THE MINSTREL
by Maurice Baring · from The Blue Rose Fairy Book
Adapted Version
A kind blacksmith lived in a village. One day, the wife walked to a farm. She got some eggs. She met an old woman. The old woman was very hungry. The kind wife gave her all the eggs.
The old woman smiled. "Thank you," she said. "You are very kind. I will give you a wish." Wife wished for a pretty girl. The old woman gave her a coin. It was shaped like a heart. "Keep this charm safe," she said. Then she walked away.
Soon, a baby girl was born. They named her Snowflower. She was so pretty! Her skin was soft like a flower. Her eyes were bright like the sky. Snowflower loved the mountains. She loved the snow and the flowers.
One day, Snowflower was nine years old. Her father and mother went away. Snowflower sat by the door. Then she heard a song. It was so pretty! A tall man stood near her. He had a big lute. He wore a dark cloak. She could see his bright eyes. "Was that you?" she asked. "Yes," said the Minstrel. "Can I hear more?" Snowflower asked. "Give me the coin," said the Minstrel. Snowflower loved the music. She gave him the coin. "I will sing for you again," he said.
Her parents came home. "Where is the coin?" her mother asked. Snowflower told them. Her father said, "It is okay."
Snowflower grew older. She was a pretty maiden. All people talked of her. Her fame reached the King.
The King heard of her. He sent a man to see her. Then the King came himself. He asked Snowflower to marry his son.
Snowflower felt sad to leave home. Her mother worried a little. She thought of the old woman's words.
A year passed. Snowflower went to the palace. The Prince liked her much. But Snowflower missed her home. She felt a little sad.
On her wedding night, she heard a song. It was the Minstrel's song. It called to her heart. She wanted to go.
The Minstrel came to her door. Snowflower knew him. She felt happy. She took his hand.
The Minstrel became a shining knight. He took Snowflower on his horse. They rode away.
Snowflower was gone from the palace. The little copper coin came back. It was on her parents' hearth. Her mother knew Snowflower was happy. She was safe in her true home. She belonged there.
Original Story
THE MINSTREL
Once upon a time, in a small village in the mountains, there lived a blacksmith and his wife. They were poor but they were happy; the blacksmith had always plenty of work, and their only sorrow was that they had no children.
One day the blacksmith's wife walked from the village down into the valley to a farmhouse to buy some eggs from the farmer, whom she knew. On her way back, as it was a fine spring day and the snows had melted, she loitered on the mountain so as to gather some wild-flowers.
As she was picking the flowers she heard some one muttering behind her, and turning round, she saw an old woman, bent and worn, who was muttering a supplication.
"What can I do for you?" asked the blacksmith's wife.
"Give me the eggs you have in that basket," said the old woman.
The blacksmith's wife, although she was afraid she would be scolded at home, durst not refuse, and gave the eggs to the old woman.
"Thank you kindly," said the old woman; "in return for your kindness I will grant you a wish."
The blacksmith's wife at once answered: "I wish to have a daughter who shall be more beautiful than the Queen's daughter."
"Your wish shall be granted," said the old woman. "But take this charm, hang it up over your hearth, and never give it away, for if you do, you will give your daughter with it."
So saying the old woman gave the blacksmith's wife a small copper coin made in the shape of a heart, and as soon as she had done this she hobbled off into the wood.
The blacksmith's wife went home and told her husband about her adventure, and they hung the copper coin over their hearth and they laughed for joy.
As the fairy had predicted, a daughter was born to them, and she grew to be such a lovely little child that the blacksmith and his wife were almost frightened. She was more like a fairy than a mortal. It seemed as if she had invisible wings; her skin was more delicate than a pearly sea-shell, and one expected to see little elves dancing round her when she played in the fields.
They had christened her Snowflower, because she was like the flowers that grew on the great mountains. And the name was a proper one, for she loved the snow-fields and the spaces of the great hills. Everybody who saw her was amazed—some said that she would wed the King's son; others that she would one day be the Empress of the West; but one old crone, who was spiteful, said that she was much too beautiful to live long.
