7 The Shepherdess (France)

Once upon a time there lived a king who had two daughters.When they grew up, he made up his mind he would give his kingdom to whichever best proved her devotion. So he called the elder princess and said to her: “How much do you love me?”“As the apple of my eye!”answered she. “Ah,”exclaimed the king,“you are indeed a good daughter.”Then he sent for the younger and asked her how much she loved him. “I look upon you, my Father,”she answered, “as I look upon salt in my food.”The king did not like her words and ordered her to quit the court and never again appear before him.

The poor princess sadly left the castle where she was born, carrying her jewels and her best dresses in a bundle.As she was afraid no housewife would want to engage a girl with such a pretty face, she determined to make herself as ugly as she could. She therefore put on some clothes belonging to a beggar. After that she smeared ashes over her hands and face and shook her hair into a great tangle. Having thus changed her appearance, she went about offering herself as a goosegirl or shepherdess. After walking for many days,she came to a large farm where they were in want of a shepherdess and engaged her gladly.

One day, when she was keeping her sheep in a lonely tract of land, she washed herself carefully in the stream, and as she always carried her bundle with her, it was easy to shake off her rags and transform herself into a great lady.The king’s son, who had lost his way out hunting, perceived this lovely damsel a long way off. As soon as the girl saw him she fled into the wood. The prince ran after her, but as he was running he caught his foot in the root of a tree and fell. When he was up again, she was nowhere to be seen.When she was quite safe, she put on her rags again and smeared her face and hands. However, the young prince found his way to the farm to ask for a drink of cider, and he inquired the name of the beautiful lady who kept the sheep. At this everyone began to laugh, for they said the shepherdess was one of the ugliest creatures under the sun.

But the king’s son thought often of the lovely maiden he had seen only for a moment. At last he dreamed of nothing else, and grew thinner day by day, till his parents inquired what was the matter. He dared not tell them, so he only said he would like some bread baked by the shepherdess at the distant farm. They hastened to fulfill it. The girl merely asked for some flour, salt and water, and also that she might be left alone in a little room adjoining the oven, where the kneading trough stood. Before beginning her work she washed herself carefully and even put on her rings. While she was baking,one of her rings slid into the dough. When she had finished she again made herself as ugly as before.

The loaf was brought to the king’s son. But in cutting it he found the ring of the princess and declared to his parents he would marry the girl whom the ring fitted. So the king made a proclamation through his whole kingdom, and ladies came from afar to lay claim to the honor. But the ring was so tiny that even those who had the smallest hands could only get it on their little fingers. In a short time all the maidens of the kingdom had tried on the ring. The prince observed he had not yet seen the shepherdess. They sent for her, and she arrived covered with rags, but with her hands clean and she easily slipped on the ring.

The king’s son declared he would fulfill his promise.When his parents mildly remarked that the girl was only a keeper of sheep, and a very ugly one too, the maiden boldly said that she was born a princess and asked to be given some water and leave her for a few minutes. They did what she asked, and when she entered in a magnificent dress, the king’s son recognized the charming damsel of whom he had once caught a glimpse and, flinging himself at her feet, asked if she would marry him. The princess then told her story and said it would be necessary to send an ambassador to her father to ask his consent and invite him to the wedding.

The princess’ father, who had never ceased to repent his harshness toward his daughter, had sought her through the land. Therefore it was with great joy he heard she was living and that a king’s son asked her in marriage. He quitted his kingdom to be present at the ceremony.

By orders of the bride, at the wedding breakfast they served her father bread without salt and meat without seasoning. Seeing him make faces and eat very little, his daughter, who sat beside him, inquired if his dinner was not to his taste. “No,”he replied, “the dishes are carefully cooked and sent up, but they are all so tasteless.”“Did not I tell you,my Father, that salt was the best thing in life?”

—Paul Sébillot