52. Golden Apple and the Cinder-Girl, The [El Pumo de Uoro e la Concacienara]

Ive, Dr. Antonio, Saggi di Dialetto Rovignesi. Trieste, 1888. Pp. 54-58. (Narrated by Maria Puschia, aged twenty-one.)

"EL PUMO DE UORO E LA CONCACIENARA" 
(The Golden Apple and the Cinder-girl).

ABSTRACT

Ill-treated heroine (by mother and elder sister)--Hearth abode--Tasks, spinning--Task-performing animal (goat)-- Sister spies--Slaying of helpful animal--Heroine washes en trails of goat; finds golden apple--Magic dresses (from apple tree)--Meeting-place (ball)--Threefold flight--Lost shoe--Shoe [marriage] test--Mutilated foot-- Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) A woman has two daughters; is indulgent to the elder, but ill-treats the younger, who must stay always by the fire, and is called Conçaçienara. One day mother and elder daughter go out.-- (2) Mother gives heroine two pounds of wool to spin, saying she will be beaten if it is not done. Heroine goes to goat in the stable, and says she is in despair, for mother has given her two pounds of wool to spin, and she knows not how. "Don't despair," says the goat; "put it on my horns. I will spin it for you." Heroine takes the spun wool to her mother, who next day gives her three pounds. Goat again spins wool, and heroine takes it home rejoicing. "Just look, mother I have spun this too." But sister says, "Don't believe her, mother; it was the goat that spun it."-- (3) Mother is very angry, and resolves to kill the goat. Heroine goes to tell it. "Let her kill me. You take my entrails (treipa) and wash them by the sea-shore. A golden apple will fall out. Put it in your pocket and go home." Goat is slain, and heroine does as bidden. Sister tells mother that she has seen heroine wash the entrails and put the apple in her pocket. The apple is thrown on to the dust-heap.-- (4) In the evening mother and elder sister go to the theatre, telling heroine to bide at home and tend fire. When they have started, gaily dressed, heroine goes to the apple and says:

"Apple-tree, beautiful apple-tree, [1]
Despoil your branches now for me;
Make me a lady fair to see;
Dress me as splendidly as can be."

And out of the apple springs the most lovely dress. She dons it and goes to the theatre; mother does not recognise her. Everyone wants to dance with her, because she is so lovely. When the dance is over she slips away unnoticed. One of the gentlemen runs after her, but cannot catch her. She goes to the apple and says:

"Apple-tree, beautiful apple-tree,
Despoil the lady fair to see;
Deck your branches instead of me,"

and is dressed as she was before. Mother returns, and talks about the lovely lady with whom all wanted to dance. Heroine remarks, "Perhaps I was there myself," and is taunted with being always by the fire instead.-- (5) Next evening all happens as before. Heroine says to apple:

"Apple-tree, beautiful apple-tree,
Despoil your branches now for me;
Make me a lady fair to see;
Fairer than yesterday let me be,"

and a still finer dress springs out. Sister calls mother's attention to lovely lady at ball. As soon as the dance is finished heroine runs away. Gentleman runs behind her, but drops his stick; whilst he stoops to pick it up she rushes home and says same words to apple. Mother returns, and talks of the lovely lady, who looked still more beautiful than formerly, and again taunts heroine with having seen nothing. Heroine says, "Perhaps I was there myself."-- (6) Next night everything the same. Heroine says same verse as on first night, and gets the most splendid dress of all. She leaves directly dance is finished, and, in her haste to escape gentleman who follows her, she drops a shoe as she runs downstairs. She says same words to apple, and is clad as before, and sits by fire. Mother returns with same taunt.-- (7) Meanwhile, the gentleman who picked up shoe goes about crying, "Who has lost a shoe?" Elder sister goes to balcony to see who calls, and, on being asked, tells gentleman she has lost shoe. She tries to get it on, but it is too small. "Wait, whilst I go and put on my thin stockings," she says; but, instead of doing so, she chops off her toes. Still the shoe does not fit. Gentleman asks if she has not a sister, and she says No.-- (8) But he goes inside and finds her, and says, "Lady, have you lost a shoe?" Heroine puts it on, and it fits her perfectly, whereat sister is very angry. He says he will marry heroine. She goes to apple and says same verse as at first, and is made more splendid than on any former occasion, but is without one shoe. She returns to the house, and sister exclaims at her loveliness. Gentleman gives her the shoe; she puts it on, and he takes her to his palace.