One day when Snowflower was nine years old, her father and her mother had gone up into the hills to visit some friends. It was Saturday afternoon, and they had left Snowflower in charge of the shop, and had said that they would not be back till late. Snowflower was sitting outside in the street, watching the sunset—it was a warm summer's eve—when she heard some one singing a strange song.
Never had she heard anything so strange and so beautiful before: the voice was a man's voice, deep and hoarse, and it seemed to come from very far away; the song he sang was soft and sad, but it had a piercing note in it, something that made you listen whether you wished to or no; it was a voice which you felt must be obeyed.
Snowflower was lost in dreams, and when the singing stopped, she would have given worlds and worlds for it to begin again. While she was wondering who the singer could be, she suddenly became aware of a shadow across the street, and she saw before her a tall minstrel carrying a lute. His face was half muffled in a black cloak; and all that she could see distinctly were two dark eyes, very sad, but bright as stars. The sun had set, the stars were coming out, and Snowflower was afraid. Nevertheless she at once asked him whether it was he who had been singing. He said—
"Yes, it was I."
"Shall I ever hear you again?" asked Snowflower.
"Yes, if you will give me a reward," said the minstrel.
"What can I give you?" asked Snowflower. "I have no money, and my father and my mother have gone to the farm and they won't be back till late."
"All I want," said the minstrel, "is the little copper coin in the shape of a heart that hangs over your hearth."
"Oh! you may have that with pleasure," said Snowflower, "it is only a brass farthing." And she ran indoors, and fetched it, and gave it to him. "Only now you must sing to me again," she said.
"I promise to sing to you again, but not now," said the minstrel, and he walked away into the darkness.
When Snowflower's father and mother came home, they noticed at once that the little copper coin had gone, and Snowflower told them that she had given it to a wandering minstrel.
Her mother was vexed and cried; but her father said—
"Never mind, never mind, no harm ever came yet of giving alms to the poor."
The years passed by, and Snowflower never once saw the mysterious minstrel again, and she soon forgot all about him. She grew up into a most beautiful maiden; and when she was seventeen, there was no one to compare with her in the whole country. She was dazzling like the snow on the mountains, and soft as the blush that steals over them in the dawn, and her eyes were like the pools that reflect the sky in the hidden places of the hills. So beautiful was she that the fame of her spread far and wide, and the King thought that she would make an excellent wife for his only son, who was just old enough to marry.
So he sent one of his courtiers in disguise to the village in the mountains; he was to find out whether what the people said about Snowflower was true or not.
He came to the village and saw Snowflower, and when he returned to the palace once more, he told the king that Snowflower was far more beautiful than what men told of her, and that it was indeed impossible to describe her, for she was more beautiful than all mortals, but like a fairy or a dream-child. When the King heard this, he set out with many of his courtiers for the village in the hills, and they found Snowflower sitting and spinning at the door of the blacksmith's shop.
The blacksmith and his wife were astonished and frightened when they saw all these grand folk coming to their home, and when the King said that he wished his son to marry their daughter they could hardly speak for surprise. The King's son was as fine and as brave a lad as any in the land, but it was settled that he was not to marry till he was twenty-one, and now he was only twenty. So the King said he would come back in a year's time and fetch Snowflower.
The blacksmith was of course delighted at his good fortune; but Snowflower said that she did not wish to leave her native village, and her father's home, and that she was quite happy where she was. And her mother, remembering what the fairy had said, and how Snowflower had given away the copper coin, was frightened, and she and Snowflower cried bitterly together. But the blacksmith said this was nonsense, and laughed at the two women for being so silly.
After a year had gone by, the King sent a whole train of courtiers to fetch Snowflower, and they put her on a pony and they brought her to the city and the palace of the King.
It was arranged that the wedding should be held a few days after her arrival.
