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diff --git a/41681-0.txt b/41681-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0b6ff7a --- /dev/null +++ b/41681-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5735 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41681 *** + + BRETON LEGENDS. + + Translated from the French. + + + + London + + Burns, Oates, & Co., 17 Portman Street, + and 63 Paternoster Row + + + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The various Collections of Household and Legendary Tales of different +countries which have appeared of late years sufficiently attest the +popular interest which attaches to these curious and venerable relics +of bygone days. Even such eminent scholars as the Messrs. Grimm have +not thought it beneath them to devote their time and research to the +task of collecting the old fireside Stories and Legends of Germany; +and the result of their labours is a volume of tales of remarkable +interest and attractiveness, distinguished no less for variety and +invention than for pathos, humour, and graceful simplicity. + +Similar Collections have been published from time to time in relation +to other countries (among others, a remarkable one on the Norse +Legends, recently issued); and it seemed to the Editors of the present +volume that the time had arrived when Brittany too might venture to +put forward her claim in this respect to public attention. A selection +of some of the best of the Breton Legends is therefore presented to +the reader in this little volume. + +It may be remarked, that the Breton Legends, though possessing +much that is common to the German and other National Tales, have +yet features peculiar to themselves. They are, we may say, deeply +coloured by the character of the country in which they have their +home. The sea-coast of Brittany, with its rugged rocks and deep +mysterious bays and inlets; the lone country heaths in which stand +the Menhir and Dolmen, with their dark immemorial traditions; the +gray antiquated chateaus with their fosses and turrets,--all impart +a wild and severe character to its legends, and strike the reader +with a kind of awe which he scarcely feels in reading those of other +countries. In addition to this, the way in which the religion of the +Cross, and the doctrines and rites of the Church are interwoven with +the texture of almost every one of the Breton Tales, seems to mark +them off with still greater distinctness, lending them at the same +time a peculiar charm which can hardly fail to commend them to the +sympathies of the religious reader. + +We may add that the moral lessons to be derived from many of these +Legends are as striking as they are ingeniously wrought out. + +The Tales are a translation from the French; and for this the Editors +are indebted to the skill and good taste of a lady, who has entered +most fully into the spirit and feeling of these simple but beautiful +specimens of Legendary Lore. + + + + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + Page + The Three Wayfarers 1 + The Legend of St. Galonnek 14 + The Korils of Plauden 31 + The Blessed Mao 47 + The Fate of Keris 63 + The Stones of Plouhinec 74 + Teuz-à-pouliet; or, the Dwarf 84 + The Spectre Laundresses 96 + Robin Redbreast 104 + Comorre 118 + The Groac'h of the Isle of Lok 132 + The Four Gifts 150 + The Palace of the proud King 167 + The Piper 172 + The White Inn 177 + Peronnik the Idiot 182 + Appendix 207 + + + + + + + +BRETON LEGENDS. + +THE THREE WAYFARERS. + + +There dwelt in the diocese of Léon, in ancient times, two young +noblemen, rich and comely as heart could desire. Their names were +Tonyk and Mylio. + +Mylio, the elder, was almost sixteen, and Tonyk just fourteen years +of age. They were both under the instruction of the ablest masters, by +whose lessons they had so well profited that, but for their age, they +might well have received holy orders, had such been their vocation. + +But in character the brothers were very unlike. Tonyk was pious, +charitable to the poor, and always ready to forgive those who had +offended him: he hoarded neither money in his hand nor resentment +in his heart. Mylio, on the other hand, while he gave but his due to +each, would drive a hard bargain too, and never failed to revenge an +injury to the uttermost. + +It had pleased God to deprive them of their father whilst yet in their +infancy, and they had been brought up by their widowed mother, a woman +of singular virtue; but now that they were growing towards manhood, +she deemed it time to send them to the care of an uncle, who lived +at some distance, and from whom they might receive good counsels for +their walk in life, besides the expectation of an ample heritage. + +So one day, after bestowing upon each a new cap, a pair of +silver-buckled shoes, a violet mantle, [1] a well-filled purse, +and a horse, she bade them set forth towards the house of their +father's brother. + +The two boys began their journey in the highest spirits, glad that +they were travelling into a new country. Their horses made such good +speed, that in the course of a few days they found themselves already +in another kingdom, where the trees, and even the corn, were quite +different to their own. There one morning, coming to a cross-road, +they saw a poor woman seated near a wayside cross, her face buried +in her apron. + +Tonyk drew up his horse to ask her what she ailed; and the beggar +told him, sobbing, that she had just lost her son, her sole support, +and that she was now cast upon the charity of Christian strangers. + +The youth was touched with compassion; but Mylio, who waited at a +little distance, cried out mockingly, + +"You are not going to believe the first pitiful story told you by +the roadside! It is just this woman's trade to sit here and cheat +travellers of their money." + +"Hush, hush, my brother," answered Tonyk, "in the name of God; you +only make her weep the more. Do not you see that she is just the +age and figure of our own dear mother, whom may God preserve." Then +stooping towards the beggar-woman, he handed her his purse, saying, + +"Here, my good woman, I can help you but a little; but I will pray +that God Himself may be your consolation." + +The beggar took the purse, and pressed it to her lips; then said +to Tonyk, + +"Since my young lord has been so bountiful to a poor woman, let him +not refuse to accept from her this walnut. It contains a wasp with +a sting of diamond." + +Tonyk took the walnut with thanks, and proceeded on his way with Mylio. + +Ere long they came upon the borders of a forest, and saw a little +child, half naked, seeking somewhat in the hollows of the trees, +whilst he sung a strange and melancholy air, more mournful than the +music of a requiem. He often stopped to clap his little frozen hands, +saying in his song, "I am cold,--oh, so cold!" and the boys could +hear his teeth chatter in his head. + +Tonyk was ready to weep at this spectacle, and said to his brother, + +"Mylio, only see how this poor child suffers from the piercing wind." + +"Then he must be