Then, after putting the note into an envelope and sealing it up, they
gave it to the girl and bade her go on her way. So when she arrived at
the brother's castle, though rather surprised, he gave orders for a
wedding feast to be prepared. And the Baron's son, who was staying with
his uncle, seeing the girl's great beauty, was nothing loth, so they
were fast wedded.
Well! when the news was brought to the Baron, he was nigh beside
himself; but he was determined not to be done by Fate. So he rode
post-haste to his brother's and pretended to be quite pleased. And then
one day, when no one was nigh, he asked the young bride to come for a
walk with him, and when they were close to some cliffs, seized hold of
her, and was for throwing her over into the sea. But she begged hard for
her life.
"It is not my fault," she said. "I have done nothing. It is Fate. But if
you will spare my life I promise that I will fight against Fate also. I
will never see you or your son again until you desire it. That will be
safer for you; since, see you, the sea may preserve me, as the river
did."
Well! the Baron agreed to this. So he took off his gold ring from his
finger and flung it over the cliffs into the sea and said:
"Never dare to show me your face again till you can show me that ring
likewise."
And with that he let her go.
Well! the girl wandered on, and she wandered on, until she came to a
nobleman's castle; and there, as they needed a kitchen girl, she engaged
as a scullion, since she had been used to such work in the fisherman's
hut.
Now one day, as she was cleaning a big fish, she looked out of the
kitchen window, and who should she see driving up to dinner but the
Baron and his young son, her husband. At first she thought that, to keep
her promise, she must run away; but afterwards she remembered they would
not see her in the kitchen, so she went on with her cleaning of the big
fish.
And, lo and behold! she saw something shine in its inside, and there,
sure enough, was the Baron's ring! She was glad enough to see it, I can
tell you; so she slipped it on to her thumb. But she went on with her
work, and dressed the fish as nicely as ever she could, and served it up
as pretty as may be, with parsley sauce and butter.
Well! when it came to table the guests liked it so well that they asked
the host who cooked it. And he called to his servants, "Send up the cook
who cooked that fine fish, that she may get her reward."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account