TABULATION OF FOLKTALES. 95
[No. 34.]
Title of Story.— The King who goes out to Dinner.
Dramatis Personse. — Peasant.— Two children: boy (afterwards Viceroy) and girl, heroine (afterwards queen). — Teacher (afterwards stepmother — witch). — Birds who eat millet. — Old man. — King. — Queen-mother. — Whale. — Two infants. — Gardener.
Abstract of Story.— (l) Peasant whose wife has died leaving him two beautiful children, boy and girl, sends them to woman to be taught. She sends message every day to ask father why he does not marry her. Father says he does not want to marry. She wearies him by her importunity. At last he says when a thick pair of woollen stockings, which he sends to her by the children, are rotted away he will marry her. She hangs them up in a loft and damps them with water twice a day ; they soon rot, children tell their father, he says there must be foul play. Gives them a large pitcher of water for teacher, says when the water has all dried up he will marry her. She pours out a little water every day, children see it gradually diminish, at last they see it empty, tell father, he can scarcely believe it, but sees no way of disputing fact, so marries teacher. — (2) Teacher immediately says she can't bear sight of children ; father expostulates, at last yields. One day stepmother makes a large cake for children ; puts it in a basket with bottle of wine, goes with them for walk outside the gate a long way, proposes they shall sit down and lunch ofE their cake and wine. Children do so. Step- mother goes off, thinking they will be lost, but boy has heard the talk about disposing of them, and has provided paper parcel of ashes, has strewn them all along as they came. They return by this track. — (3) Stepmother furious at seeing them, conceals it, takes them another walk. Boy provides parcel of millet seed, strews it as they go, they lunch as before, are in no haste to finish their meal, but when they want to go back find no track, for birds have come and eaten up all the grain. — (4) They wander about to look for shelter, come to a lonely cottage, knock at door, voice asks, " Who's there?" they answer, " Friends." Old man opens door, boy asks for shelter as step- mother has turned them out, old man welcomes them, adopts them for his children. — (5) Old man and brother both out one day, king comes by hunting, asks for water ; extraordinary beauty of girl astonishes him, asks her story, goes home, tells queen-mother, begs her to come and see maiden; queen-mother consents. King drives beforehand to cottage and gives notice he will dine there with queen-mother. Cottage so neat, and dinner so well prepared, honours so gracefully done, that queen-mother is won to admire girl as much as king does, readily consents to his marrying her. Heroine becomes queen, her brother made viceroy. — (6) Stepmother has a divining-rod, she strikes it, asks after children, and answer comes, " The girl is married to the king, and the lad is made viceroy." Stepmother pretends remorse, says she must go and find them, disguises herself as pilgrim, goes to city, stands opposite palace windows, calls up golden hen
