TABULATION OF FOLKTALES. 87
[No. 31.] Title of Story— Palombelletta.
Dramatis Personae.-Peasant.— Stepmother.— Heroine : daughter by first wife. — Daughter of stepmother. — Hero : king of country. — "Witch. — Dove. — Cook. — Chamberlain.
Abstract of Story- — (l) Peasant, widower, has one little girl fair and beautiful, marries widow with one daughter, black and hideously deformed. — (2) King of the country, passing cottage of peasant, asks for glass of water; falls in love with fair daughter, says he will come back in eight days and make her his wife. — (3) Simple girl tells stepmother, who befoi-e the day comes conceals her in the cellar, and substitutes her own daughter covered up with a wide mantle, a veil, and hood. King asks to have wrappers taken off, but stepmother says she will lose all her beauty at the least breath of air; king adds another hood and veil, and takes her away. — (4) Stepmother wonders how to continue to conceal fair girl; consults witch, obtains from her long pin with gold head ; has a cage ready, runs pin into fair girl's head, and she turns into dove. Dove does not fly into cage, but over step- mother's head and out of sight.— (5) Dove goes to king's palace, where cook is preparing a great dinner, dove beats against kitchen window, is admitted by cook, flies three times round cook's head, singing, " O cook, cook, of the royal kitchen, what shall we do with the queen ? All of you put yourselves to sleep, and may the dinner be burnt up ! " Cook falls into deep sleep, dinner burnt up. — (6) King comes to table bringing bride still wrapped in thick veils. "Where is the dinner?" he says; hears what has happened from chamberlain, " Go fetch me a dinner from the inn," says the king, " and when the cook comes to himself let him be brought before me." Cook comes, tells what has happened; king sends for dove, King takes dove, feels pin, draws it out, and the fair maiden stands before him. The king pulls off veil from false bride, sends for stepmother, and orders them to be killed.
Alphabetical List of Incidents.
Cage bought to put dove in (4).
Dove, fair girl changed to (4), casts spell on cook (5).
Marriage of peasant with widow (1), of king with fair girl (6).
Pin, run into bride's head causes transformation (4).
Spell, on fair girl by pin (4), cast on cook (5).
Substituted bride (3).
Transformation of heroine (4).
Where published.— Busk's Foliaorc of Rome. London, 1874. Tale No. 3, pp. 22-25.