a chilly subject," returned Mylio; "the wind does +not strike me as so piercing." + +"That may well be, when you have on a plush doublet, a warm cloth coat, +and over all your violet mantle, whilst he is wrapped round by little +but the air of heaven." + +"Well, and what then?" observed Mylio; "after all, he is but a +peasant-boy." + +"Alas," said Tonyk, "when I think that you, my brother, might have +been born to the same hard fate, it goes to my very heart; and I +cannot bear to see him suffering. For Jesus' sake let us relieve him." + +So saying he reined in his horse, and calling to him the little boy, +asked what he was about. + +"I am trying," said the child, "if I can find any dragon-flies [2] +asleep in the hollows of the trees." + +"And what do you want with the dragon-flies?" asked Mylio. + +"When I have found a great many, I shall sell them in the town, +and buy myself a garment as warm as sunshine." + +"And how many have you found already?" asked the young nobleman. + +"One only," said the child, holding up a little rushen cage enclosing +the blue fly. + +"Well, well, I will take it," interposed Tonyk, throwing to the boy +his violet mantle. "Wrap yourself up in that nice warm cloak, my +poor little fellow; and when you kneel down to your evening prayers, +say every night a 'Hail Mary' for us, and another for our mother." + +The two brothers went forward on their journey; and Tonyk, having +parted with his mantle, suffered sorely for a time from the cutting +north wind; but the forest came to an end, the air grew milder, +the fog dispersed, and a vein of sunshine kindled in the clouds. + +They presently entered a green meadow, where a fountain sprung; and +there beside it sat an aged man, his clothes in tatters, and on his +back the wallet which marked him as a beggar. + +As soon as he perceived the young riders, he called to them in +beseeching tones. + +Tonyk approached him. + +"What is it, father?" said he, lifting his hand to his hat in +respectful consideration of the beggar's age. + +"Alas, my dear young gentlemen," replied the old man, "you see how +white my hair is, and how wrinkled my cheeks. By reason of my age, I +have grown very feeble, and my feet can carry me no further. Therefore +I must certainly sit here and die, unless one of you is willing to +sell me his horse." + +"Sell thee one of our horses, beggar!" exclaimed Mylio, with +contemptuous voice; "and wherewithal have you to pay for it?" + +"You see this hollow acorn," answered the mendicant: "it contains +a spider capable of spinning a web stronger than steel. Let me have +one of your horses, and I will give you in exchange the acorn with +the spider." + +The elder of the two boys burst into a loud laugh. + +"Do you only hear that, Tonyk?" said he, turning to his brother. "By +my baptism, there must be two calf's feet in that fellow's shoes." [3] + +But the younger answered gently, + +"The poor can only offer what he has." + +Then dismounting, he went up to the old man, and added, + +"I give you my horse, my honest friend, not in consideration of +the price you offer for him, but in remembrance of Christ, who has +declared the poor to be His chosen portion. Take and keep him as your +own, and thank God, in whose name I bestow him." + +The old man murmured a thousand benedictions, and mounting with +Tonyk's aid, went on his way, and was soon lost in the distance. + +But at this last alms-deed Mylio could no longer contain himself, +and broke out into a storm of reproaches. + +"Fool!" cried he angrily to Tonyk, "are you not ashamed of the state +to which you have reduced yourself by your folly? You thought no +doubt that when you had stripped yourself of every thing, I would go +shares with you in horse and cloak and purse. But no such thing. I +hope this lesson at least will do you good, and that, by feeling the +inconveniences of prodigality, you may learn to be more prudent for +the future." + +"It is indeed a good lesson, my brother," replied Tonyk mildly; "and +I willingly receive it. I never so much as thought of sharing your +money, horse, or cloak; go, therefore, on your way without troubling +yourself about me, and may the Queen of angels guide you." + +Mylio answered not a word, but trotted quickly off; whilst his young +brother followed upon foot, keeping him in sight as long as he was +able, without a thought of bitterness arising in his heart. + +And thus they went on towards the entrance of a narrow defile between +two mountains, so lofty that their tops were hidden in the clouds. It +was called the Accursed Strait; for a dreadful being dwelt among +those heights, and there laid wait for travellers, like a huntsman +watching for his game. He was a giant, blind, and without feet; but +had so fine an ear for sound, that he could hear the worm working +her dark way within the earth. His servants were two eagles, which +he had tamed (for he was a great magician), and he sent them forth +to catch his prey so soon as he could hear it coming. So the country +people of the neighbourhood, when they had to thread the dreaded pass, +were accustomed to carry their shoes in their hands, like the girls +of Roscoff going to market at Morlaix, and held their breath lest +the giant should detect their passage. But Mylio, who knew nothing +of all this, went on at full trot, until the giant was awakened by +the sound of horse's hoofs upon the stony way. + +"Ho, ho, my harriers, where are you?" cried he. + +The white and the red eagle hastened to him. + +"Go and fetch me for my supper what is passing by," exclaimed the +giant. + +Like balls from cannon-mouth they shot down the depths of the ravine, +and seizing Mylio by his violet mantle, bore him upwards to the +giant's den. + +At that moment Tonyk came up to the entrance of the defile. He +saw his brother in the act of being carried off by the two birds, +and rushing towards him, uttered a loud cry; but the eagles almost +instantly vanished with Mylio in the clouds that hung over the loftiest +mountain. For a few seconds the boy stood rooted to the spot with +horror, gazing on the sky and the straight rocks that rose above him +like a wall; then sinking on his knees, with folded hands, he cried, + +"O God, the Almighty Maker of the world, save my brother Mylio!" + +"Trouble not God the Father for so small a matter," cried three little +voices close beside him. + +Tonyk turned in amazement. + +"Who speaks? where are you?" he exclaimed. + +"In the pocket of thy doublet," replied the three voices. + +Tonyk searched his pocket, and drew forth the walnut, the acorn, +and the rushen cage, containing the three different insects. + +"Is it you who will save Mylio?" said he. + +"We, we, we," they answered in their various tones. + +"And what can you do, you poor little nobodies?" continued Tonyk. + +"Let us out, and thou shalt see." + +The boy did as they desired; and immediately the spider crept +to a tree, from which she began a web as strong and as shining as +steel. Then mounting on the dragon-fly, which raised her gradually in +the air, she still wove on her silvery