Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/476

 454 Miscellanea.

mat, her husband soon found himself at the Iron Castle, and there the sword and club did such good execution that his father- in-law asked him what favour he wanted, and he replied, " I want nothing, only your youngest daughter, with your blessing." This was readily granted, and he went back to his wife and took her with him, and the birds carried them up to the upper world.

XIV. The Negro Lover.

(Told by an old woman formerly our cook, Theodoroula Mouzou- raki, a native of Tenos, but long resident in Calymnos.)

Once upon a time there was a king who had only one little daughter, whose mother had died at her birth. She was twelve years old when her nurse told her that her father was very melancholy, and would not eat or drink. The little girl said, " Then I will go and speak to him." But when her father saw her he became sadder than ever, and did nothing but sigh. She asked him, " What is it, father ? " He said, I have to go away to war, and I am thinking what will become of you while I am away." " Don't be unhappy ; make me a garden with a wall so high that no bird can fly over it, and give me a golden bucket and chain, and I will draw water and water the trees, and pass the time till you come back."

So it was done ; and the king went away with his army. The child drew water twice at the well and watered her garden ; but the third time the chain broke, and she took off her shoes and stockings and began climbing down the well to find the bucket. Half way down the well she saw^ a window, and opened it ; and inside she saw a stairway with forty steps. She was curious to see where it went, and ran down it, and found herself in another garden with a tank in it, and round the tank grew golden apple- trees. Thought she to herself, " I'll just pick three apples, one for my father, and one for my nurse, and one for myself" And so she did; down she sat, and ate her own, and put the two others in her pocket. Then she began to wonder why there was no gardener there, and went to look for him. After walking some way through the trees she saw a palace that shone like the sun. The doors were shut, but she saw a little round window open, and peeped through it. There on a sofa sat a very hand- some young man and a beautiful lady. The lady clapped her hands, and a tray with all kinds of good things was brought in