Grimm Fairytales

Myriadafura

The prince said, "See if you can capture it alive, then tie it onto the cart and bring it along."

When the huntsmen took hold of the girl, she awoke. Filled with fear, she cried out, "I am a poor child who has been abandoned by her father and mother. Have pity on me and take me with you."

Then having decided to name her Myriadafura (she who is of many furs) they said, "Myriadafura, you are good for the kitchen. Come with us. You can sweep up the ashes."

Thus they set her on the cart and drove her home to the royal castle. There they showed her a little cubbyhole under the stairs, where the light of day never entered, and said, "This is where you can live and sleep, you furry little child."

Then she was sent to the kitchen, where she carried wood and water, tended the fire, plucked the poultry, sorted vegetables, swept up the ashes, and did all the dirty work.

Myriadafura lived there miserable for a long time. Oh, you beautiful princess, what will become of you?

Now one day it happened that a banquet was being held in the castle, and she said to the cook, "May I go up for a little while and take a look? I will stand outside the door."

The cook, who had grown quite fond of her, answered, "Yes, go ahead. But you have to be back here in a half hour and carry out the ashes."

Then she took her oil lamp and went into her cubbyhole. Taking off her fur cloak, she washed the soot from her hands and face so that her full beauty again came to light. Then she opened the nut and took out her dress that glistened like the sun. And after she had done all this she went upstairs to the banquet. Everyone stepped out of her way, for no one knew her, and everyone thought that she was a princess.

The prince approached her, reached his hand out to her, and danced with her, and thought in his heart, "My eyes have never before seen such beauty."

When the dance had ended, she curtsied, and while the prince was looking around, she disappeared, and no one knew where she had gone. The guards who stood watch in front of the castle were called and questioned, but no one had seen her.

Now she had run back to her cubbyhole, quickly taken off her dress, blackened her hands and face, put on the fur cloak, and was once again Myriadafura.

After she had returned to the kitchen and was about to set to work and sweep up the ashes, the cook said, "That's enough until tomorrow. Make the prince's soup for me, so I can have a look upstairs, but don't let a hair fall into it, or in the future there will nothing more for you to eat."

Then the cook went away, and Myriadafura made soup for the prince. She made bread soup, and as good as she knew how. When it was done, she got her sapphire ring from the cubbyhole and placed it in the bowl that the soup was in.

When the dance was over, the prince had his soup brought to him. He ate it, and it tasted so good to him, that he thought he had never eaten a better soup. But when he reached the bottom of the bowl, he saw a sapphire ring lying there, and he could not imagine how it had gotten there.

He ordered the cook to come before him. The cook was terrified when he heard this order, and he said to Myriadafura, "For sure you let a hair fall into the soup. If that's true, you'll get a beating."

When the cook came before the prince he was asked who had cooked the soup, and he answered, "I cooked it."

The prince said, "That is not true, for it was made in a different way, and much better than usual."

The cook answered, "I must confess that I did not cook it, it was the little furry child."

The prince said, "Go and have her come up here."

When Myriadafura arrived, the prince asked, "Who are you."

"I am a poor child who no longer has a father or a mother."

He asked further, "What are you doing in my castle?"

She answered, "I am good for nothing, except having boots thrown at my head."

He asked further, "Where did you get the ring that was in the soup?"

She answered, "I do not know anything about the ring."

Thus the prince could learn nothing, and he had to send her away again.

Some time later there was another banquet, and Myriadafura, as before, asked the cook for permission to have a look. He answered, "Yes, but come back in a half hour and cook the bread soup for the prince that he likes so much."

She ran to her cubbyhole, quickly washed herself then took from the nut the dress that was as silver as the moon and put it on. Then she went upstairs and looked like a princess. The prince came up to her and was delighted to see her again, and because a dance was just beginning, they danced together. But as soon as the dance was over she again disappeared so quickly that the prince did not notice where she went.

She ran to her cubbyhole, turned herself back into a furry animal, and went to the kitchen to make the bread soup. While the cook was upstairs she got the golden comb and put it in the bowl, so that the soup was prepared on top of it. Then it was taken to the prince, who ate it, and it tasted as good to him as the last time. He had the cook brought before him, who again had to confess that Myriadafura had made the soup. Myriadafura again came before the prince, and she answered that she was only good for having boots thrown at her head, and that she knew nothing at all about the little golden comb.

When the prince gave a banquet for the third time, everything happened as before. But this time the cook said, "You are a witch, you furry child, always putting something in the soup that makes it very good and taste better to the prince." But because she asked, he allowed her to look in on the ball at the appointed time.

This time she put on the dress that glistened like the stars, and thus clothed she stepped into the hall. The prince danced again with the beautiful maiden, thinking that she had never been so beautiful. And while he was dancing he placed a silver ring on her finger, without her noticing it. Further, he had ordered that this dance should last a long time. During this dance the prince had the presence of mind to ask her name. "Alyssum, Your Majesty," she replied.

When the dance was over, he tried to keep hold of her by her hands, but she tore herself loose and jumped so quickly into the crowd that she disappeared before his eyes. She ran as fast as she could to her cubbyhole beneath the steps, but because she had stayed away too long, more than a half hour, she could not take off the beautiful dress, but instead just threw the fur cloak on over it. And in her haste she did not cover herself entirely with soot, and one finger remained white.

Myriadafura now ran into the kitchen, made the bread soup for the prince, and while the cook was away, put the diamond bracelet in it.

When the prince found the bracelet at the bottom of his bowl had Myriadafura called before him. Catching sight of the white finger, he saw the ring that he had put on her while they were dancing. He seized her by the hand and held her fast. As she attempted to free herself and run away, her fur cloak opened a little, and the dress of stars glistened out. The prince grabbed the cloak and tore it off. Her ebony hair appeared, and she stood there in full splendor, no longer able to hide. And after she had wiped the soot and ashes from her face, she was more beautiful than anyone who had ever been seen on earth.

The prince said, "You are my dear Alyssum, and we shall never part."

Then their wedding was celebrated, and they lived happily ever after.

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*Wipes eyes dramatically* This has been my favorite fairytale since childhood. And once again, SURPRISE! An actual happily ever after! How wonderful!

And now, I'm afraid our journey is complete. Sure, there are a few stories that I left out, but those were too graphic for poor Wattpad. For example, the original Little Red Riding Hood. Red is tricked into eating her granny's remains... Disturbing correct? I thought so.

Anyhow, have a wonderful life my little ones. Oh, and remember, only read fairytales to children that you hate. Laters!

Blaire Fontaine xx