network; the several threads +of which assumed the form of a ladder constantly stretching upwards. + +Tonyk mounted step by step on this miraculous ladder, until it brought +him to the summit of the mountain. Then the wasp flew before him, +and led him to the giant's den. + +It was a grotto hollowed in the cliff, and lofty as a +cathedral-nave. The blind and footless ogre, seated in the middle, +swayed his vast body to and fro like a poplar rocked by winds, +singing snatches of a strange song; while Mylio lay on the ground, +his legs and arms tucked behind him, like a fowl trussed for the +spit. The two eagles were at a little distance, by the fireplace, +one ready to act as turnspit, whilst the other made up the fire. + +The noise which the giant made in singing, and the attention he paid +to the preparations for his feast, prevented his hearing the approach +of Tonyk and his three tiny attendants; but the red eagle perceived +the youth, and, darting forward, would have seized him in its claws, +had not the wasp at that very moment pierced its eyes with her diamond +sting. The white eagle, hurrying to its fellow's aid, shared the same +fate. Then the wasp flew upon the ogre, who had roused himself on +hearing the cries of his two servants, and set herself to sting him +without mercy. The giant roared aloud, like a bull in August. But +in vain he whirled around him his huge arms, like windmill-sails; +having no eyes, he could not succeed in catching the creature, and +for want of feet it was equally impossible for him to escape from it. + +At length he flung himself, face downwards, on the earth, to find some +respite from its fiery dart; but the spider then came up, and spun over +him a net that held him fast imprisoned. In vain he called upon the +eagles for assistance: savage with pain, and no longer fearing now they +saw him vanquished, their only impulse was to revenge upon him all the +bitterness of their past long slavery. Fiercely flapping their wings, +they flew upon their former master, and tore him in their fury, as he +lay cowering beneath the web of steel. With every stroke of their beaks +they carried off a strip of flesh; nor did they stay their vengeance +until they had laid bare his bones. Then they crouched down upon the +mangled carcass; and as the flesh of a magician, to say nothing of +an ogre, is a meat impossible of digestion, they never rose again. + +Meanwhile Tonyk had unbound his brother; and, after embracing him with +tears of joy, led him from the cavern to the edge of the precipice. The +dragon-fly and the wasp soon appeared there, harnessed to the little +cage of rushes, now transformed into a coach. They invited the two +brothers to seat themselves within it, whilst the spider placed +herself behind like a magnificent lackey, and the equipage rolled +onwards with the swiftness of the wind. In this way Tonyk and Mylio +travelled untired over meadows, woods, mountains, and villages (for +in the air the roads are always in good order), until they came before +their uncle's castle. + +There the carriage came to ground, and rolled onwards towards the +drawbridge, where the brothers saw both their horses in waiting for +them. At the saddle-bow of Tonyk hung his purse and mantle; but the +purse had grown much larger and heavier, and the mantle was now all +powdered with diamonds. + +Astonished, the youth turned him towards the coach to ask what this +might mean; but, behold, the coach had disappeared; and instead of +the wasp, the spider, and the dragon-fly, there stood three angels +all glorious with light. Awe-struck and bewildered, the brothers sank +upon their knees. + +Then one of the angels, more beautiful and radiant than his fellows, +drew near to Tonyk, and thus spoke: + +"Fear not, thou righteous one; for the woman, the child, and the old +man, whom thou hast succoured were none others than our blessed Lady, +her divine Son, and the holy saint Joseph. They sent us to guard thee +on thy way from harm; and, now that our mission is accomplished, +we return to Paradise. Only remember all that has befallen thee, +and let it serve as an example for ever." + +At these words the angels spread their wings, and soared away like +three white doves, chanting the Hosanna as it is sung in churches at +the Holy Mass. + + + + + + + +THE LEGEND OF SAINT GALONNEK. + + +Saint Galonnek was a native of Ireland, as, indeed, were almost all +the teachers in Brittany of those days, and called himself Galonnus, +being evidently of Roman origin. But after he had left his native land, +and the fame of his good deeds had spread far and wide, the Bretons, +seeing that his heart was like one of those fresh springs of water +that are ever bubbling beneath unfading verdure, changed his name to +Galonnek, which signifies in their language the open-hearted. + +And, in truth, never had any child of God a soul more tenderly +awakened to the sufferings of his fellow-men. No sorrow was beneath his +sympathy; but it was like the sea-breeze, springing with each tide, +never failing to refresh the traveller weary on his way, or to fill +the sails of the humble fishing-boat, and bring it safe to land. + +His father and mother were people of substance, and though themselves +buried in the darkness of paganism, spared not the tenderest solicitude +in the education of their son. He was placed under the instruction +of the most learned masters Ireland could afford, and above all, had +the honour of being a pupil of St. Patrick, then found amongst them +like a nightingale in the midst of wrens, or a beech-tree towering +above the ferns on a common. + +Under his teaching the boy grew up, learning only to regard himself in +the person of God and his neighbours; and with so fervent a love for +souls did the holy apostle of Ireland inspire Galonnek, that at the +age of eighteen he had no higher wish than to cross over to Brittany, +and preach the kingdom of Heaven to sorrowful sinners. + +His father and mother, who had then long since been converted, +desired to throw no hindrance in the way of his accomplishing this +pious work; but embracing him with tears, they bade him God speed, +assured that they should meet again once more before the throne of God. + +Galonnek took his passage in a boat manned by evil-disposed sailors, +whose design was to plunder him; but when they discovered that +the holy youth was possessed of nothing but an iron crucifix and +a holly-staff, they turned him out upon the coast of Cornouaille, +where they abandoned him, helpless and without provisions. + +Galonnek walked about a long time, not knowing where he was, but +perfectly tranquil in his mind, certain that he was in his Master's +kingdom. The sea that roared behind him, the birds that warbled in +the bushes, and the wind murmuring in the leaves, all spoke alike to +him, each with its own peculiar voice, the name of that Master whose +creatures and subjects they were. + +He came at length, towards evening, to a part of the country lying +between Audierne and Plougastel-des-Montagnes, and there finding +a village, he seated