Cap of Rushes 1
ONCE there was a very rich gentleman, and he had three daughters. One day he wanted to see how fond they were of him. So he said to the first daughter, "How much do you love me, my dear?"
"Oh," said she, "I love you as I love my life."
"That's good," said he.
So he said to the second daughter, "How much do you love me, my dear?"
"Oh," said she, "I love you better than anyone else in the world."
"That's good," said he.
So he said to the third daughter, "How much do you love me, my dear?"
"Oh, I love you as fresh meat loves salt," said she.
The father got very angry. "You don't love me at all," 2 said he, "and you will not stay any more in my house." So he turned her out of the house, and shut the door.
She went away and walked on and on till she came to a river. There she gathered a lot of rushes and out of them made a cloak with a hood, to cover her from head to foot, and to hide her fine clothes. Then she went on and on till she came to a great house.
"Do you need a servant?" she asked.
"No, we don't," said they.
"I haven't any place to go," said she, "and I can do any kind of work. I want no money for the work I do."
"Well, if you like to wash the pots and scrape the saucepans 3 you may stay," said they.
So she stayed there and washed the pots and scraped the saucepans and did all the dirty work. And because she did not tell them her name, they called her "Gap of Rushes".
One day there was to be a great dance 4 at a big house a little way off, and the servants were allowed to go and look at the ladies and gentlemen. Cap of Rushes said she was too tired to go, so she stayed at home.
But when they had gone, she took off her cap of rushes, and cleaned herself, and went to the dance. And no one there was so finely dressed as she.
Her master's son was there, and he fell in love with her the minute he saw her. He danced with no one but her. 5
But before the dance was over, Cap of Rushes slipped out of the house and went home. When the other servants came back, she was pretending to be asleep with her cap of rushes on.
Next morning they said to her, "You should have gone 6 to the dance, Cap of Rushes!" "Why should I have gone?" she asked.
"Why, the most beautiful lady was there and the young master never took his eyes off heir."
"I should like to see her one day," 7 said Cap of Rushes.
"Well, there's to be another dance this evening; perhaps she'll be there."
But when the evening came, Cap of Rushes said she was too tired to go with the other servants. However, 8 when they had gone, she took off her cap of rushes, cleaned herself, and she went off to the dance in her lovely dress.
Again the master's son danced only with her, and he never took his eyes off her. But before the dance was over she slipped out of the house, and went home. When the servants came back, she pretended to be asleep with her cap of rushes on.
Next day they said to her again, "Well, Cap of Rushes, you should have been there to see the lady. She was there again, very beautiful, and the young master never took his eyes off her."
"I should like to see her," said she.
"Well," said they, "there's a dance again this evening; you must go with us, she'll be there perhaps."
But when the evening came, Cap of Rushes said she was too tired to go, and she stayed at home. However, when they had gone, she took off her cap of rushes and cleaned herself, and she went off to the dance.
The master's son was very glad to see her. He danced with nobody but her and never took his eyes off her.
He asked her to tell him her name and where she came from, but she said nothing. Then he gave her a ring and said:
"If I don't see you again, I'll die." Well, before the dance was over, she again slipped out and went home. When the servants came home, she was pretending to be asleep with her cap of rushes on.
Next day they said to her, "Cap of Rushes, you didn't come last night, and now you won't see the lady, for there won't be any more dances."
"Well, I should really like to have seen her," 9 said she. The master's son tried every way to find out where the lady had gone. He went everywhere, and asked every one he met, but nobody heard anything about her. And he got worse and worse for love of her, till he had to keep his bed. 10 "Make some porridge for the young master," they said to the cook. 11 "He's dying of love for the lady." The cook was going to make the porridge when Cap of Rushes came in. "What are you going to do?" asked Cap of Rushes. "I'm going to make some porridge for the young master," said the cook, "he's dying of love for the lady." "Let me make it," said Cap of Rushes. The cook said yes, and Cap of Rushes made the porridge. When she had made it, she slipped the ring, the master's son had given her, into the bowl secretly, and the cook took the bowl upstairs.
The young man ate the porridge and then he saw the ring at the bottom of the bowl.
"Send for the cook," said he.
So she came.
"Who made this porridge?" asked he.
"I did," said the cook, for she was frightened.
And he looked at her.
"No, you didn't," said he. "Say who did it, and I'll not do you any harm." 12
"Well, it was Cap of Rushes," said she.
"Send Cap of Rushes here," said he.
So Cap of Rushes came.
"Did you make my porridge?" asked he.
"Yes, I did," said she.
"Where did you get this ring?" asked he.
"From the man who gave it to me," said she.
"Who are you, then?" said the young man.
"I'll show you," said she. And she took off her cap of rushes and there she was in her beautiful clothes.
Well, the master's son soon got better and there was to be a great wedding 13 in a short time. A lot of people were asked from far and near to be present at the wedding. And Cap of Rushes' father was asked too. But she never told anybody who she was.
Before the wedding Cap of Rushes went to the cook and said to her:
"Please cook every dish for the wedding feast without salt."
"But the food will all be tasteless!" said the cook.
"It doesn't matter," 14 said she.
"Very well, then," said the cook.
The wedding-day came, and the two young people were married. After they were married, all the guests sat down to the wedding feast. When they began to eat the meat, they found that it was so tasteless that they couldn't eat it.
Cap of Rushes' father tried first one dish and then another, and then he burst into tears.
"What is the matter?" said the master's son to him.
"Oh!" said he, "I had a daughter. And I asked her how-much she loved me. And she said, 'I love you as fresh meat loves salt.' And I turned her out of the house, for I thought she didn't love me at all. And now I see she loved me best of all my daughters. And she may be dead now."
"No, Father, here she is," said Cap of Rushes. And she went up to him and put her arms round him.
And so they were all happy ever afterwards.
1 Cap of Rushes — Тростниковая шапка
2 at all — совсем; вообще
3 to wash the pots and scrape the saucepans — мыть горшки и чистить кастрюли
4 there was to be a great dance — должен был быть бал
5 He danced with no one but her,— Он танцевал только с ней.
6 You should have gone — Тебе следовало бы пойти
7 I should like to see her one day — Я хотела бы когда-нибудь увидеть ее
8 However — Однако
9 Well, I should really like to have seen her — А мне так хотелось увидеть ее
10 he had to keep his bed — он заболел
11 they said to the cook — приказали кухарке
12 I'll not do you any harm — я не сделаю тебе ничего плохого
13 there was to be a great wedding — должна была состояться пышная свадьба
14 It doesn't matter — Это не имеет значения
