THE TWO GIRLS
Source
“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 using the flaxseeds, and who was listening at 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, her stepmother said to him:
“You are really stupid. You haven't taken your daughter far enough yet. Take her back to the woods tomorrow, and make sure she doesn't come back."
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 grains of millet, which 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 millet seeds, and went back to bed.
The next morning his father came into the room and said:
“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 sowed the grains of millet 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.
But when the pretty girl wanted to find her way back, using the grains of millet, it turned out that they had been eaten by magpies.
The poor thing walked, a long, long, long time through the woods, to a castle as big as the town of Agen.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Who is here?"
"I am a poor girl, who has lost her way, and who asks for supper and lodging."
The lady of the castle sent the pretty girl to supper in the kitchen, with the valets and maids, and ordered that she be given a good bed. The next morning she called her into her room and opened the door to a closet which was full of dresses.
“Pretty girl, take off your clothes and choose the clothes you want."
The pretty girl chooses the ugliest dress. Then the lady of the castle forced her to take the most beautiful one and put it on immediately. Then she opened a large chest, full of gold, silver, and copper coins, and full of jewelry of all kinds.
“Pretty girl, take whatever you want from this chest."
The pretty girl only took two farthings and a copper ring. Then the lady of the castle loaded her with quadruples, rings, chains, and gold pendants, and led her to the stable.
“Pretty girl, take whatever beast you want, with the bridle and the saddle."
But the pretty girl only took a donkey, a rope halter, and a bad blanket. Then the lady of the castle forced her to take the most beautiful horse, the most beautiful bridle, and the most beautiful saddle.
Source: Les Deux Filles, from the French book Contes populaires de la Gascogne, tome 2, published in 1886
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.
Three times, the father tried to lose his beautiful girl, and he succeeded only the third time.
As she was lost, the beautiful girl asked for help and got it from a wealthy woman. But she tried to not take the best things from what she was offered.
Yesterday, the two children, their parents, and Kati went to a swimming pool for 2 hours, while I stayed at home. I don't like to be in the water for more than 5 minutes, even when the water is warm. It is strange for a retired Navy officer to not like water!
In the afternoon, we all went to the same park again, and the children liked it very much.
The temperature was only 1°C, but the children did not mind. You can see in the picture below that they are enjoying themselves.
When we decided to go back home, the two boys wanted to continue to play!
This afternoon, we will fly back to Vancouver and return to our apartment in Coquitlam that we have left 6 months ago.
-- Vincent Celier
The pretty girl's father isn't a wise man. I am just wondering the type of father that will adhere to his wife's instruction of going to dump his only daughter in the forest. The surprising part of it is that he is the man of the house, who is supposed to give orders in the house, yet he could not even talk, even for the fact that he was not happy with his wife's idea, he was still obeying her.
Well, I was happy about the fact that she was unable to find her way back to the house because of the magpies that ate all the grains she sowed while she and her father were going into the forest. It helped her to be able to meet the lady of the castle who took good care of her.
I just can't wait to know what happens next.
The weather was that cold and the children went with their parents to a swimming pool. I have never heard of a Naval officer who doesn't like water. I guess this is my first time.
It is sad that the father tried to lose his daughter, but at least the girl was able to find help when she was lost. Sometimes it's hard to accept help from others, but it's important to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities that come our way. I wonder how the story will develop from here.
I hope all goes well for the beautiful little girl from Gascony!
!HUG
I sent 1.0 HUG
(3/3)Dear @vcelier, you just got hugged. on behalf of @edgerik.
Once again the foolish father displays irresponsibility by following the foolish demands of his wicked wife. The poor little girl is in danger but Providence is on her side. It was Providence that led her to the house of the rich and kind woman who takes good care of her and loads her with gifts. It seems the rich kind woman will also play a part in helping the girl escape the danger she faces at the house of her wicked stepmother. Also it's clear justice will at last catch up with the wicked stepmother and by the look of things the rich kind woman will play a part in that too.
Thanks for sharing this intriguing tale, @vcelier.
It looks the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves today at the pool. I'm sure while you stayed at home you did something worthwhile but maybe it would have been more refreshing if you had gone out with them. It' always refreshing to play with enthusiastic, energetic kids as they are. I somehow understand your phobia of water. I remember a US marine named David Googins saying the same thing but he was able to get used to water. Maybe you will too.
Thanks and God bless.
Haha! I am very sure the wicked stepmother would just want to strangle the pretty girl when she returned the second time. For the third time again the she ordered her husband and he obeyed. She never gets tired, does she? I can't believe that man was so vulnerable under his wife. I guess she must have cast a spell on him to make him obey her. But the poor girl was unfortunate this time around, she could not find her way home. I am pretty sure her wicked stepmother must have celebrated her evil victory.
Well, thank God that the millet were eaten by magpies if not, she would have returned back to that wicked house. I am glad she missed her way to the wealthy woman's castle. I guess the universe had it all planned out for her. I believe the wealthy woman will definitely transform her life with the things she is gifting her with. I just hope she should be able to find her way home after that and I can't wait to see her stepmother's reaction when she finally see her.
