University of Virginia Library

XXIX.—THE SNAKE AND THE PRINCESS.

There was an emperor and empress who had three
daughters. The emperor fell ill, and sent his eldest
daughter for water. She went to fetch it, when a snake
said: `Come! will you marry me?' The princess replied:
`No, I won't.' `Then,' said he, `I won't give you any
water.' Then the second daughter said: `I'll go; he'll give
me some.' She went; the snake said to her: `Come! will
you marry me?' `No,' she said, `I won't.' He gave her
no water. She returned and said: `He gave me no water.
He said: "If you will marry me I will give it." ' The
youngest said: `I will go; he will give me some.' She
went, and the snake said to her: `Come! will you marry
me?' `I will,' she said. Then he drew her water from the
very bottom, cold and fresh. She brought it home, gave it
her father to drink, and her father recovered. Then on
Sunday a carriage came, and those with it said:

She was terrified, wept, and went and opened the door.
Then they said again:
Then they came into the house and placed the snake in a
plate on the table. There he lay, just as if he were of gold!
They went out of the house, and said:
They drove off with her to the snake's abode. There they
lived, and had a daughter born to them. They also took a
godmother to live with them, but she was a wicked woman.
The child soon died, and the mother died soon after it.
The godmother went in the night to the place where she
was buried, and cut off her hands. Then she came home,
and heated water-gruel, scalded the hands, and took off the
gold rings. Then the princess—such was the ordinance of
God—came to her for the hands, and said:
The godmother concealed herself under the stove. She
said again:
The next day they came and found the godmother dead
under the stove. They didn't give her proper burial, but
threw her into a hole.