himself on the doorstep of the first house, +awaiting an invitation to enter. + +But, far from that, the owner of the house bade him rise and go +away. Galonnek then went to the door of the next house, and received +the same inhospitable order; and so on from door to door throughout +the village. And from the expression every where used to him, zevel, +this village was afterwards called Plouzevel, literally, people who +said, Get up. + +The saint was preparing to stretch his weary limbs by the roadside, +when he perceived a cabin which he had not yet noticed, and drew near +the door. + +It was the dwelling of a poor widow, possessed only of a few acres +of barren land, which she had no longer strength to till. But if the +fruits of her land were little worth, those of her heart were rich and +plentiful. So tenderly generous was her charity, that if any one asked +her for a draught of goat's milk, she would give him cream; and if one +begged for cream, she would have been ready to bestow the goat itself. + +She received Galonnek as if he had been her dearly-beloved son, long +absent, and supposed dead. She ministered to him of the best she had, +listening with devotion to his holy teaching; and having already +charity, the very key of true religion, she was ready to embrace with +all her heart the faith of Christ. So early as the very next morning +she begged the grace of baptism; and Galonnek, seeing that the love +of her neighbours had already made her a Christian in intention, +consented to bestow it. But water was wanted at the moment of the +ceremony; and St. Galonnek going out, took a spade, and digging for +a few moments in the old woman's little courtyard, there sprung out +an abundant fountain; and he said, + +"By the aid of this water your barren land will become fertile meadows +covered with rich grass, and you will be able to feed as many cows +in your new pastures as you have now goats browsing on your heath." + +This miracle began to open the eyes of the villagers; and they gave +permission to Galonnek to take up his abode in a forest which stretched +in those days from Plouzevel to the sea-shore. There the holy disciple +of St. Patrick built himself a hut of turf and boughs. + +One day whilst praying in this oratory, he heard the hoofs of a +runaway horse; and leaving his devotions to see what was the matter, +he saw a knight thrown from his horse amidst the thicket. + +Galonnek ran to his assistance; and having with much difficulty +carried him to his hermitage, he began to bathe his wounds, to dress +them with leaves for want of ointment, and to bind them up with strips +torn from his own gown of serge. + +Now it chanced that this knight was the Count of Cornouaille himself; +and he was found presently by the attendants, whom he had outstripped, +peacefully sleeping on the saint's bed of fern. But behold, when +he awakened, that saint's prayers had stood instead of remedies, +and all his wounds were healed. + +And whilst all stood astonished at this miracle, St. Galonnek said +gently, + +"Do not be so much surprised; for if by faith mountains may be moved, +why should not charity heal death itself?" + +The count, filled with wonder and delight, declared that the whole +forest should become the property of the man who had done so much +for him; and not that only, but that he should have as much good +meadow-land as could be enclosed within the strips he had torn from +his gown to bind the wounds, each strip being reduced to single +threads. Thus Galonnek became the owner of a whole parish; and a +proverb arose, which is still current in those parts, That it is +with the length of a benefit received one must measure the field +of gratitude. + +Yet Galonnek was none the richer, notwithstanding the noble liberality +of the count. All the income of his estate was given to the poor, +whilst he still lived on in his leafy hermitage. But as many young men +were attracted from the neighbourhood by his reputation for holiness +and learning, he built many other cells beside his own; and thus from +his school in that solitary glade the light of the Gospel went forth +in time through all the length and breadth of the country. + +It was amidst the perfume of wild-flowers, beside the murmuring brook, +that Galonnek taught his pupils. He would teach them to understand +somewhat of the providence of God by making them observe the tender +care with which the little birds prepare a downy nest for offspring +yet unborn. He would point out to their attention how the earth yields +moisture to the roots of trees, how the trees become a dwelling-place +for thrushes and for finches, and how these again make musical the +forest with their cheerful strains, to illustrate the advantage and +necessity of mutual benevolence and brotherly love. And when need was +to stimulate their efforts or their perseverance, he would lead them +to behold the ant, unwearied in her toil, or the constant woodpecker +whose tiny bill achieves the scooping of an oak. + +But this teaching did not confine him in one place; and wherever he +went his presence was as that of a star in the midst of darkness. + +Now in those days the inhabitants of Brittany still exercised the +right of wrecking, or in other words, reserved to themselves the +privilege of plundering any unfortunate vessels thrown upon their +coasts. They spoke of the sea as a cow given to their ancestors by +God, and that brought forth every winter for their benefit; thus they +looked on shipwrecks as a positive blessing. + +One night, during a heavy storm, as Galonnek was returning to his +forest from the sick-bed of a poor man, he saw the dwellers on the +coast leading a bull along the rocks. His head was bound down towards +his fore-legs, and a beacon-light was fastened to his horns. The +crippled gait of the animal gave an oscillating motion to the light, +which might be well mistaken at a distance for the lantern of a ship +pitching out at sea, and thus deceive bewildered vessels, uncertain +in the tempest of their course, into the notion of yet being far from +shore. Already one thus treacherously beguiled was on its way to +ruin, and might be seen close upon the rocks, its full white sails +gleaming through the night; another moment and it would have been +aground among the breakers. + +Galonnek rushed amidst the peasants, extinguished the false beacon, +and reproached them for such treachery. But they would not listen to +him, and prepared to rekindle the light. Then the saint cried, + +"By all your hopes in this world and the next, have done! for it is +your own brethren and children that you are drawing to destruction." + +And whilst they stood uncertain, God kindled up the sky with flashing +lightning; and beholding the vessel as if it had been noonday, they +saw that it was indeed a Breton ship. + +Terrified by the dangers to which they had exposed themselves, they +all fell down at the saint's feet; the women kissed the hem of his +garment with floods of tears, as if his hands had rescued their sons +from the depths of the sea, and all with one