The Wounded Lion

The Wounded Lion

Cuentos Populars Catalans.

There was once a girl so poor that she had nothing to live on, and

wandered about the world asking for charity. One day she arrived at

a thatched cottage, and inquired if they could give her any work. The

farmer said he wanted a cowherd, as his own had left him, and if the

girl liked the place she might take it. So she became a cowherd.

One morning she was driving her cows through the meadows when she heard

near by a loud groan that almost sounded human. She hastened to the spot

from which the noise came, and found it proceeded from a lion who lay

stretched upon the ground.

You can guess how frightened she was! But the lion seemed in such pain

that she was sorry for him, and drew nearer and nearer till she saw he

had a large thorn in one foot. She pulled out the thorn and bound up the

place, and the lion was grateful, and licked her hand by way of thanks

with his big rough tongue.

When the girl had finished she went back to find the cows, but they had

gone, and though she hunted everywhere she never found them; and she had

to return home and confess to her master, who scolded her bitterly, and

afterwards beat her. Then he said, ‘Now you will have to look after the

asses.’

So every day she had to take the asses to the woods to feed, until one

morning, exactly a year after she had found the lion, she heard a groan

which sounded quite human. She went straight to the place from which the

noise came, and, to her great surprise, beheld the same lion stretched

on the ground with a deep wound across his face.

This time she was not afraid at all, and ran towards him, washing the

wound and laying soothing herbs upon it; and when she had bound it up

the lion thanked her in the same manner as before.

After that she returned to her flock, but they were nowhere to be

seen. She searched here and she searched there, but they had vanished

completely!

Then she had to go home and confess to her master, who first scolded her

and afterwards beat her. ‘Now go,’ he ended, ‘and look after the pigs!’

So the next day she took out the pigs, and found them such good feeding

grounds that they grew fatter every day.

Another year passed by, and one morning when the maiden was out with her

pigs she heard a groan which sounded quite human. She ran to see what

it was, and found her old friend the lion, wounded through and through,

fast dying under a tree.

She fell on her knees before him and washed his wounds one by one, and

laid healing herbs upon them. And the lion licked her hands and thanked

her, and asked if she would not stay and sit by him. But the girl said

she had her pigs to watch, and she must go and see after them.

So she ran to the place where she had left them, but they had vanished

as if the earth had swallowed them up. She whistled and called, but only

the birds answered her.

Then she sank down on the ground and wept bitterly, not daring to return

home until some hours had passed away.

And when she had had her cry out she got up and searched all up and down

the wood. But it was no use; there was not a sign of the pigs.

At last she thought that perhaps if she climbed a tree she might

see further. But no sooner was she seated on the highest branch than

something happened which put the pigs quite out of her head. This was a

handsome young man who was coming down the path; and when he had almost

reached the tree he pulled aside a rock and disappeared behind it.

The maiden rubbed her eyes and wondered if she had been dreaming. Next

she thought, ‘I will not stir from here till I see him come out, and

discover who he is.’ Accordingly she waited, and at dawn the next

morning the rock moved to one side and a lion came out.

When he had gone quite out of sight the girl climbed down from the tree

and went to the rock, which she pushed aside, and entered the opening

before her. The path led to a beautiful house. She went in, swept and

dusted the furniture, and put everything tidy. Then she ate a very good

dinner, which was on a shelf in the corner, and once more clambered up

to the top of her tree.

As the sun set she saw the same young man walking gaily down the path,

and, as before, he pushed aside the rock and disappeared behind it.

Next morning out came the lion. He looked sharply about him on all

sides, but saw no one, and then vanished into the forest.

The maiden then came down from the tree and did exactly as she had done

the day before. Thus three days went by, and every day she went and

tidied up the palace. At length, when the girl found she was no nearer

to discovering the secret, she resolved to ask him, and in the evening

when she caught sight of him coming through the wood she came down from

the tree and begged him to tell her his name.

The young man looked very pleased to see her, and said he thought it

must be she who had secretly kept his house for so many days. And he

added that he was a prince enchanted by a powerful giant, but was only

allowed to take his own shape at night, for all day he was forced to

appear as the lion whom she had so often helped; and, more than this,

it was the giant who had stolen the oxen and the asses and the pigs in

revenge for her kindness.

And the girl asked him, ‘What can I do to disenchant you?’

