Latest / Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry / 041 - The Haughty Princess - The Enchantment of Gearoidh Iarla

Transcript

041 - The Haughty Princess - The Enchantment of Gearoidh Iarla · Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section full tee of fairy and Folktales of Irish Peasantry.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Kyle B. Jones, March
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: twentieth two, Thy sixteen. Fairy and Folktales the Irish Peasantry,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: edited and selected by W. B. Yeats. Section thirty six.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: The Haughty Princess by Patrick Kennedy. There was once a
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: very worthy king whose daughter was the greatest beauty that
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: could be seen far or near. But she was as
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: proud as Lucifer. No king or prince which she agreed
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: to marry. Her father was tired out at last and
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: invited every king and prince and duke and earl that
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: he knew or didn't know to come to his court
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: to give her one trial more. They all came, and
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: next day, after breakfast, they stood in a row in
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: the lawn, and the princess walked along in front of
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: them to make her choice. One was fat and says she,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: I won't have you beer Beryl. One was tall and thin,
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: and to him she said, I won't have you ramrod.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: To a white faced man, she said, I won't have
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: you pale death. And to a red cheeked man, she said,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: I won't have you coxcomb. She stopped a little before
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: the last of all, for he was a fine man
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: in face and form. She wanted to find some defect
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: in him, but he had nothing remarkable but a ring
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: of brown curling hair under his chin. She admired him
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: a little, and then carried it off with I won't
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: have you whiskers. So all went away, and the King
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: was so vexed he said to her, now, to punish
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: your impudence, I'll give you the first beggar man or
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: singing strong such that calls, and sure as all the
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: hearth money. A fellow all over rags and hair that
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: came to his shoulders, and a bushy red beard all
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: over his face came next morning and began to sing
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: before the parlor window. When the song was over, the
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: hall doors opened. The singer asked in the priest brought,
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: and the prince is married to beardy. She roared, and
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: she bawled, but her father didn't mind her. There, says
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: he to the bridegroom. It's five guineas for you take
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: your wife out of my sight, and never let me
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: lay eyes on you or her again. Off he led
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: her in dismal enough, she was the only thing that
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: gave her relief was the tones of her husband's voice
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: and the genteel manners. Who's what is this? Said she,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: as they were going through one. It belongs to the
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: king you called whiskers yesterday. It gave her the same
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: answer about meadows and cornfields and at last a fine city. Ah,
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: what a fool I was, said she to herself. He
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: was a fine man, and might have had him for
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: a husband. At last they were coming up to a
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: poor cabin. Why are you bringing me here, says the
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: poor lady. This was my house, said he, and now
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: it is yours. She began to cry, but she was
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: tired and hungry, and she went in with him. Ah wach.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: There was neither a table laid out, nor fire burning,
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: and she was obliged to help her husband to light
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: it and boil their dinner, and clean up the place after.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: And next day he made her put on a stuff
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: gown and a cotton handkerchief. When she had her house
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: ready up and no business to keep her employed, he
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: brought home salies peeled them and showed her how to
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: make baskets, but the hard twigs bruised her delicate fingers,
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: and she began to cry well. Then he asked her
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: to mend their clothes, but the needle drew blood from
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: her fingers, and she cried again. He couldn't bear to
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: see her in tears, so he bought her a creole
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: of earthenware and sent her to market to sell them.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: This was the hardest trial of all, but she looked
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: so handsome and sorrowful, and had such a nice air
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: about her that all her pans and jugs, and plates
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: and dishes were gone before noon. And the only mark
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: of her old pride she showed was a slap she
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: gave to a bucking across the face when he axed
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: her to go in and take share of her court. Well.