voice exclaimed, + +"But for him we should have become the murderers of our friends +and neighbours." + +"Alas, those whom you have already lured to death were equally your +neighbours and your friends," replied St. Galonnek; "for we are +all descended from Adam, and have been ransomed by the blood of the +same God." + +The peasants, deeply moved, perceived their guilt, and promised to +renounce this custom of their fathers. + +Much about the same time, the country of Pluguffant was ravaged +by a dragon, which devoured whole flocks with their shepherds and +dogs. In vain had the most courageous men banded themselves together +to destroy it. The ferocious monster had put them all to flight; and +now nobody dared to stir out of doors to lead his cattle to water, +or go and work in the fields. As soon as Galonnek knew this sad state +of things, he set out for the court of the Count of Cornouaille, +and asked there which knight was the most valiant before God and +man. Every voice declared him to be Messire Tanguy de Carfor, who +had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, and killed more than a +thousand Saracens with his own hand. + +Galonnek desired him to gird on his sword and armour, and to come and +fight the dragon, which God had given him a mission to destroy. Carfor +instantly armed himself, and accompanied the saint to the monster's +den, from which he came out, howling frightfully at their approach. + +Carfor hesitated in spite of himself at so unwonted an appearance; +but Galonnek said to him, + +"For your soul's sake, messire, have confidence in God, and you shall +kill this monster as easily as a gadfly." + +Thus encouraged, the knight advanced to the attack, and with scarce an +effort pierced the dragon three times through with his sword, whilst +the saint called upon the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. + +Galonnek also freed the country from many other scourges, such as +wolves, reptiles, and mosquitoes with fiery stings; and being now old +enough to receive holy orders, he was ordained by St. Pol; and built +a little chapel beside his oratory, where every day he celebrated Mass. + +Meanwhile the leafy cells around him multiplied so fast, that at +last they were united in a monastery, called by Galonnek Youlmad, +or the house of good desires. + +He was engaged in drawing up a rule for this monastery, when he was +interrupted by a disturbing rumour which arose in the neighbourhood. + +It was said that a woman clothed in red, and with a ghastly +countenance, had taken passage in a fishing-boat from Crozon. She +landed near Poullons; and when questioned as to her name on departing, +she had replied that she was called the Lady of Pestilence. And, in +fact, it came to pass, that within a very few days both men and animals +were smitten with a contagious disease, which carried them off after a +few hours' illness. So great was the mortality, that wood sufficient +for the coffins could not be found; and for want of grave-diggers, +the corpses were laid to rest in furrows hollowed by the plough. + +Those who were well off gathered all their effects together in wagons, +and harnessing all the horses they possessed, drove away at full +speed to the mountains, which the pallid woman had not passed. But the +poorer people, who had no means of conveyance, and were unwilling to +leave their little all, awaited their doom at home, like sheep lying +down to rest around the butcher's door. + +In this extremity, however, they were not abandoned by Galonnek. He +went from hut to hut, carrying aid or consolation. Linen for shrouds +and wood for coffins might indeed be wanting; but he swathed the +fever-spotted dead in leafy twigs, and bore them in his own arms +to consecrated earth, laying them down tenderly as sleeping infants +in their cradle-bed. Then planting a branch of yew, and another of +blossoming broom, he entwined them in the form of a cross, and set +them as an emblem on the grave; the yew symbolising the sorrow which +underlies the whole course of life, and the blossoming broom the +transitory joys which gleam across it. And it is said, that when at +last the pestilence was stayed, these holy crosses covered a space of +three days' journey. So many generous and pious acts had spread the +fame of Galonnek both far and wide, and all Cornouaille was inflamed +with devotion. Persons came from all parts to the convent of Good +Desires to listen to his teaching, to ask his prayers, and to offer him +gifts; but these the saint only accepted for the purposes of charity. + +"The priest," he used to say, "is only as a canal, which serves to +carry water from overflowing streams to arid barren plains." + +Another of his sayings was, "God has given us two hands; one with +which to receive His good treasures, and the other to administer the +same to those who need." + +And thus, although the neighbouring nobles had loaded him with +presents, his monastery and church were radiant only with his good +actions. He was accustomed to sleep upon an osier hurdle, and wore +nothing better than a gown of faded serge. But all this external +poverty threw out with stronger lustre the brightness of his hidden +worth; and Galonnek was like one of those caskets made of earth or +bark, in which are treasured rubies and carbuncles. + +The see of Cornouaille becoming vacant, Galonnek was summoned with +one voice to fill it. He was anxious to refuse; but St. Pol himself +came to find him out, and said to him that God's stars have no right +to conceal themselves in the grass, but must take their places in +the firmament. Then St. Galonnek resigned himself; but when the +moment came for leaving the turfen oratory, where he had spent the +best part of his life, his heart became so heavy that he burst into +tears, and cried aloud, "Alas, how shall I become worthy of the new +office which my brethren impose upon me?" Then, falling on his knees, +he prayed most fervently until God put strength into his heart. When +he arose, he took the humble chalice he had been accustomed to use, +his sole possession, save the memory of his good deeds, and went on +foot to the capital of Cornouaille, where he was consecrated Bishop. + +Here began for St. Galonnek a new life of courage and self-denial. He +had to fight for the poor against the rich, for the weak against +the mighty. When his friends and disciples beheld him engage, all +unprotected, in these dangerous struggles, even the most courageous +were at times dismayed; but Galonnek would say with a smile, "Fear not, +my friends, their weapons cannot touch me. God Himself has forged +for me a breastplate with the tears of the sorrowful, the miseries +of the poor, and the despair of the oppressed. Behind this armour I +can feel no hurt. Blows can only do us mischief by glancing across us +at any of those who have taken up our cause; for from our very heart +distils a balsam that can heal as they come all the wounds inflicted +from without." + +Moved by the sight of so much virtue, many powerful noblemen, who had +hitherto persisted in idolatry, came