Maiden in the Tower (French) There was once a gentleman and his wife. They had been married a long time, but they had no children, though they wished for many, and they were much concerned because they did not have any. So they were advised to make a pilgrimage in order to have some. They therefore went on a pilgrimage to a place far from home. On the journey back the woman became pregnant. As they drove along one of the roads they noticed a beautiful garden. This garden was filled with magnificent fruit. The wife said to the husband: "Oh, how I would like to eat some of that fruit and gather it myself."
The husband replied: "But if we should be seen!"
Then she said to him: "That would be too bad! Let me climb down and I will go and get some." She went into the garden, ate some of the fruit, and then loaded some more into her carriage. While she was busy with loading the last of the fruit a pretty little woman appeared and asked her why she had just stolen her fruit. Then the wife explained her situation and why she had decided to steal it. Then the good woman said to her: "As to the fact that you have stolen my fruit I shall say nothing to you; but I would like to be the godmother of your child. You are going to have a daughter."
She got back into the carriage and said to her husband: "I promised that good woman that she might be godmother, Yet this will never be."
Finally the day came when she was due to have her child. She had a daughter, as the good woman had said she would. They baptised the child, but nobody invited the good woman.
The good woman went to see her sisters. She had two sisters who were fairies. She said to them: "You know this woman who stole my fruit has had a child and did not make me godmother. She should be punished. The child must be stolen away."
She left with a big dog. When she arrived at the woman's door she rang, but no one was willing to open for her. Then she ordered her dog. He opened all the doors and went in to where the child was. she said to the dog: "Carry off this child for me! And you, madame, the next time you will keep your promises; but you will never see your child again."
So she left with the baby and reached home. Immediately all the fairies of the country assembled and she was made godmother to the child, whom she named Parsilette. She gave her as a gift the power of singing so that she would be heard for seven leagues in all directions. The others gave her all sorts of gifts so that she would be beautiful and have many charms. Then they gave her a nurse and they had her reared so that she had everything of the best. When she grew up she was so beautiful that all of the gentlemen who passed stopped to look at her. She sang so well that everybody gathered to hear her. Then the good woman, seeing this, said to her sisters: "It is absolutely necessary that we confine Parsilette in a tower, or someone will carry heroff."
She put her in a tower three leagues from the house where she was. In that tower she had everything that could be useful and agreeable to her, even including a parrot who talked with her. Then the godmother said to her: "Now when I come to bring anything to you I shall say: Parsilette, my dear, throw me your beautiful hair!" This was to open the door; it was the password.
There was a prince in the neighborhood, seven leagues away. From where he was he heard her singing. He said: "But who can it be that is singing so well as that? I must find out." Then he learned about the direction from which the singing came and asked whose voice it was. He was told that it was a princess who was confined in a tower. He said: "I must see her and talk to her."
When he was walking around the tower he noticed the good woman who brought her food. He heard her say: "Parsilette, throw me your beautiful hair!" He wrote this down so that he could remember the password and could use it himself.
As soon as the good woman had left he said: "Parsilette, my dear, throw me your beautiful hair!" The young woman believed that it was her godmother who had forgotten something and let him in. When she saw the young man enter she wanted to escape, but she didn't know how. When he saw her he became so deeply in love with her that he would not leave, and he told her that if she would follow him he would make her a queen. She was tired of the tower and of always being alone with the parrot and was very willing. She promised that she would go along with him, and they were to leave the next day.
The good woman came again to bring the dinner. When Parsilette saw her godmother enter she hid the young man behind the curtain. But the parrot kept saying: "Godmother, lover hidden there." Then the godmother said to the girl: "What is it the parrot is saying to me?" "Oh godmother, he only says what I teach him to say."
Since she suspected nothing the good woman left; and the other two also left. As she was leaving the good woman got to thinking about what the parrot had said to her, and she said to herself: "I believe the parrot has told me the truth and I must find out." She retraced her steps and when she came to the tower she called but no one answered. As she climbed to the top of the tower she saw Parsilette leaving on the arm of the young man.
She struck with her magic wand and the girl became as hideous as she had been beautiful, and all the gifts that had been given her disappeared. The young man did not know what to say when he saw her changed so much, and when she saw herself she said to him: "I cannot go any further because I see my godmother in all of her anger. I must go back to her and beg her pardon."
Just as she said this the young man fell dead, and she went back to her godmother and begged pardon. Then all her gifts returned to her and her godmother pardoned her. She remained with her godmother, but not in the tower.Later she married a rich prince, but she never did know her parents.
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