Cap o' Rushes

Once upon a time there was a very rich man who had three daughters. He loved his daughters dearly, and they all loved him so well that he knew not which one loved him best. So the father said to his eldest daughter: "How much do you love me, my daughter?"

"My father," said she, "I love you as I love my own life."

"That pleases me greatly indeed," replied the father.

Then he called his second daughter to him and said: "How much do you love me, my dear daughter?" "Oh, father," said she, "I love you better than all the world."

"That pleases me very much indeed, my dear daughter," replied the father.

Then he called his youngest daughter to him and said: "How much do you love me, my dear?"

"Oh, father, I love you, I love you, as fresh meat loves salt," she said.

Oh! but he was angry. "You, my youngest child! "he cried, "you do not love me at all! You shall not stay in this house any longer." Then he drove her out and shut the door against her.

The poor girl went away. On and on she went, until she came to a field filled with rushes. For a long time she stood wondering what she should do. She began to gather rushes. Of these she made a lorig coat to cover her fine clothes and a cap for her head. Soon she was dressed all in rushes from her head to her toes.

Then into the town she walked, and soon she came to a great house. She knocked at the door. A cross woman opened the door.

"What do you want here?" she cried.

"Do you not want a maid?"

"No, no, we do not."

"But I have nowhere to go, and will ask no wages and will do any sort of work. Will you not please let me come in?"

"Well," said the woman, "if you will wash the pots and scrape the saucepans you may stay."

The child stayed and washed the pots and scraped the saucepans and did all the dirty work. She always wore her dress and cap of rushes, and they called her Cap o' Rushes, for she never told them her real name.

One night there was a ball not far away and the servants were allowed to go to look on at the great and grand people. Every one went but Cap o' Rushes, and she said she was too tired to go, so she stayed at home.

As soon as they were all gone,. Cap o' Rushes took off her cap of rushes and her dress of rushes and washed herself and combed her hair and off she went to the ball. No one there was so beautiful as Cap o' Rushes. Her master's only son fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. He would dance with no one else.

Before the dancing was over Cap o' Rushes stole away and went home; and when the other servants came home, they found her asleep with her cap of rushes on.

The next morning they all said: "Oh! Cap o' Rushes, you did miss a grand sight."

"What did I miss?" she said.

"Oh! you missed all the fine people, and the finest of all was a beautiful lady. The master's son never took his eyes off her, and he danced and danced with her."

"I should like to have seen her. Was she very, very beautiful?"

"Yes, yes," they cried, "and she had on the most beautiful dress in the world. There will be another dance to-night and perhaps she will be there."

But when evening came again, Cap o' Rushes said: "I am too tired to go. I would rather stay at home."

Again the servants went, and again Cap o' Rushes took off her cap and dress of rushes and washed herself. and combed her hair and hurried away to the ball.

The master's son was waiting for her, and again he danced with her and would dance with no one else. But again, before the dancing was over, she stole away and went home, and when the servants came back, they found her asleep with her cap of rushes on.

The next morning they said: "Oh! Cap o' Rushes, you should have gone, you should have gone; for the beautiful lady was there, and the young master never took his eyes off her, and he danced and danced and danced with her. Now, surely, Cap o' Rushes, you must go to-night."

But when night came, Cap o' Rushes did as she had done before. She would not go with the servants, but after they had gone she took off her cap of rushes and away she went. Again the young master would dance with none but Cap o' Rushes, and never took his eyes off her.

At last he asked her name and where she came from, but Cap o' Rushes would not tell. So he gave her a ring, and said if he did not see her again he should die.

Cap o' Rushes took the ring and off she skipped and ran home and was fast asleep with her cap of rushes on when the servants came in. Now the master's son loved Cap o' Rushes, and he tried in every way to find her. He went everywhere, he asked every one. But no one knew anything about her.

Then he grew very ill and his father feared he would die. One day the cook ,was making gruel for the young master, when in tame Cap o' Rushes.

"What are you making?"

"I am making gruel for the young master."

"Oh, let me do it," cried Cap o' Rushes. "I can make a kind that will cure him."

At first the cook would not allow it, 'but finally she let Cap o' Rushes try. So Cap o' Rushes made the gruel, and into it she dropped the ring that the young master had given her. The youth drank the gruel, and there at the bottom of the dish he saw the ring.

"Who made this gruel?" said he.

"The cook made it."

"Send the cook to me.

"Who made this gruel, cook?"

"I did," said the cook.

"No, you did not. Who did? Say who it is, and you shall not be harmed."

"Well, it was Cap o' Rushes."

"Send Cap o' Rushes to me," he said.

"Did you make this gruel, Cap o' Rushes?"

"Yes, I did."

"Where did you get this ring?"

"From the one who gave it to me," said Cap o' Rushes.

"Who are you, then?" said the young master.

"I'll show you;" and suddenly she took off her cap of rushes, and her dress of rushes, and there she was in all her beautiful clothes, just as she had been at the ball.

Then the young master soon became well again, and he and Cap o' Rushes were to be married. The wedding was to be very grand, and every one was asked from far and near. Cap o' Rushes' father and sisters were asked.

Cap o' Rushes had not yet told any one who she was. So before the wedding Cap o' Rushes went to the cook and told her not to put a bit of salt in any dish which was to be served at the wedding feast.

"That will be very bad," said the cook.

"Never mind that," said Cap o' Rushes.

"Very well," said the cook.

So on the wedding day, after they were married, all sat down to a feast. But the food was so tasteless that no one could eat it, for there was no salt in anything. When Cap o' Rushes' father tried to eat the food, he burst into tears.

"What is the trouble? Why do you weep?" said the master's son.

"Oh!" said he, "once I had a daughter, and I asked her how much she loved me, and she said as much as fresh meat loves salt, and I drove her away from my house because I thought she did not love me, and now, too late, I see she loved me best of all. It may be that she is dead by this time."

"Oh! no, she is hot, father," cried Cap o' Rushes. "Here she is; "and she put her arms around him and kissed him and kissed him and kissed him.

Then they were all happy together.