The Sprig of Rosemary

The Sprig of Rosemary

Cuentos Populars Catalans, per lo Dr. D. Francisco de S. Maspons y

Labros (Barcelona: Libreria de Don Alvar Verdaguer 1885).

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.