Snowflower was given a gorgeous room in the palace looking out on to a wide courtyard, round which there were statues and colonnades; and splendid preparations were made for her wedding ceremony.
She was introduced to the Prince directly, and he fell in love with her at first sight. As for Snowflower, she knew not whether she loved the Prince or not, but she thought she had never seen so charming and handsome a person before, and she would have been quite happy but for a home-sickness which never left her, for she longed for the sight of the snowy mountains, the green valleys, and the little village where she was born; and she felt that she could not live for ever far away from the snows, and the streams, and the flowers of the great white hills.
She had gone to bed early and fallen asleep at once, but towards midnight she was awakened by a sound which seemed to be familiar to her; she ran to the window and looked out into the courtyard, whose pillars were gleaming in the moonlight. Again she heard a sound, and then on the midnight wind there were borne into the room the notes of a song which she thought she had heard once before, long ago, in her home in the hills. It was a hoarse voice, which seemed to come from far away; a mournful voice and sweet, but in spite of its sweetness there was a strange spell in it and something which called for and demanded submission. She listened, and now, although she knew she had heard it before, she could not tell when or where; it was different from anything she remembered, and more beautiful; and yet, as she listened, her heart beat fast, and she knew not whether it was the voice of a friend or an avenging foe who was singing that hoarse serenade.
She withdrew from the window in fright, but the song grew louder; it called her with sound like that of bugles on a field of battle in the evening when the fight is ended—silvery, manful, and triumphant.
And then her heart beat faster than ever, for she knew that the voice was that of a lover; and she knew that she could not resist his song.
And she looked once more out of the window, and there in the courtyard, dark against one of the gleaming pillars, she saw a tall man muffled in a black cloak, a man whom she recognised. She ran back from the casement and called out in a great terror, but nobody answered her call.
Then across the cobblestones of the yard she heard the tramp of loud footsteps, as though a knight in armour were walking across it; and presently she heard the same heavy tramp on the wide marble steps that led up to her room. Nearer and nearer they came, till she heard a rap like that of a great sword against her door. He knocked so loudly that the noise was like thunder, and yet no one in the palace seemed to be disturbed. She tried to call out once more, but her voice died away in her throat; she tried to run, but she remained motionless.
Then the door was opened wide. And there entered, muffled in a dark cloak so that you could only see his eyes, the minstrel to whom she had given the heart-shaped copper coin that used to hang over her father's hearth. And then all at once she knew that the minstrel was not a foe but a friend, and she stretched out her hand and grasped his hand.
As soon as she did this he threw aside his cloak, and there stood before her a wonderful knight in armour, whose face was bright as snow and whose eyes were like stars. And he took her in his arms and carried her down the broad steps into the courtyard, and there a horse was waiting, and he mounted it and set Snowflower in front of him, and they galloped away through the gates, through the city, and over the plains beyond.
The next day Snowflower could not be found anywhere, and although the whole kingdom was searched far and wide, no trace of her was discovered.
When Snowflower went away from her village, the blacksmith's wife was very sad, although Snowflower had promised to visit her often. But when she woke up on the morning that Snowflower should have wedded the Prince, she was astonished to see that the little copper coin was hanging once more over their hearth, and she felt quite happy once more; for she knew now, although she could not tell why, that all was well with Snowflower.
Story DNA
Moral
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Plot Summary
A childless blacksmith's wife receives a magical wish for a beautiful daughter and a protective charm. Their daughter, Snowflower, grows up extraordinarily beautiful but gives the charm to a mysterious minstrel. Years later, her beauty attracts the King, who arranges for her to marry his son, despite Snowflower's longing for her mountain home. On her wedding night, the minstrel's enchanting song compels her to leave with him, revealed as a knight. Snowflower vanishes, but the reappearance of the charm assures her parents of her well-being, implying she has found her true destiny.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to destiny
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common European fairy tale tropes of magical wishes, enchanted objects, and social mobility through marriage to royalty, often with a touch of the uncanny.
