Once upon a time, there lived a king who was noble, rich, and brave - as all kings should be. Now the king had three daughters, who were all as beautiful as the day is long. The eldest daughter was clever and quick whilst the second daughter was merry and bright and as for the youngest daughter, she was gentle and kind. They were everything a father could wish for. One day as the king sat watching his daughters he called out in a deep sigh,
“Oh my daughters, I love you all so much, but tell mehow much do you love me?”
The eldest daughter looked up smiling, “Why father I love you more than all the gold in the palace,” and the King smiled, for he was a wealthy man. Then he asked his second daughter, “And how much do you love me?”
The second daughter looked up smiling, “Why father I love you more than all the precious and costly jewels you have given us,” and for a second time the king smiled, for he was a generous man.
Finally the king turned to his youngest daughter, “And you, my youngest daughter, tell me, how much do you love me?” The king sat there waiting to hear the words of love pour from her lips, but the youngest daughter was silent.
“Have you nothing to say girl? Tell me, how much do you love me?”
For a second time the girl remained silent.
The king grew angry, “As your father and your king, I command you to tell me; how much do you love me?” Finally the youngest girl looked up, with eyes full of tears,
“Why father, I love you as fresh meat loves salt.”
When he heard her reply, the king nearly exploded withrage, “What sort of as answer is that? You heartless, ungrateful girl! You are no longer a daughter of mine and you have no home here. Go and never return.”
The two sisters pleaded with their father to let her stay, but it was as if her words had turned his heart to stone. And so the youngest daughter found herself walking on a solitary path in an unknown land, with only the clothes she was wearing to keep her warm, and a small bag packed with the few possessions that her sisters had managed to give her.
Already her family and home were faraway and she knew that soon she must find shelter for the night. But the ground
was wet and marshy and she had to pick her way carefully tokeep to the small path. All around she could hear the sound of waterfowl and small furry creatures settling down in thethick clumps of rushes that grew out of small marshy pools.
“Well I must live like them now - as best I can”, she sighedand finding the thickest and driest looking bed of rushes she climbed inside. The sun set and darkness settled over the marshes. The young girl opened the small bag; already she knew its contents well - a loaf of bread, a silver knife and three small coins. She cut herself a piece of bread and ate it. Then she closed her eyes and prayed that sleep would come and take away her misery.
All round her came the sound of the wind blowing through the rushes...
She awoke the next morning cold and stiff, but she knew what she must do. After eating a piece of bread, she took the silver knife and started to cut the rushes that grew all around. She gathered them together and started to weave them. For three days she sheltered in the rushes, until finally her work was finished. She climbed out of the rushes clothed in a green cape that covered her from head to toe. Standing on the path she wondered which way to go.
All round her came the sound of the wind blowing through the rushes...
Pulling the hood firmly over her hair she set off along the path that lay ahead of her. The sun was already high in
the sky when the marshes turned into carefully tended fields. Far away in the distance she saw a castle and hoping she would find work there she made her way towards it. The kitchen yard was full of hustle and bustle; there were noisy washer women hanging out the clothes, young girls stopping to chatter and gossip as they fetched water from the well, footmen blowing kisses at maids who blushed bright red and ran away and there were dogs chasing cats, and cats chasing mice. All was as it should be. So bravely she walked up to the backdoor and knocked loudly. The door opened and there stood a small, cheerful man. He was the cook.
“Is there any work for a poor young girl, who is looking for shelter and something to eat?” Before you could say Cap O'Rushes, the cook had brought her in to sit down next to the fire, given her something to eat and was saying,
“Well bless me, I was looking for an extra pair of hands the young master will soon be returning from his travels and there’ll be celebrations and feasts, you couldn’t have come at a better time.” With that he called one of the other maids to show her where she would sleep and what her t asks would be. And so Cap O'Rushes began her life as a maid. She was often asked why she wore her cape of green rushes and her reply was always the same, “Because I was told to."
Just as the cook had said, on his return the young lord announced that he was to hold three nights of feasting. Cap O’ Rushes found herself busy from dawn till dusk, carrying and fetching, dusting and sweeping, cooking and baking. On the first evening when all was prepared and ready, the maids were invited to come and watch the dancing, but Cap O'Rushes declined. As she made her way to her own little room she heard from down below the soft strain of music and it was like the sound of the wind blowing through the rushes...
Cap O’Rushes took a coin from her little bag and tossed it into the air. The coin flickered and twinkled and as it fell to the ground it became a splendid gown, the colour of blue sky on a summer’s day. Cap O'Rushes took off her cape and put on the dress; thenshe combed out her hair and went down to the dance. The lord of the castle was in a merry mood, after all his travels it was good to be home surrounded by old friends and faithful servants; all he needed now for his happiness to be complete was a bride...
Cap O’Rushes stepped out of the darkness and into the bright lights of the hall. In that instant the lord of the castle
saw her and fell in love with her. He stepped forward and asked her to dance. Cap O'Rushes looked up at him and saw the face of one who was noble, rich, and brave and as she took his hand she gave away her heart. They danced together the whole evening, for the young lordhad eyes for no other woman in the hall. But Cap O'Rushes was anxious that no one should guess who she was, so she slipped a way before the end of the evening. She went up to her room, took off the dress of summer sky and put on her cape of green rushes.
The next morning the castle was full of talk about the beautiful girl. Who was she? Where had she come from? The master hadn’t slept a wink for thinking of her. Everyone was wondering if she would come again the second night. Cap O'Rushes sat listening, but pulled on hood tighter than ever.
