Dasent, Popular Tales from the Norse (3rd ed). Edinburgh, 1888. Pp. 357-374. (Translated from Messrs. Asbjornsen and Moe's Norske Folke-eventyr.)
"KATIE WOODENCLOAK."
ABSTRACT
Ill-treated heroine (by step-mother and step-sister) -- Menial heroine (herds cattle)--helpful animal (bull)--Ear cornucopia--Spy on heroine--Bull's flesh only cure for step-mother's feigned illness--Flight of heroine on bull--Bull carries heroine through copper, silver and gold-forests to castle. Heroine accidentally breaks off (1) copper leaf; (2) silver leaf, (3) gold apple, causing to appear trolls, (1) three-headed, (2) six-headed, (3) nine-headed, whom bull fights and kills. Ointment from horn in troll's belt cures bull's wounds-- bids heroine cut off his head, flay him, put copper and silver leaves, and gold apple in hide, lay it in rock, which will give what she wants when knocked with stick. Then go to pig-sty, don woodencloak of lath strips, call herself Katie Woodencloak, and take service as scullery-maid at castle-- Token object thrown, ([1] water, [2] towel, [3] comb)--Magic dresses--Meeting-place (church)--Threefold flight--(I) Prince secures heroine's glove--Pitch trap--Lost shoe (golden)--Shoe marriage test--Mutilated foot--False bride--Animal witness (bird)--Magic dress worn under husk--Happy marriage.
TABULATION
(1) Widowed king had lovely daughter; married widowed queen with ugly daughter.-- (2) In his absence at war, queen beat princess; made her herd cattle.-- (3) Dun bull bade her not weep, but take from his left ear a cloth, which served up food and wine. Queen set maid to watch how princess was fed.-- (4) On king's return, queen shammed illness ; paid doctor to say only bull's flesh would cure her.-- (5) Princess told bull ; they stole away together. King sent scouts in search, and gave notice in churches, hut in vain.-- (6) Princess rode on bull; they came to forest of copper trees and flowers, he bade her not touch these for fear of three-headed Troll owner. Princess tore off leaf by accident, when Troll appears; asks who touched his wood. He and bull fight; bull wins, but wounded; princess cures him with ointment from horn in Troll's belt.-- (7) They come to forest of silver trees; bull again warns her because of six-headed Troll. She knocks off leaf by accident; Troll appears, fights bull three days, and is killed. Princess cures bull's wounds as before.-- (8) They reach forest of gold trees; bull warns her against nine-headed Troll, but, despite her care, she broke off gold apple; Troll appears, fights bull for week, and is killed. Bull re three weeks; then he and princess travel to castle,-- (9) Bull bade her go to pigsty, put on wooden cloak made of lath strips, call herself Katie Woodencloak, and ask for place, first cutting off his head, flaying him, putting copper and silver leaves and golden apple in hide, then laying it in rock, which gives what she wants when knocked with stick-- (10) Princess grieves, but bull insists then, doing all this, she went to castle kitchen, and is made scullery-maid.-- (11) On Sunday she asked leave to carry water to prince's bath, but made such clatter he threw water over her. Then she asked leave to attend church strikes rock, man appears, brings her kirtle, horse, and saddle. At church prince fell in love with her, ran after her, got one of her gloves. Asked whence she came; "From Bath," she replied, galloping off -- (12) Next Sunday she got leave to carry a towel to prince; he called her names, and threw it at her. Then, as before, she went to rock, and was given kirtle of silver, and rode on noble steed to church. Folk wondered who she was; prince held horse, but no need, as horse did her bidding. Prince followed; he asked her whereabouts. "From Towel-land," said she, and galloped away.-- (13) Next Sunday she had leave to take prince a comb, but she looked so ugly, he threw it at her. Then she went as before, and rode to church finer than ever.-- (14) Prince had pitch poured in porch, so as to need him to help her over it; she put foot down, left golden shoe in pitch. Prince followed; she told him she came from Comb-land, and galloped out of sight.-- (15) Prince gave notice he would wed woman whom gold shoe fitted. Many vainly tried, till queen brought ugly step-daughter, whom shoe fitted; prince, surely vexed, kept his word.-- (16) As they rode to church a bird sang:
"A bit off her heel,
And a bit off her toe;
Katie Woodencloak's tiny shoe
Is full of blood-- that's all I know;"
and it was so.-- (17) Then palace maids tried shoe in vain; prince asked for Katie Woodencloak, who, amidst mockings, fitted on the shoe; then doffed her wooden cloak, showed her golden kirtle and the fellow to the golden shoe. Prince glad; gladder to hear she was a king's daughter, and married her.
