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TABULATION OF FOLKTALES.
153
[No. 60.]
Title of Story—The Pot of Rue.
Dramatis Persons.—Merchant.—Three daughters.—Captain.—King.—King's eldest son.—Other merchants.—Ogre and ogress.—Sentinel and guards.—Ladies of the court.
Abstract of Story.—(1) Merchant has three daughters, two very gay, one very stay-at-home, scarcely ever goes beyond garden. Merchant going trading asks what he shall bring home for them. Eldest chooses all manner of dresses and ornaments, youngest only pot of rue. Father promises, says last is easy to satisfy. "Not so easy, perhaps, as you think," says girl, "and mind you bring it now you have promised, for you will find you can't get home without it."—(2) Merchant finishes business, forgets rue, and starts for home; scarcely a day's journey at sea when ship won't move. "Some one on board has an unfulfilled promise on him," says captain, and calls upon whoever it is to confess and be thrown overboard, that lives of passengers and crew may not be in jeopardy by his fault. Merchant confesses, captain agrees as he is a great merchant and frequent trader by his ship to put back instead of throwing him overboard. Tells him pot of rue will not be easy to get; there is only one, which king has, and if any one asks for only a single leaf he will be put to death. Merchant goes to king, explains, and asks for whole plant. King pleased with courage gives him plant for daughter, saying she must burn leaf every night. He takes it home.—(3) Daughters all pleased with gifts, third daughter burns leaf, eldest of king's three beautiful sons appears and spends every evening with her.—(4) Other merchants ask why third daughter does not come to balls; at last father makes her go. Sisters burn down her apartment and garden and plant of rue. King's son comes with such impetus that he is bruised and burnt all over with flaming beams, and cut all over with broken glass, reaches home in sorry plight (5) Youngest daughter comes homes, finds out what has happened, dresses herself in man's clothes, and goes away. Goes on till she can go no further; lies down under tree to sleep. In the night ogre and ogress come to tree and lie down. Merchant's daughter hears ogre tell ogress that king's eldest son has fallen through window of palace and is sore ill, is cut with glass and bruised all over. "What shall be done to heal the king's eldest son, the flower of the land?" says he. Ogress says it is well no one knows it, but they should be killed and the fat taken from round their hearts and made into ointment, and the king's son anointed with it. Merchant's daughter has pistols with her man's dress, and shoots them both at once, pistol in each hand, while they sleep, and takes fat.—(6) Goes to palace, sentinel refuses to admit her, saying, "So many great and learned surgeons have come, and have benefited him nothing, there is no entrance for a mountebank like thee." She persists, sentinel calls guard, king overhears noise, orders travelling doctor to be admitted. She asks for all she wants to make oint-