Plot Beats (13)
- A childless blacksmith's wife encounters an old woman while gathering flowers and gives her eggs.
- The old woman grants the wife a wish, and she wishes for a daughter more beautiful than the Queen's, receiving a heart-shaped copper charm with a warning.
- A beautiful daughter, Snowflower, is born and grows up loving the mountain environment.
- At nine, Snowflower, left alone, hears a minstrel's enchanting song and is compelled to give him the copper charm in exchange for a future song.
- Snowflower's parents are initially concerned but dismiss the loss of the charm.
- Snowflower grows into an extraordinarily beautiful maiden, her fame reaching the King.
- The King sends a courtier to verify her beauty, then visits himself and arranges for Snowflower to marry his son in a year.
- Snowflower is reluctant to leave her home, and her mother is fearful, remembering the old woman's warning.
- After a year, Snowflower is brought to the palace for her wedding to the Prince, who falls in love with her, but she feels homesick.
- On her wedding night, Snowflower hears the minstrel's song again, which is irresistibly enchanting and compelling.
- The minstrel appears at her door, and Snowflower, recognizing him as a friend, takes his hand.
- The minstrel transforms into a knight and carries Snowflower away on horseback.
- Snowflower vanishes from the kingdom, but the copper coin reappears over her parents' hearth, assuring her mother that she is safe and well.
Characters
The Blacksmith's Wife ◆ supporting
A woman of average height and build, showing the signs of a hardworking life in a mountain village. Her complexion is likely weathered from outdoor work, but she is not described as frail.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for a mountain village in an unspecified European setting, likely linen or wool. Perhaps a long, plain skirt, a simple blouse, and a practical apron, in muted, natural colors.
Wants: To have a child, specifically a beautiful daughter, and to ensure her daughter's happiness and well-being.
Flaw: Fear of authority (her husband's scolding), easily swayed by the old woman's promise, and later, by her husband's dismissal of her fears.
Begins as a childless woman, gains a daughter through a magical wish, experiences fear and sorrow when the charm is lost and her daughter is taken, but finds peace and happiness when the charm returns, signifying her daughter's well-being.
Kind, fearful (of being scolded), hopeful (for a child), easily vexed, ultimately trusting (in the charm's return).
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult peasant woman of average height and build, with a weathered but kind face, simple brown hair tied back. She wears a long, plain grey linen skirt, a cream-colored blouse, and a practical dark green wool apron. She holds a simple woven basket containing a few white eggs. Her expression is one of gentle concern. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Woman ◆ supporting
Very bent and worn, suggesting extreme age and perhaps a life of hardship or a magical nature that distorts her form. She hobbles, indicating frailty or a deliberate disguise.
Attire: Simple, dark, and worn clothing, perhaps a coarse wool cloak or shawl that further obscures her form, typical of a solitary old woman in a mountain setting.
Wants: To test the blacksmith's wife's kindness, to grant a wish, and to set in motion the events related to the charm.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, she appears to be a powerful, almost fey, figure.
Appears briefly to initiate the story's central conflict and then disappears, her influence continuing through the charm.
Mysterious, demanding (of the eggs), grateful (for the gift), powerful (grants wishes), cryptic (gives a warning).
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman, very bent and worn, with a deeply wrinkled face and sparse white hair. She is cloaked in a dark, coarse wool shawl that obscures much of her body. Her eyes are dark and knowing. She is slightly hunched over, holding a small, heart-shaped copper coin in her gnarled hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Snowflower ★ protagonist
Exquisitely beautiful, described as 'more like a fairy than a mortal.' Her skin is 'more delicate than a pearly sea-shell,' dazzling like snow, and soft as a blush at dawn. She is slender and graceful, with an ethereal quality.
Attire: As a child, simple peasant dresses. As a maiden, she is found 'sitting and spinning at the door of the blacksmith's shop,' implying modest but clean attire. In the palace, she is given 'gorgeous room' and 'splendid preparations' for her wedding, suggesting rich, flowing gowns of fine fabrics like silk or brocade, in colors befitting a princess, but she longs for her simple mountain life.
