The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth Page B
Authors: Franz Xaver von Schonwerth
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same words as during the past two nights.
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, the parting was sweet, and now I bring greetings. Tell me where my brother has gone.”
“He’s hidden in the squire’s dungeon.”
“Where is my portrait?”
“It’s by the hearth out in the open.”
“Where is the old chambermaid?”
“She’s asleep in the squire’s bed.”
Just then the mirror shattered and the young woman was standing there in all her beauty, with just a little scratch on her face. She told the squire about all the terrible things the chambermaid had done, how she had given her orders and then shoved her into the water.
She finished by saying: “If you had not redeemed me today, I would have been lost forever.”
The old witch was burned at the stake. The coachman was freed from the dungeon and treated like a son. The portrait on the hearth was given a place of honor in the finest room of the castle, and the marriage was celebrated in splendor.
And if they have not died, they are living happily today.
ASHFEATHERS
An innkeeper lost his wife. He was afraid that his daughter would feel lonely, and so he decided to remarry. The new wife bore him two children, and the child from the husband’s first marriage became a thorn in the woman’s flesh. Her name was Ashfeathers, for she had to sort the millet from the ashes, which her stepmother mixed in on purpose. She was never allowed to leave the kitchen. When her father returned from his travels, she received nothing, even though her two sisters were given presents. One day, when her father set out on another journey, she called after him in a forlorn tone: “This time bring back something for me!”
While traveling, the father remembered his daughter’s words just as the branch of a hazelnut tree was grazing his hat. There were six nuts on it. He took the branch with him and gave it to his eldest daughter. While she was fetching water from the well for her father, the branch fell into the water. She didn’t dare go back home. And in fact when she did return, her stepmother immediately began complaining when she learned about it: “You are just hopeless! I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. Go in the kitchen, and stay there!” And then she said to her husband: “If you had spent some real money on her, it would have been wasted. She’s just so stupid.”
In desperation Ashfeathers returned to the well. A dwarf was sitting near it and said to her: “Don’t bother looking for that little branch. You won’t find it. But when you go to church, be sure to recite these words:
Today I’m just a kitchen maid,
Send me shoes, done in gold braid.
And give to me the finest gown,
Papa will sing all night in town.”
Before going to church that Sunday, Ashfeathers went down to the well to wash her hands. In a flash she was completely clean, and a beautiful dress, gold shoes, and white silk stockings appeared at the edge of the well. She had turned into the most beautiful princess imaginable, and a little dove was perched on each shoulder.
Ashfeathers walked over to the church. Her stepsisters had no idea who she was. But the two little doves began cooing whenever they looked at their beautiful mistress. Once the service was over, Ashfeathers rushed back to the well, took off her beautiful clothes, and put the patched ones back on. At home everyone was talking about the beautiful maiden. No one knew who she was. One man in particular, a stranger, had taken note of her. “She must become my wife!” he thought to himself, and he asked everyone about her. But no one could say who she was.
The following Sunday she disappeared again, right after church. On the third Sunday, the stranger spread some tar on the stairs. When Ashfeathers walked down the stairs, one of her shoes got stuck. She didn’t worry about losing the shoe and raced back to the well to put her tattered clothes back on. The stranger took the shoe home with him. He told his coachman:
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, the parting was sweet, and now I bring greetings. Tell me where my brother has gone.”
“He’s hidden in the squire’s dungeon.”
“Where is my portrait?”
“It’s by the hearth out in the open.”
“Where is the old chambermaid?”
“She’s asleep in the squire’s bed.”
Just then the mirror shattered and the young woman was standing there in all her beauty, with just a little scratch on her face. She told the squire about all the terrible things the chambermaid had done, how she had given her orders and then shoved her into the water.
She finished by saying: “If you had not redeemed me today, I would have been lost forever.”
The old witch was burned at the stake. The coachman was freed from the dungeon and treated like a son. The portrait on the hearth was given a place of honor in the finest room of the castle, and the marriage was celebrated in splendor.
And if they have not died, they are living happily today.
ASHFEATHERS
An innkeeper lost his wife. He was afraid that his daughter would feel lonely, and so he decided to remarry. The new wife bore him two children, and the child from the husband’s first marriage became a thorn in the woman’s flesh. Her name was Ashfeathers, for she had to sort the millet from the ashes, which her stepmother mixed in on purpose. She was never allowed to leave the kitchen. When her father returned from his travels, she received nothing, even though her two sisters were given presents. One day, when her father set out on another journey, she called after him in a forlorn tone: “This time bring back something for me!”
While traveling, the father remembered his daughter’s words just as the branch of a hazelnut tree was grazing his hat. There were six nuts on it. He took the branch with him and gave it to his eldest daughter. While she was fetching water from the well for her father, the branch fell into the water. She didn’t dare go back home. And in fact when she did return, her stepmother immediately began complaining when she learned about it: “You are just hopeless! I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. Go in the kitchen, and stay there!” And then she said to her husband: “If you had spent some real money on her, it would have been wasted. She’s just so stupid.”
In desperation Ashfeathers returned to the well. A dwarf was sitting near it and said to her: “Don’t bother looking for that little branch. You won’t find it. But when you go to church, be sure to recite these words:
Today I’m just a kitchen maid,
Send me shoes, done in gold braid.
And give to me the finest gown,
Papa will sing all night in town.”
Before going to church that Sunday, Ashfeathers went down to the well to wash her hands. In a flash she was completely clean, and a beautiful dress, gold shoes, and white silk stockings appeared at the edge of the well. She had turned into the most beautiful princess imaginable, and a little dove was perched on each shoulder.
Ashfeathers walked over to the church. Her stepsisters had no idea who she was. But the two little doves began cooing whenever they looked at their beautiful mistress. Once the service was over, Ashfeathers rushed back to the well, took off her beautiful clothes, and put the patched ones back on. At home everyone was talking about the beautiful maiden. No one knew who she was. One man in particular, a stranger, had taken note of her. “She must become my wife!” he thought to himself, and he asked everyone about her. But no one could say who she was.
The following Sunday she disappeared again, right after church. On the third Sunday, the stranger spread some tar on the stairs. When Ashfeathers walked down the stairs, one of her shoes got stuck. She didn’t worry about losing the shoe and raced back to the well to put her tattered clothes back on. The stranger took the shoe home with him. He told his coachman:
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