to cover up the star: these
head-bands puzzled people. One day, when the king was out hunting, an old
woman (it was the midwife disguised as a beggar) came to the palace and began
to compliment the girl : she was fair indeed, but if only she had the Dancing
Water, the Singing Apple, and the Bird of Truth, there would not be her like
upon earth ! Her eldest brother set out to seek these marvels for her, and, before
1 Text unpublished, French translation by F. M. Luzel in Milnsine 1878 i. 206 ff.
I have abridged F. M. Luzel's rendering.