The next morning the castle was alive with gossip about the beautiful girl, how she had disappeared and how the lord of the castle was now riding all over the country trying to find her. The days went by and still the lord of the castle could not discover who the beautiful girl was. He couldn’t sleep and he wouldn't eat. Sick with love, he withdrew to his own room. Whispers said that he was dying from a broken heart.
Then Cap O'Rushes went to the cook and asked if she could make a special dish for their master to eat. The cook agreed, so she made a simple broth, and into it she slipped the ring the lord of the castle had given her. Then she sent the bowl of broth up and sat down to wait. As the lord of the castle started to eat the broth, his spoon hit something hard in the bottom of the bowl. He fished it out, staring in amazement, for there was his own ring - the very ring he had given to the girl he loved.
“Send for the cook!” he ordered.
The cook came immediately and bowed low before his master.
“Who made the broth you sent up to me?”
“Why my Lord, did you not like it?”
“Who made the broth you sent up to me?” the Lord asked again.
“I made it,” said the cook, not wanting to get Cap O'Rushes into trouble.
“ No you didn’t .Who made the broth you sent up to me?”
“It was one of the kitchen maids - she didn’t mean any harm”.
“Send her up to me,” said the young lord, “I wish to speak with her.”
The cook did as he was asked and told Cap o’ Rushes that the master wanted to speak with her. But as she made her wayup to his room she thought that from far away she could hear the sound of the wind blowing through the rushes...
Cap o ‘Rushes stood before the young lord and she trembled to see him looking so pale and thin.
“I found this ring in the broth you made. Where did you get this ring?” he asked.
“From him that gave it to me,” she replied.
“And who would that be?” he asked.
“Why him that loves me,” she replied.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Why she that loves you,” she replied and Cap o’ Rushes drew back her hood and the lord of the castle saw before him, at last, the beautiful girl whom he loved.
On the second evening when all was prepared and ready the maids were invited to come and watch the dancing, but Cap o’ Rushes declined As she made her way to her own little room she heard from down below the soft strain of music and it was like the sound of the wind blowing through the rushes.
Cap O’ Rushes took the second coin from her little bag and tossed it into the air. The coin flickered and twinkled and as it fell to the ground it became a splendid gown, the colour of silver moonbeams and glittering star light. Cap O'Rushes took off her cape and put on the dress; then she combed out her hair and went down to the dance.
Tonight the lord of the castle was watching out for her and as soon as Cap O'Rushes stepped into the hall he came and asked her to dance. They danced together the whole evening, for the young lord had eyes for no other woman in the hall. But Cap O'Rushes was anxious that no one should guess who she was, so she slipped a way before the end of the evening. She went up to her room, took off the dress of silver moonbeams and glittering starlight and put on her cape of green rushes.
The next morning the castle was again full of talk about thebeautiful girl. Despite lengthy inquiries nobody knew who she was. Would she come again the third night? Cap o’Rushes sat listening, but pulled on her hood tighter than ever.
On the third evening when all was prepared and ready the maids were invited to come and watch the dancing, but Cap o’ Rushes declined. As she made her way to her ownlittle room she heard from down below the soft strain of music and it was like the sound of the wind blowing through the rushes,
Cap O’ Rushes took the last coin from her little bag and tossed it into the air. The coin flickered and twinkled and as it fell to the ground it became a splendid gown, the colour of golden sunlight. Cap O' Rushes took off her cape and put on the dress; then she combed out her hair and went down to the dance. Tonight the lord of the castle was standing at the door waiting for her. They danced together the whole evening, for the young lord had eyes for no other woman in the hall. As the night drew to a close he slipped his own golden ring onto her finger. But Cap O' Rushes was anxious that no one should guess who she was, so she slipped a way. She went up to her room, took off the dress of golden sunlight and put on her cape of green rushes - but she stopped to smile at the ring.
When two hearts truly love then a wedding will surely follow. Invitations were sent out all over the country welcoming people to the wedding feast of the lord of the castle and his bride. One invitation in particular was sent tothe king and his daughters, but Cap O'Rushes did not reveal her identity to them. Instead Cap O'Rushes summoned the cook who was busy preparing the wedding feast.
“My dear friend, I am here to ask a favour – please do not salt the meat.” And because the cook loved his lady well
he agreed to do as she had requested. The day of the wedding dawned and under a summer sky Cap O'Rushes married the lord of the castle. The wedding feast that followed was sumptuous and the guests tucked in with gusto - until the dishes of meat were carried in. Then the mutterings ran round the hall.
“The cook’s forgotten to salt the meat!” Suddenly the mutterings stopped and everyone fell silent as they listened to the sound of someone weeping. It was the King!
The lord of the castle stepped forward, “Sire, I must apologise, my cook has forgotten to salt the meat.”
But the king stood up and said, “ I am the one who should ask for forgiveness. I once had a daughter, the youngest of three. One day I asked her how much she loved me. I was so insulted by her answer, thinking it careless and unfeeling that I sent her away. Where she is now I do not know. She told me that she loved me as freshmeat loves salt; only now do I understand that meat without salt is tasteless - like my life without my youngest daughter, who now I know truly loved me.”
“And still loves you father,” Cap O'Rushes stood up, “for I am that daughter.”
Long was the rejoicing in the castle that night and for many to follow, for the lord of the castle had found his bride
and the king, his daughter.
As for Cap O'Rushes - why when you love and are loved in return, you live happily ever after!
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