But he said he was afraid it was very difficult, because the only way

was to get a lock of hair from the head of a king’s daughter, to spin

it, and to make from it a cloak for the giant, who lived up on the top

of a high mountain.

‘Very well,’ answered the girl, ‘I will go to the city, and knock at

the door of the king’s palace, and ask the princess to take me as a

servant.’

So they parted, and when she arrived at the city she walked about the

streets crying, ‘Who will hire me for a servant? Who will hire me for a

servant?’ But, though many people liked her looks, for she was clean and

neat, the maiden would listen to none, and still continued crying, ‘Who

will hire me for a servant? Who will hire me for a servant?’

At last there came the waiting-maid of the princess.

‘What can you do?’ she said; and the girl was forced to confess that she

could do very little.

‘Then you will have to do scullion’s work, and wash up dishes,’ said

she; and they went straight back to the palace.

Then the maiden dressed her hair afresh, and made herself look very neat

and smart, and everyone admired and praised her, till by-and-bye it came

to the ears of the princess. And she sent for the girl, and when she saw

her, and how beautifully she had dressed her hair, the princess told her

she was to come and comb out hers.

Now the hair of the princess was very thick and long, and shone like

the sun. And the girl combed it and combed it till it was brighter than

ever. And the princess was pleased, and bade her come every day and comb

her hair, till at length the girl took courage, and begged leave to cut

off one of the long, thick locks.

The princess, who was very proud of her hair, did not like the idea of

parting with any of it, so she said no. But the girl could not give

up hope, and each day she entreated to be allowed to cut off just one

tress. At length the princess lost patience, and exclaimed, ‘You may

have it, then, on condition that you shall find the handsomest prince in

the world to be my bridegroom!’

And the girl answered that she would, and cut off the lock, and wove it

into a coat that glittered like silk, and brought it to the young man,

who told her to carry it straight to the giant. But that she must be

careful to cry out a long way off what she had with her, or else he

would spring upon her and run her through with his sword.

So the maiden departed and climbed up the mountain, but before she

reached the top the giant heard her footsteps, and rushed out breathing

fire and flame, having a sword in one hand and a club in the other. But

she cried loudly that she had brought him the coat, and then he grew

quiet, and invited her to come into his house.

He tried on the coat, but it was too short, and he threw it off, and

declared it was no use. And the girl picked it up sadly, and returned

quite in despair to the king’s palace.

The next morning, when she was combing the princess’s hair, she begged

leave to cut off another lock. At first the princess said no, but the

girl begged so hard that at length she gave in on condition that she

should find her a prince as bridegroom.

The maiden told her that she had already found him, and spun the lock

into shining stuff, and fastened it on to the end of the coat. And when

it was finished she carried it to the giant.

This time it fitted him, and he was quite pleased, and asked her what

he could give her in return. And she said that the only reward he could

give her was to take the spell off the lion and bring him back to his

own shape.

For a long time the giant would not hear of it, but in the end he gave

in, and told her exactly how it must all be done. She was to kill the

lion herself and cut him up very small; then she must burn him, and cast

his ashes into the water, and out of the water the prince would come

free from enchantment for ever.

But the maiden went away weeping, lest the giant should have deceived

her, and that after she had killed the lion she would find she had also

slain the prince.

Weeping she came down the mountain, and weeping she joined the prince,

who was awaiting her at the bottom; and when he had heard her story he

comforted her, and bade her be of good courage, and to do the bidding of

the giant.

And the maiden believed what the prince told her; and in the morning

when he put on his lion’s form she took a knife and slew him, and cut

him up very small, and burnt him, and cast his ashes into the water, and

out of the water came the prince, beautiful as the day, and as glad to

look upon as the sun himself.

Then the young man thanked the maiden for all she had done for him, and

said she should be his wife and none other. But the maiden only wept

sore, and answered that that she could never be, for she had given her

promise to the princess when she cut off her hair that the prince should

wed her and her only.

But the prince replied, ‘If it is the princess, we must go quickly. Come

with me.’

So they went together to the king’s palace. And when the king and queen

and princess saw the young man a great joy filled their hearts, for they

knew him for the eldest son, who had long ago been enchanted by a giant

and lost to them.

And he asked his parents’ consent that he might marry the girl who had

saved him, and a great feast was made, and the maiden became a princess,

and in due time a queen, and she richly deserved all the honours

showered upon her.