The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That CountryKirby, W. F. (William Forsell)
History
The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country
Kirby, W. F. (William Forsell)
Estonian literature; Estonian literature -- History and criticism
The squire was not expected to return for a week, but he came back next
morning, and rushed upstairs in a frenzied rage, dragged his wife to
the block by her hair, and was just lifting the axe, when he was struck
down by Goose-Tony with a heavy cudgel, and bound. He was brought to
justice, and sentenced to death, and his property was adjudged to his
widow, who shortly after married the page who had saved her life.[Pg 4]
CINDERELLA.
(Kreutzwald.)
The Esthonian story of Tuhka-Triinu (Ash-Katie[1]), as given by
Kreutzwald, is more on the lines of the German _Aschenputtel_ than on
those of the French _Cendrillon_.
Once upon a time there lived a rich man with his wife and an only
daughter. When the mother dies, she directs her daughter to plant a
tree on her grave, where the birds can find food and shelter.[2] The
father marries a widow with two daughters, who ill-treat the motherless
girl, declaring that she shall be their slave-girl. A magpie cries from
the summit of the tree, "Poor child, poor child! why do you not go and
complain to the rowan-tree? Ask for counsel, when your hard life will
be lightened."
She goes to the grave at night, and a voice asks[Pg 5] her to whom she
should appeal, and in whom she should trust, and she answers, "God."
Then the voice tells her to call the cock and hen to help her, when she
has work to do which she cannot perform by herself.
When the king's ball is announced, Cinderella has to dress her sisters,
after which the eldest throws lentils into the ashes, telling her to
pick them up; but this is done by the cock and hen. She is left at home
weeping, and a voice tells her to go and shake the rowan-tree. When she
had done so, a light appeared in the darkness, and she saw a woman
sitting on the summit of the tree. She was an ell high, and clothed in
golden raiment, and she held a small basket and a gold wand in her
hands. She took a hen's egg from her basket, which she turned into a
coach; six mice formed the horses, a black beetle[3] formed the
coachman, and two speckled butterflies the footmen.
The little witch-maiden then dressed Tuhka Triinu as magnificently as a
Saxon lady. She then sent her to the ball, warning her to leave before
the cock crows for the third time, as everything will then resume its
original shape. On the second[Pg 6] night Tuhka Triinu took to flight,
and lost one of her little gold shoes, which the prince found next
morning. When it came to be tried on, Tuhka Triinu's sisters, who
thought they had small feet, tugged and squeezed without success. But
the shoe fitted Tuhka Triinu. Her guardian again robed her
magnificently, and she married the prince.[4]
THE DRAGON-SLAYER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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