Wants: Initially, to hear the beautiful song again. Later, to find happiness, though she struggles with homesickness and an unknown longing. Ultimately, she is drawn by an irresistible force.
Flaw: Her innocence and impressionability make her vulnerable to the Minstrel's request. Her deep emotional response to the Minstrel's song makes her unable to resist him.
From an innocent child, she grows into a beautiful maiden, betrothed to a Prince. She experiences homesickness and a mysterious longing, ultimately succumbing to the Minstrel's magical call and being carried away to an unknown fate, which her mother perceives as 'all well'.
Innocent, impressionable, kind-hearted, homesick, deeply affected by beauty (especially music), ultimately submissive to a powerful, mysterious call.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young woman, around 17 years old, with an ethereal and delicate beauty. She has very fair, almost translucent skin, with a soft blush on her cheeks. Her eyes are large, clear, and a deep sky-blue, reflecting light. Her long, fine blonde hair flows loosely around her shoulders. She wears a simple, modest cream-colored linen dress, suitable for spinning at a cottage door, with a slightly homesick but gentle expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Minstrel / The Knight ○ antagonist (initially) / romantic interest (ultimately)
Tall and imposing. Initially, his face is 'half muffled in a black cloak.' Later, as a knight, his face is 'bright as snow' and his eyes 'like stars.' He is strong enough to carry Snowflower and ride a horse.
Attire: Initially, a black cloak that muffles his face, suggesting a traveler or a mysterious figure. Later, he is revealed as a 'wonderful knight in armour,' implying gleaming, perhaps silver or steel, full plate armor, possibly adorned with symbols or a crest.
Wants: To reclaim the copper charm and, by extension, Snowflower, whom he seems to have a magical claim over.
Flaw: None explicitly stated; he appears to be an unstoppable, almost fey, force.
Appears as a mysterious minstrel to reclaim the charm, disappears for years, then returns as an irresistible force to claim Snowflower as his own, transforming into a knight.
Mysterious, persistent, powerful, enchanting, demanding, ultimately loving (as a lover).
Image Prompt & Upload
A tall, imposing man in his late twenties, with a handsome face, bright fair skin, and dark, star-like eyes. His dark hair is short and neat. He is wearing gleaming silver full plate armor, with a dark, flowing cape draped over his shoulders. He holds a lute in one hand. His expression is intense and determined. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Blacksmith ◆ supporting
A strong, sturdy man, as befits his profession. His hands would be calloused and his build muscular from years of physical labor. His face would be honest and kind.
Attire: Practical, durable work clothes: a leather apron over a simple tunic and trousers, likely in dark or earthy tones, smudged with soot from his forge.
Wants: To provide for his family, to be happy, and to see his daughter prosper.
Flaw: His dismissiveness of his wife's and daughter's fears, his focus on practical gain over emotional well-being.
Remains largely unchanged, representing the stable, practical world that Snowflower leaves behind. He is delighted by her potential marriage to the Prince and dismisses the magical implications.
Hardworking, happy, practical, good-natured, easily delighted by good fortune, dismissive of women's fears.
Image Prompt & Upload
A strong, muscular adult man with a kind, honest face, short dark hair, and a practical beard. He wears a thick, dark leather apron over a simple grey tunic and dark trousers, with soot smudges on his clothes and face. He stands with a sturdy, grounded posture, holding a heavy hammer in one hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The King ◆ supporting
A man of authority and wealth, likely well-fed and dressed in fine attire, but no specific physical traits are given beyond his royal status.
Attire: Rich, formal royal attire. Given the unspecified European setting, this would likely be a velvet or brocade tunic, possibly with fur trim, a heavy cloak, and a golden crown or circlet. Colors would be deep and regal, such as crimson, royal blue, or purple.
Wants: To secure a beautiful and suitable wife for his son, ensuring the royal line and kingdom's prosperity.
