The ancient rules governing women’s sexual conduct fuels
this grisly tale. Unjustly accused of prostitution, abandoned
from home by a brother, turned into a dove, she finally reverts
to human form and marries her liberator, a prince. But later,
she makes a choice: submit to a rapist, or see her children
killed in front of her eyes She chooses the latter.
This is a story of love and treachery. Long ago there was a brother and a sister who lived in perfect harmony in a large and well appointed house. One day, he had to go to Madrid on business. To protect her from intruders, he locked her up in a room with a small window, and built an iron gate at the entrance to the house. Before leaving, he commissioned a friend to bring her meals while he was gone. Each day, this friend passed a basket of food through the small window, but never saw the girl's face.
One day, instead of food, the friend filled the basket with gemstones. The girl, who was proud, and also honest, refused to accept them, and sent them back. This made the man very angry, and he decided to take revenge. He sent a letter to the brother telling him to return because his sister was living like a prostitute, inviting men to her room every night.
The brother was shocked and angry when he read the letter, and returned home immediately. Without hearing her side of the story, he accused her of committing unspeakable crimes. "Come, sister," he said, "pack all your clothes, and leave this house now and forever." Then he took her to a far distant farm, left her there, and never saw her again.
Abandoned, and in a strange place, the sister wept until she
could cry no more. Hardly knowing where she was going, she followed
out-of-way paths and winding roads until she stumbled upon the
entrance to a cave. Although momentarily frightened, she bravely
entered the cave, and looked around her. There, in the dark
and mysterious shadows, she saw an old woman. "Welcome," she
said kindly to the girl, "won't you come in?" "Thank you, said
the girl timidly. "Do you mind if I stay here for a while? I
have no home, and will be happy to keep house for you." "You
can stay here if you like," said the old woman, "but I warn
you, all who enter here become enchanted." The girl paid no
attention to the old woman, every day she cleaned and whitewashed
the cave.
Then one day, a little elf appeared in the cave. 'Oh, what a pity, "he exclaimed when he saw her, "You are such a pretty woman'. I'm sorry but I must turn you into an enchanted woman. As soon as he spoke the words, he hammered a pin into her head, and she became a dove and flew away.
Hour after hour, she flew from one tree to another looking for something to eat. Weary and discouraged, she finally spied the king's garden and alighted on top of a beautiful banana tree. Her hunger was so great that she pecked and pecked at it until all the fruit, and even the huge leaves, were devoured.
Just then, the king walked into the garden, and saw his favorite tree in ruins. Angrily, he asked his gardener, "Who destroyed my banana tree?" and he stamped his foot impatiently. "It was a dove, the man said, "I've tried every trick I know but I can't catch her. She always escapes. But I'm going to try one more time. Tomorrow I'll give her an earthenware pot filled with cuscus, but I won't give her any water. Without water, she won't be able to fly. Then I'll grab her!"
Just as expected, the dove flew to the tree, found the pot,
and ate so much she could hardly lift her wings. The gardener
caught her, and brought her to the prince. "Ah, my fine bird,"
he said, "you're not going to escape me now, you're going to
stay right here. "And he locked her up in a cage. Every morning,
he fed her bird-seed, but she wouldn't touch it. Finally, he
gave her bread and coffee with milk as if she were a real person.
By this, time she was so hungry, she ate every crumb, and drank
every drop of coffee.
One day, the prince went to see his mother, " Mother," he said, "I don't think that bird is really a bird. I think it's an enchanted girl." The queen warned him to be careful, worried that some harm might come to her son. "Don't worry, mother, that bird can't hurt me, he said, "Besides, I love it, and I'm going to keep it in my own bed. "But," said his mother," she'll soil your bed." "No, no, said the prince, I'll put a rubber mat on the mattress and nothing will happen." All night long, he played with the bird, and as he smoothed her feathers, he discovered the pin the elf had put in her head. He pulled it out. In an instant, she became a girl again. His joy knew no bounds. He ran to his mother and told her the good news, "Mother, mother, just as I told you, she was no dove, she was an enchanted girl! She's beautiful and I love her with all my heart, and I want to marry her. When the queen saw how much they loved each other, she consented to the marriage.
Within a year, they had one child, then another. One day the prince announced that he had to go to Madrid on business, and asked his mother to take care of his wife and children while he was away. Every day she played with her grandchildren, and entertained her daughter-in-law. But all was not well at court for the prince had enemies, a duke and a count. After he left, they wrote a letter to the princess that they pretended had come from her husband. "When you receive this letter," it read, "take the children, and join me in Madrid. The duke and the count will accompany you." The queen, although suspicious of this turn of events, dutifully prepared clothes and food for the journey, and gave them to her daughter-in-law.
When they were halfway there, the sky suddenly darkened, the
lightening flashed, and the rain fell in torrents. Quickly,
they put up the tent. As soon as they were safely inside, the
duke said to her, "Now you've got to sleep with me!" The princess
was horrified, and backed away. "Never," she cried, clasping
her children to her, "I'm the prince s wife, and I sleep only
with him.'" "If you don't," he threatened, "I'll kill your children."
Sadly, she said, "You really want to harm my husband," and the
tears rolled helplessly down her cheeks. One by one, the duke
killed the children, just as he had threatened.
While the duke was committing these horrendous crimes, the princess, crazed by her tragic loss, escaped down the road towards Madrid. Without food or shelter, sleeping in open fields and eating figs and berries, she walked and walked until she reached the city. When she told the prince what had happened, he ordered the count and the duke to appear before him. "What punishment shall I give you?" he asked. "Tie me to a horse's tail, drag me all over, and then burn my bones," cried the duke. "The same for me," said the count, "because I plotted against you, and didn't protect your wife."
And so they were punished. Husband and wife mourned their dead children, but later they had many more who brought them joy and delight the rest of their lives.
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