Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/598

 150 TABULATION OF FOLKTALES.

[No. 59.]

Title of Story. The Pot of Marjoram.

Dramatis Personae. Merchant. Three daughters. Stranger (magician). Steward. Two hears. Chamberlain. King of Persia. Ladies, damsels, pages, officers.

Abstract Of Story. (0 Merchant goes trading ; asks three daughters what he shall bring for them. Eldest chooses shawl ; second, coverlet ; third daughter, who is distinguished by stay-at-home habits, chooses a pot of marjoram, as none is to be got in the country where they lived. (2) Mer- chant finishes business, gets presents for elder daughters, forgets marjoram. Stranger meets him just before he reaches home ; asks him if he will not buy a pot of marjoram. Merchant would not have disappointed his youngest daughter fo all the world, eagerly agrees, throws more than usual price to man, tells servants to take pot. Stranger laughs at him for not letting a man fix his own price. Merchant hears price is 300,000 scudi ; and, seeing it is of no use to haggle, at last orders steward to pay, and rides home. (3) Daughters all pleased, youngest so much so that merchant imagines she is not altogether ignorant of the value of her present. Two elder soon hear through gossip of steward what an immense sum the pot of marjoram has cost; they are jealous, and determine to destroy the plant, but have no chance. They persuade father that it is bad for third daughter to stay at home as she does. He is convinced by their arguments ; says she is to go to ball with him. Sisters, during her absence, throw pot of marjoram out of window on to the highroad, where it is soon trampled, and every vestige dispersed. (4) Overcome with grief, third daughter determines not to live with those who had treated her in this manaer, wanders forth, taking no heed of way, all night. When morning dawns, finds herself in the midst of vast plain, where many roads meet; hesitates which way to go ; suddenly a fairy appears, asks where she is going, and what is the matter. Maiden tells her what has happened. Eairy says all will be well, but that it won't do for a young girl to go about the country alone ; produces com- plete suit of male attire, travelling cloak and all, and in the girdle were weapons, and many articles of which she did not know the use ; points out which way she should go, and vanishes. Immediately, instead of vast plain, mighty mountains rise on either hand, before her a dense forest. Goes on, and finds, though conversation with the fairy only seems to have lasted a few minutes, the sun is already high in the heavens, so that she is glad of the forest's shade. Finds a brook at entrance, and that fairy has provided her with food. After resting, goes on till nightfall, climbs to spreading boughs of tree to sleep. (5) Waked by horrible growling ; finds, though made by common he and she bear, she can understand all as though spoken in words, recognises this as gift of good fairy. Bears converse. She-bear complains