Flaw: His focus on outward appearances (beauty) and political expediency over personal feelings.
Serves as a catalyst for Snowflower's move to the palace, but his plans are ultimately thwarted by the Minstrel's intervention.
Practical (seeks a suitable wife for his son), decisive, impressed by beauty, somewhat detached from the emotional impact of his decisions.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult man of regal bearing, with a dignified face and a neatly trimmed grey beard. He wears a rich, deep crimson velvet tunic embroidered with gold thread, a heavy purple cloak trimmed with white fur, and a golden crown adorned with jewels. His posture is upright and authoritative. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The King's Son / The Prince ◆ supporting
Described as 'as fine and as brave a lad as any in the land,' implying a handsome, strong, and noble appearance.
Attire: Fine princely attire, likely tailored tunics and breeches of rich fabrics like silk or fine wool, in colors that denote his status, perhaps with some embroidery or subtle ornamentation. He would wear polished leather boots.
Wants: To marry a beautiful princess and fulfill his royal duties.
Flaw: His love for Snowflower is not strong enough to overcome the Minstrel's magic.
Serves as the intended groom for Snowflower, but is ultimately a passive figure in her fate, losing her to the Minstrel's magical claim.
Brave, charming, handsome, falls in love easily (with Snowflower at first sight).
Image Prompt & Upload
A handsome young man, around 20 years old, with a noble face, clear eyes, and neatly styled brown hair. He wears a tailored tunic of deep blue silk with silver embroidery on the collar, fitted cream breeches, and polished black leather boots. His posture is confident and upright, with a charming, earnest expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Blacksmith's Cottage in the Mountains
A humble, small cottage, likely a simple timber-frame structure with a stone hearth, situated in a village nestled within the mountains. The interior is modest, reflecting the poverty of the blacksmith and his wife.
Mood: Initially happy and hopeful, later tinged with anxiety and sorrow, then ultimately peaceful and resolved.
The blacksmith's wife hangs the charm here; Snowflower gives the charm away from here; the charm reappears here at the end, signifying Snowflower's well-being.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cozy, rustic interior of a German-style half-timbered cottage, with a large, rough-hewn stone hearth at its center. Warm firelight casts dancing shadows on the timber walls and a simple wooden table. Above the hearth, a small, heart-shaped copper coin hangs on a nail. Sunlight streams through a small, leaded-glass window, illuminating dust motes in the air. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Mountain Path/Wildflower Meadow
A winding path on the mountain slope, leading from the village down into the valley. In spring, it's adorned with wildflowers, indicating melted snows. The air is fresh and clear.
Mood: Peaceful, serene, with a touch of mystery upon the appearance of the old woman.
The blacksmith's wife encounters the old woman and receives the wish and the charm.
Image Prompt & Upload
A narrow, winding dirt path ascends a gentle mountain slope, flanked by vibrant patches of spring wildflowers in hues of purple, yellow, and white. Patches of lingering snow glisten in the distance on higher peaks. The air is crisp and clear under a bright morning sky, with soft sunlight illuminating the fresh green foliage of scattered pine trees. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
King's Palace Courtyard
A wide, grand courtyard within the King's palace, surrounded by colonnades and adorned with statues. The ground is paved with cobblestones, and there are wide marble steps leading up to Snowflower's room. It is illuminated by moonlight at night.
Mood: Initially grand and imposing, then becomes eerie, suspenseful, and ultimately romantic.
Snowflower is awakened by the minstrel's song, sees him in the courtyard, and is carried away by him.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, moonlit courtyard of an Abbasid-era Arabian palace, paved with smooth, dark cobblestones. Ornate muqarnas vaults arch over elegant colonnades of polished marble pillars, casting long, deep shadows. Geometric tile mosaics adorn the lower walls, and classical statues stand sentinel in alcoves. A grand, wide flight of marble steps ascends to an upper level, bathed in cool, silvery moonlight from a clear night sky. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