This shows us that some sufferings are just meant to lead us to a better life.
It's a good thing you and kati took the Kids out to have fun. Sometimes I imagine the kind of energy they have, they never gets tired of playing.
The father is trying to be sympathetic towards his pretty daughter but that's not enough, he would have stood as the man he is, to stop the nonsense his wife is trying to do. It's a girl's life at stake for Christ sakes. Well I'm glad that though the girl got lost, she was able to meet a rich woman who helped her out and she also showed her modest she was, she didn't take the big things but rather went for the lowliest. This must have won the heart of the wealthy woman.
I know things will work out well for her.
A Navy officer afraid Of water? No way! I think you just didn't want to catch a cold.
Six months is quite a long time to be away from home but I'm sure you must've had a good time all the while. I wish you a safe trip back home.
The story as always, a man who is afraid of his wife, then they say they are the weaker sex, and it turns out they will always be very intelligent too even though they say that, and right in that intelligence that turns into manipulation, I can't believe that as a father he would do that what he did to the daughter on his wife's orders, well what can I say that happens in real life too.
It is very comforting to be able to see the children enjoy themselves and to see how they play with each other, I know you had a great time, and I am sure you also laughed a lot at the children's witticisms.
I just came across this post and I'm actually so impressed with your translation of French folktales for the reading pleasure of English speakers.
I can see that the pretty girl has a very wicked stepmother who wants her out of the way by all means and wanted to use her father to perpetrate such evil. I'm glad that the pretty girl was sensible but ran out of luck when the magpies ate the millets. But luck still shone on her when she was taken in by the wealthy woman. I believe that so many goodies will come her way through the same source.
It's a good thing the children had lots of fun, they can never tire of it.
You heading back to Vancouver after a six month absence? May your journey be safe.
From the story of today, we also get this lesson, the way we see that even if the father marries a second time, he should behave with the first children in the same way as he did before. It is more sad that he has thrown the children of the first wife out of the house and is doing injustice to the second wife out of fear. The house can never run well with such a woman. You will see inside that this woman is going to be humiliated a lot because the one who is doing this to the children are innocent girls and throws them out of the house and the most guilty is their father who he does not have enough strength inside to handle his second wife.
When we go to such a place with children, the children are very happy and have a lot of fun, and we are also very happy to see them.
This is getting more interesting!!!
Like I said earlier,her father isn’t a good man and I wonder why a man will send away his own child because of his wife.
I’m sure her step mother is going to regret her actions.
No matter what this pretty girl does to make sure she gets back home,everything will end up in vain.
But luckily for her,she met herself in a wealthy home and I’m sure things will go well for her.
Let’s wait and see the outcome of the pretty girl and also the outcome of her father and his wife
Thanks for sharing.
The woman is just so wicked. I always wonder why some people do not ever want to see their stepchildren around them just like the pretty girl’s stepmother. Things like this are unfair but I have to give kudos to the godmother of the pretty girl. She really tried her best in making sure that the pretty girl does not go lost but I knew a day like that will come.
I knew a day will come when the pretty girl won’t be able to find her way home and I was thinking that it would be bad for her but it was just as if the stepmother pushed the pretty girl to her place of fortune. I said that because the pretty girl later landed in a very big castle and she met a nice lady who is giving her all she needs.
Don’t we think it is possible for her to make the pretty girl very rich someday? Anything can happen, right? but let’s see how it goes. I love how the story is going
This part of the story is about loss and kindness in which a poor man, coerced by his wife's cruelty, attempts to abandon his daughter in the woods twice, yet with the help of her godmother's guidance, she not only returns safely but is showered with riches and blessings by a generous lady in a castle. As in life, unexpected good things can happen, need just to walk your path with dignity.
Hi I just found your posts. I think it is wonderful that you are translating French folk tales and sharing them here. This is my first story, and I already find it interesting. It also makes me think of parallels to other folk/fairy tales that I know and find the similarities. I look forward to the next part.
#hive #posh
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Happy cakeday btw!
This tale is likely going to be didactic with the moral embedded. The father of the pretty daughter has decided to lose his daughter due the what the stepmother has told him. He tried to lose the daughter on three different occasions but it wasn't on the third attempt that he succeeded.
The pretty daughter is lucky to come across a wealthy woman who decides to help her out by giving her all that she didn't even ask for.
I guess you didn't want the water to bring back some old memories of the day when you were in the Navy. Glad you were able to go out with your family later. I'm sure you enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Everything worketh for good. The pretty girl's father and step mother thought to get rid of her three times now and it has proved abortive. Now where they sought to destroy the pretty girl, the Good Lord granted her favour. When the father thought he had left for death, she was able to seek for shelter in the house of a very wealthy woman. I'm believe that by the time she got home with all those gifts, her stepmom and father would marvel at how fortunate she is. Or maybe they would still make grander plans to hurt her but I know she would scale through.
Katie and her children really had a great day but it's okay that you couldn't go with them this time. I know you needed to rest for the journey ahead of you. I wish you journey mercies to your home.