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: Her husband was so glad he sent her with another
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: creole the next day, but faith her luck was after
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: deserting her, a drunken huntsman came up riding, and its
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: beast got in among her ware and made breschet of
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: every mother's son of em. She went home crying, and
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: her husband wasn't at all pleased. I see, said he
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: you're not fit for business. Come along, I'll get you
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: a kitchen maid's place in the palace. I know the cook.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: So the poor thing was obliged to stifle her pride
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: once more. She was kept very busy, and the footman
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: and the butler would be very impudent about looking for
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: a kiss. She let a screech out of her. The
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: first attempt was made, and the cook gave the fellow
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: such a lambasting with the bessum that he made no
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: second offer. She went home to her husband every night,
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: and she carried broken victuals wrapped in papers in her
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: side pockets. A week after she got service, there was
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: a great bustle in the kitchen. The king was going
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: to be married, but no one knew who the bride
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: was to be. Well, in the evening, the cook filled
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: the princess's pockets with cold meat and puddings, and says, she,
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: before you go, let us have a look at the
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: great doings in the big parlor. So they came near
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: to the door to get a peep. And who should
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: come out but the King himself, as handsome as you please,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: and no other but King whiskers himself your handsome helper
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: must pay for her peeping, said he to the cook,
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: and dance a jig with me. Whether she would or no,
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: He held her hand and brought her into the parlor.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: The fiddlers struck up, and away went him with her.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: But they hadn't danced two steps when the meat and
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: the puddings fell out of her pockets. Everyone roared out
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: as she flew to the door, crying piteously. But she
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: was soon caught by the King, and take it into
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: the back parlor. Don't you know me, my darling, said he.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: I'm both King Whiskers, your husband, the ballad singer, and
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: the drunken huntsman. Your father knew me well enough when
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: he gave you to me, and all was to drive
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: your pride out of you. Well, she didn't know how
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: she was with fright and shame and joy. Love was uppermost, anyhow,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: for she laid her head on her husband's breast and
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: cried like a child. The maids of honor soon had
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: her away and dressed her as fine as hands and
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: pins could do it. And there were her mother and
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: father too, And while the company were wondering what end
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: of the handsome girl and the king, he and his
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: queen who they didn't know, on their fine clothes, and
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: the other king and queen king men, and such rejoicings
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: and fine doings as there was none of us will
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: ever see anyway. The Enchantment of Geared odd Erla by
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: Patrick Kennedy. In old times in Ireland there was a
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: great man of the FitzGeralds. The name on him was Gerald,
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: but the Irish that always had a great liking of
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: the family called him Geed odd Irla. He had a
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: great castle in Roth at Malgamost, and whenever the English
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: government were striving to put some wrong on the country,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: he was always the man that stood up for it.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Along with being a great leader in a fight and
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: a very skillful at all weapons, he was deep in
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: the black art and could change himself into whatever shape
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: he pleased. His lady knew that he had this power,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: and often asked him to let her in some of
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: his secrets, but he never would gratify her. She wanted,
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: particularly to see him in some strange shape, but he
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: put her off and off on one pretense or the other.
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: But she wouldn't be a woman if she hadn't perseverance,
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: and so at last, he let her know that if
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: she took the least fright while he'd be out of
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: his natural form, he would never recover it till many
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: generations of men would be under the mold. Oh, she
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: wouldn't be a fit wife for guidard Irla if she
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: could be easily frightened. Let him but gratify her in
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: his whim, and he'd see what a hero she was.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: So one beautiful summer evening, as they were sitting in
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: their grand drawing room, he turned his face away from
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: her and muttered some words, And why you'd wink he
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: was clever and clean out of sight, and a lovely
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: goldfinch was flying about the room. The lady, as courageous
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: as she thought herself, was a little startled, but she
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: held her own pretty well, especially when he came and
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: perched on her shoulder, and shook his wings and put
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: his little beak to her lips and whistled the delightfullest
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: tune you ever heard. Well, he flew in circles round
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: the room and played hide and go seek with his lady,
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: and flew out into the garden and flew back in
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: and lay down her lap as if he was asleep,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: and jumped up again. Well. When the thing had lasted
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: long enough to satisfy both, he took one flight more
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: into the open air, but by my word, he was
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: soon on his return. He flew right into his lady's bosom,
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: and the next moment a fierce hawk was after him.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: The wife gave one loud scream, though there was no
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: need for. The wild bird came in like an arrow
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: and struck against table with such force that the life
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: was dashed out of him. She turned her eyes from
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: his quivering body to where she saw the Goldfinch an
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: instant before, But neither Goldfinch nor Earl Gerald did she
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: ever lay eyes on again. Once every seven years, the
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: Earl rides through the Kodog of Kildare on a steed
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: whose silver shoes were half an inch thick the time
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: he disappeared, And when these shoes are worn as thin
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: as a cat's ear, he will be restored to the
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: society of living men. Fight a great battle with the
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: English and ring King of Ireland for two score years.
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: Himself and his warriors are now sleeping in a long
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: cavern under the wroth Mulogamast. There is a table running
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: along through the middle of the cave. The Earl is
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: sitting at the head, and his troopers down along in
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: complete armor, both sides of the table, and their heads
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: resting on it. Their horses, saddled and bridled, are stead
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: behind their masters, and their stalls at each side. And
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: when the day comes, the miller's son that's to be born,
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: with six fingers on each hand, will blow his trumpet,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: and the horses will stamp and winny, and the knights
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: awake and mount their steeds and go forth to battle
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: some night that happens once in every seven years. While
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: the Earl is riding through the kudog, the entrance may
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: be seen by anyone chancing to pass by. About one
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: hundred years ago, a horse dealer that was laid abroad
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: and a little drunk, saw the lighted cavern and went in.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: The lights and the stillness and the sight of the
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: men in armor cowed him a good deal, and he
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: became sober. His hands began to tremble, and he let
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: a bridle fall on the pavement. The sound of the
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: bit echoed the the long cave, and one of the
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: warriors that was next to him lifted his head ala
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: little and said, in a deep, hoarse voice, is it
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: time yet? He had the wit to say, not yet,
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: but soon will, and the heavy helmet sunk down on
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: the table. The horse dealer made the best of his
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: way out, and I never heard of any other one
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: having got the same opportunity. End of section forty. Recording
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: by Kyle B. Jones