Revue Celtique, t. iii; reprinted in Folk-Lore, Sept. 1890,i, p. 289-91.) Told by Miss Margaret Craig, of Darliston, Elgin.-- Dialect of Morayshire.)
"RASHIN COATIE."
ABSTRACT
Calf given by dying mother--Ill-treated heroine (by step mother and three step-sisters); clad in rashin-coatie-- Hearth abode--Helpful animal--Slaying of helpful animal-- Revivifled bones--Help at grave (of animal). Dinner cooked by calf (=h. an.)--Magic dresses--Meeting-place (church)--Three fold flight--Lost shoe--Shoe marriage test--Mutilated feet (henwife's daughter's)--False bride--Animal witness (birds)-- Happy marriage.
TABULATION
(1) King and queen have lovely daughter. Queen dies, leaving daughter a red calf, which will give her anything she wants.-- (2) King marries ill-natured woman with three ugly daughters; they ill-treat heroine, clothe her in a "rashin coatie", and make her sit in kitchen-neuk; everyone calls her Rashin Coatie. She gets nothing to eat but the leavings of the rest. Calf gives her everything she wants, wherefore stepmother has calf killed.-- (3) Heroine weeps; dead calf says to her:
"'Tak' me up, bane by bane,
And pit me aneth yon grey stane,'
and whatever you want, come and seek it frae me, and I will give it you."-- (4) It is Yule-tide, and all go iii best clothes to church. heroine would like to go also, but must stay at home to cook dinner. Left alone, she goes to grey stone, and tells calf that she cannot make the dinner, and wants to go to church. Calf gives her fine clothes, and bids her return to house and say:
"Every peat gar ither burn,
Every spit gar ither turn,
Every pot gar ither play,
Till I come frae the kirk this good Yule-day."
Then heroine goes to church, where prince falls in love with her. She leaves before the blessing, and resumes rashin coatie; call has covered the table, and dinner is ready. Three sisters return, and tell her of lovely lady in church. She wishes they would let her go and see her on the morrow (for they used to go three days running to church); but they will not.-- (5) Next day all hap pens as before; heroine gets even finer clothes, and prince bids someone watch whither she goes. But she escapes unseen.-- (6) Third day calf gives still finer clothes; young prince puts a guard at church door, but she jumps over their heads, losing one satin slip Prince proclaims he will wed whomsoever shoe fits. All the ladies of the land try, as well as the three sisters; but none can wear it. l Cuts her daughter's heels and toes, and shoe is forced on her. Prince must keep his promise; but as he rides along with tier behind him a bird begins to sing, and ever it sings
"Minched fit, and pinched fit,
Beside the king she rides,
But braw fit, and bonny fit,
In the kitchen-neuk she hides."
Prince asks what bird says. Henwife says, "Never mind."-- (8) Prince suspects that someone has not tried shoe; is determined to try it on Rashin Coatie. She runs away to grey stone, where red calf dresses her very splendidly, then returns to prince. Shoe jumps from his pocket on to her foot.-- (9) He marries her.