to ask of Galonnek instruction and +the grace of baptism; but he would only grant this favour in reward for +some good work. If any one had sinned, and came to seek for absolution, +Galonnek would give him for a penance some virtuous action to perform, +some charitable service to his fellow-men. He taught them to regard +God as the surety for recompenses merited but not received, to invest +their lives in Paradise, to break every tie which holds the soul in +bondage, that it may spring forward with unfettered flight in the +love of God and man. + +About this time the Count of Cornouaille died, and was succeeded by +his son Tugduval. He was a conceited, vain-glorious youth, who could +not endure the least contradiction, and had not yet lived long enough +to find that life is an instrument on which the first chords we strike +are invariably false. + +So unjust had he shown himself in many instances to the townspeople +and gentry, that they banded together and drove him from the city. But +Tugduval asked assistance from the Count of Vannes, and soon returned +with an army to which the rebels could offer no resistance. Multitudes +were slain in battle, and the survivors taking refuge in the city, +were besieged there by the count. + +He rode round the city-walls, like a hungry wolf parading a sheepfold, +swearing never to forgive one of the rebels, or those who had given +them shelter. + +So battering-rams were brought, and raised against the walls; and +when once a passage was forced, he mounted his war-horse, and ordering +every soldier to take a naked sword in one hand, and a lighted torch +in the other, he rushed at their head into the affrighted city. + +But Galonnek had seen the terror of the conquered people, who only +looked for fire and sword; and coming out of the cathedral, with +all his priests in procession, bearing crosses and all their sacred +relics, he came the first to meet Tugduval, his bald head uncovered, +and his chalice in his hand. + +The young count, astonished, checked his horse; but Galonnek went +straight up to his saddle-bow, there paused, and said in a gentle +voice, "If any will devour the flock, he must begin by slaying the +shepherd. I am here at your mercy, and am ready to purchase with my +blood forgiveness for the rest." + +At the sight of this holy old man, whom he had early been taught +to reverence, and at that voice which had always sounded like a +benediction, Tugduval felt his rage dissolve away; and letting fall +his sword, he bent over his horse's neck, and kissed devoutly the +chalice carried by St. Galonnek. At that instant all the soldiers, +as if touched by the same emotion, put out their torches, and turned +their sword-points to the ground, crying as with one voice, "Quarter, +quarter for all!" + +The young count waited not a repetition of this prayer; but dismounting +hastily, he followed the Bishop to the cathedral, where the conquerors +and the conquered joined in songs of thanksgiving to God. + +This was the last great act of St. Galonnek's life. A very few months +after, he felt his strength decay, and knew that his end was near. He +did not, however, on that account relax in his good works. Returning +one day from a visit to a poor widow bereaved of her last son, he +suddenly found himself unable to proceed, and sat down to rest upon +a stone by the wayside. There a pedlar from the mountains found him, +some time after, sitting motionless; and thinking that he slept, +the man approached him, when he saw that he was dead. Judging from +the poverty of his apparel, the pedlar took him for a hermit of the +neighbourhood, and out of Christian charity wrapped the body in his +mantle for a funeral shroud. A shoemaker's wife, who lived a few +steps off, contributed an old chest to serve as a coffin, so that +Bishop Galonnek came to his grave like a beggar. + +But the truth was soon discovered by the miracles which were wrought +at his tomb; and the body being taken from the earth, was carried with +great state to the city, and buried at the foot of the high altar in +the cathedral. St. Pol was requested to write an epitaph upon him; +but the apostle of Léon replied that none but an archangel could +compose one; so they merely covered the grave with a plain granite +slab, on which was carved the name of Galonnek. + +Ages have passed away, and yet this stone still remains, and thither +the Breton mothers come to lay their new-born babes one instant on +its consecrated bosom, whilst they repeat the usual form of prayer: + +"Saint Galonnek, bestow upon my child two hearts. Give him the heart +of a lion, that he may be strong in well-doing; and give him the +heart of a turtle-dove, that he may be full of brotherly love." + +The feast of St. Galonnek is celebrated on the 1st of April, when +the buds of the hedgerows are bursting into leaf, and "the time of +the singing of birds is come." + + + + + + + +THE KORILS OF PLAUDEN. + + +There dwelt formerly in the land of White-Wheat, as well as in +Cornouaille, a race of dwarfs, or Korigans, who, being divided into +four nations or tribes, inhabited the woods, the commons, the valleys, +and the farms. Those dwelling in the woods were called Kornikaneds, +because they played on little horns, which hung suspended from +their girdles; the inhabitants of the commons were called Korils, +from their spending all their nights in dancing by moonlight; the +dwellers in the valleys were Poulpikans, from their homes lying so +low; and the Teuz were wild black men, living near the meadows and +the wheat-fields; but as the other Korigans accused them of being too +friendly with Christians, they were forced to take flight into Léon, +where probably there may still be some of them remaining. + +At the time of which I speak, there were only then hereabouts the +Kornikaneds, the Poulpikans, and the Korils; but they abounded in +such numbers, that after dark few people cared to venture near their +stony palaces. + +Above all, there lay in Plauden, near the little market-town of +Loqueltas, a common known as Motenn-Dervenn, or place of oaks, whereon +there stood an extensive Koril village, that may be seen there to this +very day. The mischievous dwarfs came out to dance there every night; +and any one adventurous enough to cross the common at that time was +sure to be entrapped into their mazy chain, and forced to wheel about +with them till earliest cockcrow; so that the place was universally +avoided after nightfall. + +One evening, however, Benead Guilcher, returning with his wife from +a field, where he had been doing a day's work in ploughing for a +farmer of Cadougal, took his way across the haunted heath because it +was so much the shortest road. It was still early, and he hoped that +the Korigans might not have yet begun their dance; but when he came +half-way over the Motenn-Dervenn, he perceived them scattered round +about the blocks of stone, like birds on a field of corn. He would +fain have turned him back; but the horns of the wood-dwarfs, and the +call-cries of the valley-imps, already rose behind him. Benead