THE TWO GIRLS
There was, once, a man and a woman who had a pretty daughter, as pretty as the day. The woman died, and the man remarried a woman who gave birth to an ugly daughter, ugly as sin.
When the two girls were grown up, the stepmother, who could not smell the pretty girl, and who thrashed her twenty times a day, said to her man:
“Take your daughter, and go make her lose."
The man felt sorry for the pretty girl. But he was afraid of his wife, and he replied:
“Woman, I will do what you want."
But the pretty girl, who was hidden behind the door, had heard everything. Immediately, she ran to tell her godmother.
“Goddaughter,” said the godmother, “fill your pockets with ashes, which you will sow along your path. By this means you will return home."
The pretty girl galloped back to her father and filled her pockets with ashes. She had barely finished when her father said to her:
“My poor girl, let’s go look for mushrooms in the woods.”
The two therefore left for the woods. But the father didn't have the heart to look for mushrooms. As she walked, the pretty girl scattered the ashes she had in her pockets along her path, as her godmother had told her. Finally, the father threw himself into a thicket, without being seen, left the pretty girl alone, and returned to his house at the onset of night.
“Well, my man, have you lost your daughter?"
"It's done."
"Well, my man, for your trouble, you will eat a plate of corn porridge with us."
While eating the porridge, the man thought of the pretty girl, whom he had abandoned all alone in the woods, and said:
“Ah! If the poor thing were here, she would also eat her portion of porridge."
“I am here, Father,” replied the pretty girl, who had found her way by means of the ashes, and who was listening behind the door.
The father was very happy to see the pretty girl returned, and eating her portion of porridge with a good appetite. But when she had gone to bed with her sister, the stepmother said to her husband:
“You are stupid. You didn't lead your daughter far enough. Take her back to the woods tomorrow and make sure she doesn't come back again."
The man felt sorry for the pretty girl. But he was afraid of his wife, and he replied:
“Woman, I will do what you want."
But the pretty girl, who had gotten up from her bed and was listening, hidden behind the door, had heard everything. Immediately, she ran to tell her godmother.
“Goddaughter,” said the godmother, “fill your pockets with flax seeds that you will sow along your path. By this means you will return home."
The pretty girl galloped back to her father, filled her pockets with flax seeds, and went back to bed.
The next morning his father came into the room and said:
"My poor girl, let’s go look for mushrooms in the woods."
Both of them therefore left for the bowls. But the father didn't have the heart to look for mushrooms. As she walked, the pretty girl sowed the flax seeds she had in her pockets, as her godmother had told her. Finally, the father threw himself into a thicket, without being seen, left the pretty girl alone, and returned to his house at the onset of night.
Source: Les Deux Filles, from the French book Contes populaires de la Gascogne, tome 2, published in 1886
Previous Tale: The Ship Walking on Land
Hello, my name is Vincent Celier.
I am writing translations of folk tales that I found in public domain French books, so that people who do not understand French may enjoy them too.
Yet another evil stepmother with an ugly daughter.
And a weak father who is extremely afraid of his second wife to the point that he is willing to lose his daughter in the forest. Didn't he realize that she could die?
But the first daughter is clever and her godmother gives her great advice.
Yesterday afternoon, we went with Kati's two grandchildren to an indoor playground called "The Tree House" in North Calgary.
We spent one hour and a half there, while their parents went somewhere else.
Kati stayed the whole time in the Toddler Zone with Oliver who is two years old.
Adam, who is four years old played there too for half the time.
Oliver is enjoying the slide!
I was in charge of Adam. It was easy when he was in the Toddler Zone, but he also took me to many places, difficult to access by grown-ups. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures.
I was a little tired following Adam. The children had a great time and everybody was happy when the parents came back to return home.
-- Vincent Celier