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251

Sebillot, Paul, Contes populaires de la Haute-Bretagne. Paris, 1880. Story No. XXVII, pp. 174-179. (Told by Rose Renaud of Saint-Cast in 1879. She heard it from her mother, who died in 1829.)

"CESARINE."

ABSTRACT

Ill-treated heroine (by mother dresses and jewels from father--(Heroine flight). She leaves home because parents dispute about her--Heroine disguise (as peasant)--Menial heroine (goose and turkey herd)--Heroine dons fine dresses whilst pasturing flock; geese and turkeys sing in admiration. Prince spies-- Heroine discovered--Prince sees engraved on her necklet names of her father the King of Castille, and of her lover, his friend-- He sets out to find friend, who cannot wed heroine; obtains Consent to woo her; returns and finds her ill and neglected in her hut. His mother only convinced she is princess at sight of jewels--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) King of Castille has daughter named Césarine. Queen does not love her, because she nearly died at her birth; but father loves daughter, and often reproves mother for ill-treating her.-- (2) Daughter determines to leave home rather than cause disputes between parents. She takes with her a casket of jewels and three dresses--like the sun, the moon, and the air--given by father.-- (3) She goes far away, and, being clad like a peasant, is engaged as goose- and turkey-herd at castle, and every day drives flock into the fields. She builds a little shed of branches as shelter from the sun, and keeps her dresses and jewels in it.-- (4) Being out of sight in this retired spot, she takes off her rough clothes and dons her fine dresses. Seeing her thus clad, the geese and turkeys cry:

"Cloak, cloak, cloak, cloak,
(Casaque, saque, saqzie, saque),
Haven't we got a pretty herd!"

(5) One day, prince, who lives with mother at castle, says geese and turkeys have taken to talking since they had new herd. They say he has been dreaming. But next day he goes to place where they are pastured, and hides. He sees a lovely lady step from the shed, and the flock sing as before, he determines to follow her closely on the morrow and see whether it really is the turkey-girl who dresses so finely.-- (6) He does so, and she appears in dress like the air. Then he slips into shed and sees turkey-herd's clothes on the ground. He goes forward to meet her, and asks if she is Césarine. She confesses it reluctantly, and the geese and turkeys speak as before. He asks who gave her the lovely dresses, and she is silent and blushes. Presently she says her father gave them; and finally confesses who her father is, and why she left home, and that she has also some lovely jewels. But she will not show these to-day he is to come on the morrow.-- (7) Then she gives him key to open casket, and he is amazed at sight of the jewels. Amongst them is a gold necklet on which is engraved name of her father and of her lover, who is an intimate friend of the prince. He determines to go to Castille, and sets out in two days for the town where dwells Césarine's father, he finds his friend, who is ambassador, and tells him about heroine. Ambassador says he loves Césarine, but cannot wed her. Then prince confides to him that he loves her himself and he seeks king's consent to marry her.-- (8) This obtained, he returns to his own castle, bearing jewels and money for heroine, whom he finds ill in bed in her shed. For two days no one has brought her food. He comforts her, and carries her to the castle to be taken care of. Then he tells his mother that he intends to marry the turkey-herd, who is really daughter of the King of Castille. Mother thinks she is deceiving him, till the coffers of gold and jewels arrive.-- (9) Césarine gets well and marries the prince.

Cox, Marian Roalfe. Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap O' Rushes, abstracted and tabulated. London: David Nutt for the Folklore Society, 1893.

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