felt +his legs tremble, and said to his wife, + +"Saint Anne, we are done for! Here come the Kornikaneds and the +Poulpikans to join the Korils for their midnight ball. They will make +us dance with them till daybreak; and it is more than my poor heart +can endure." + +And, in fact, the troops of Korigans assembling from all parts, +came round about poor Guilcher and his wife like flies in August to +a drop of honey, but started back on seeing in his hand the little +fork Benead had been using to clear the ploughshare, and began to +sing with one accord, + + + "Let him be, let her be, + The plough-fork has he! + Let them go on their way, + The fork carry they!" + + +Guilcher instantly perceived that the instrument he held in his hand +acted as a charm against the power of the Korigans; and he and his +wife passed unmolested through the very midst of them. + +This was a hint to every body. From that day forward it became a +universal custom to take out the little fork of an evening; and +thus armed, any one might cross the heaths and valleys without fear +of hindrance. + +But Benead was not satisfied with having rendered this service to +the Bretons; he was an inquisitive as well as an intelligent man, +and as merry a hunchback as any in the four Breton bishoprics. For +I have omitted to tell you that Benead carried from his birth a hump +betwixt his shoulders, with which he would thankfully have parted at +cost-price. He was looked on also as an honest workman, who laboured +conscientiously for daily bread, and moreover well deserved the +character of a good Christian. + +One evening, unable to resist the wish, he took his little fork, +commended himself devoutly to St. Anne, and set off towards the +Motenn-Dervenn. + +The Korils saw him from a distance, and ran to him, crying, + +"It is Benead Guilcher!" + +"Yes, it is I, my little men," replied the jovial hunchback; "I have +come to pay you a friendly visit." + +"You are welcome," replied the Korils. "Will you have a dance with us?" + +"Excuse me, my good folks," replied Guilcher, "but your breath is +too long for a poor invalid." + +"We will stop whenever you like," cried the Korils. + +"Will you promise that?" said Benead, who was not unwilling to try +a round with them, as much for the novelty of the thing as that he +might have it to talk about. + +"We will promise thee," said the dwarfs. + +"By the Saviour's cross?" + +"By the Saviour's cross." + +The hunchback, satisfied that such an oath secured him from all +dangers, took his place in their chain; and the Korils began their +round, singing their accustomed song: + + + "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; + Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday." [4] + + +In a few minutes Guilcher stopped. + +"With all due deference to you, good gentlefolks," said he to the +dwarfs, "your song and dance seem to me very monotonous. You stop +too early in the week; and without having much claim to be a skilful +stringer of rhymes, I fancy I can lengthen the chorus." + +"Let us see, let us see!" cried the dwarfs. + +Then the hunchback replied, + + + "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, + Thursday, Friday, Saturday." + + +A great tumult arose amongst the Korils. + +"Stard! stard!" [5] cried they, surrounding Guilcher; "you are a bold +singer and a fine dancer. Repeat it once more." + +The hunchback repeated, + + + "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, + Thursday, Friday, Saturday," + + +whilst the Korils wheeled about in mad delight. At last they stopped, +and pressing round about Guilcher, they cried with one voice, + +"What will you have? what do you want? riches or beauty? Speak a wish, +and we will fulfil it for you." + +"Are you in earnest?" asked the labourer. + +"May we be doomed to pick up grain by grain all the millet in the +diocese, if we deceive thee," they replied. + +"Well," said Guilcher, "if you want to make me a present, and leave me +to choose what it shall be, I have one thing only to desire from you, +and that is, that you take away what I have got here set betwixt my +shoulders, and make me as straight as the flagstaff of Loqueltas." + +"Good, good!" replied the Korils. "Be easy, come here." And seizing +Guilcher, they threw him in the air, tossing him from one to another +like a worsted ball, until he had made the round of the entire +circle. Then he fell upon his feet, giddy, breathless, but--without +his hump! Benead had grown younger, fatter, beautiful! Except his +mother, no one could have recognised him. + +You may guess the surprise his appearance created on his return to +Loqueltas. No one could believe it was Guilcher; his wife herself +was doubtful about receiving him. Before she could recognise in him +her old humpback, he was compelled to tell her exactly how many +headdresses she had in her press, and what was the colour of her +stockings. At last, when every body knew for certain that it was +he, they became wonderfully anxious to find out what had effected +so strange a transformation; but Benead thought that if he told +the truth, he should be looked on as an accomplice of the Korigans; +and that every time an ox strayed, or a goat was lost, he should be +applied to for its restoration. So he told all those who asked him +questions, that it happened unknown to him whilst sleeping on the +heath. Thenceforth went all the crooked folk who were silly enough +to believe him, and spent their nights upon the open heath, hoping to +rise like arrows in the morning; but many people suspected that there +was a secret in the matter, which Guilcher was unwilling to disclose. + +Amongst these latter was a tailor with red hair and squinting eyes, +called, from his stammering speech, Perr Balibouzik. He was not, as +is usual with his craft, a rhymester, lively on his board as a robin +on its twig, and one who scented pancakes from afar as dogs do game; +Balibouzik never laughed, never sung, and fed upon such coarse black +barley bread that one could count the straws in it. He was a miser, +and, worse than that, a bad Christian; lending out his money at such +heavy interest, that he ruined all the poor day-labourers of the +country. Guilcher had long owed him five crowns, and had no means of +paying them. Perr went in quest of him, and demanded them once more. + +The ci-devant hunchback excused himself, promising to pay after +fair-time; but Balibouzik declared that the only condition upon which +he would agree to any further delay was that of being at once put +in possession of the secret how to grow young and handsome. Thus +driven to extremities, Guilcher related his visit to the Korils, +what words he had added to their song, and how the choice had been +given him between two wishes. + +Perr made him repeat every detail many times over, and then went away, +warning his debtor that he would give him eight days longer to lay +hands on the five crowns. + +But what he had heard awakened within him all the rage of avarice. He +resolved that very night to visit the Motenn-Dervenn, to mix in +the dance of Korigans, and to gain the choice between two wishes, +as proposed to Guilcher,--namely, riches and beauty. + +So soon, therefore, as the moon arose, behold Balibouzik the +Squinter on his way towards the common, carrying a little fork in +his hand. The Korils saw him, ran to meet him, and demanded whether +he would dance. Perr consented, after making the same conditions as +Benead, and joined the dancing company of little black men, who were +all engaged in chanting the refrain which Guilcher had increased: + + + "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, + Thursday, Friday, Saturday." + + +"Wait!" cried the tailor, seized with sudden inspiration; "I also +will add something to your song." + +"Add, add!" replied the Korils. + +And all once more exclaimed, + + + "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, + Thursday, Friday, Saturday." + + +They stopped, and Balibouzik stammered out alone, + + + "And the Sun--Sun--Sunday too." + + +The dwarfs uttered a prolonged murmur. + +"Well?" they cried all at once. + + + "Sun--Sunday too," + + +repeated the tailor. + +"But go on, go on." + + + "Sun--Sunday." + + +"Well, well, well?" + + + "Sun--Sunday too!" + + +The Koril chain was broken up; they ran about as if furious at not +being understood. + +The poor stammerer, terrified, stood speechless, with his mouth +wide open. At length the waves of little black heads grew calmer; +they surrounded Balibouzik, and a thousand voices cried at once, + +"Wish a wish! wish a wish!" + +Perr took heart. + +"A wi-wi-sh," said he. "Guilcher cho-o-ose between riches and beauty." + +"Yes, Guilcher chose beauty, and left riches." + +"Well, for my part, I choose what Guilcher left." + +"Well done!" cried the Korils. "Come here, tailor." + +Perr drew near in transport. They took him up as they had done Benead; +threw him from hand to hand all round their circle; and when he +fell upon his feet, he had between his shoulders what Guilcher had +left--that is to say, a hump. + +The tailor was no more Balibouzik simply, he was now Tortik-Balibouzik. + +The poor deformed creature came back to Loqueltas shamefaced as a dog +who has had his tail cut off. As soon as what had happened to him was +known, there was not a creature but longed to get sight of him. And +every one beholding his back, grown round as that of a well-digger, +uttered an exclamation of astonishment. Perr raged beneath his hump, +and swore to himself that he would be revenged upon Guilcher; for that +he alone was the cause of this misfortune, being a favourite of the +Korigans, and having doubtless begged them thus to insult his creditor. + +So the eight days once expired, Tortik-Balibouzik said to Benead, +that if he could not pay him his five crowns, he would go and send +the officers of justice to sell all he had. Benead entreated in vain; +the new hunchback would listen to nothing, and announced that the very +next day he should send to the fair [6] all his furniture, his tools, +and his pig. + +Guilcher's wife uttered loud cries, reiterating that they were +disgraced before the parish, that nothing now was left for them but to +take up the wallet and white staff of mendicants, and go begging from +door to door; that it was well worth Benead's while to have become +straight and noble in appearance only to take up the straw girdle; +[7] and thousands of other unreasonable sayings, after the fashion +of women when they are in tribulation,--and when they are not. + +To all these complaints Guilcher replied nothing, unless it were that +submission to the will of God and His Blessed Mother was above all +things necessary; but his heart was humbled to the core. He reproached +himself now with not preferring wealth to beauty, when he had the +choice; and he would only too willingly have taken back his hump, +well garnished with gold, or even silver, crowns. After seeking in +vain for a way out of his trouble, he made up his mind to revisit +Motenn-Dervenn. + +The Korils welcomed him with shouts of joy, as before, and made +him join them in their dance. Benead had no heart for merriment; +but he would not damp their mirth, and began to jump with all his +might. The delighted dwarfs skipped about like dead leaves driven by +the winter's wind. + +As they ran they repeated the first line of their song, their companion +took up the second; they went on to the third, and, that being the +last, Guilcher was compelled to finish the tune without words, which +in a short time grew tiresome to him. + +"If I might venture to give you my opinion, my little lords," said he, +"your song has the same effect upon me as the butcher's dog, it goes +upon three legs." + +"Right, right!" cried all the voices. + +"I think," said Benead, "it would be much the best way to add another +foot." + +"Add, add!" replied the dwarfs. + +And all sung out with one accord, and in a piercing utterance, + + + "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, + Thursday, Friday, Saturday, + And the Sunday too!" + + +There was a short silence; the dwarfs waited to see what Guilcher +would say. + + + "All the week have you!" + + +finished he gaily. + +Thousands of cries which made but one cry rose up from all corners +of the common. The whole heath was instantly covered with jumping +Korigans. They sprung out from tufts of grass, from bushes of broom, +from rocky clefts,--one would have said it was a very hive of little +black men; whilst all gambolling amongst the heather, they exclaimed, + + + "Guilcherik, our saviour! he + Has fulfill'd the Lord's decree!" + + +"By my soul! what does all this mean?" cried Benead in astonishment. + +"It means," replied the Korigans, "that God had sentenced us to dwell +here amongst men, and every night to dance upon the common, until +some good Christian should finish our refrain. You first lengthened +it, and we hoped that the tailor you sent would have completed it; +but he stopped short on the very point of doing so, and for that we +punished him. You fortunately have done what he could not; our time +of trial now is over, and we shall go back to our kingdom, which +spreads under ground, beneath the very sea and rivers," + +"If this is so," said Guilcher, "and you really are so far indebted +to me, do not go away and leave a friend in trouble." + +"What do you want?" + +"The means of paying Balibouzik to-day, and the baker for ever." + +"Take our bags, take our bags!" exclaimed the Korigans. + +And they threw at Benead's feet the little bags of rusty cloth which +they wore strapped on their shoulders. + +He gathered up as many as he possibly could carry, and ran all +joyous home. + +"Light the resin," cried he to his wife, on entering, "and close the +screen, that nobody may see us; for I bring home wealth enough to +buy up three whole parishes, their judges, rectors, and all." + +At the same time he spread out upon the table the multitude of little +bags, and set himself to open them. But, alas, he had been reckoning +the price of his butter before he had bought the cow. [8] The bags +enclosed nothing more than sand, dead leaves, horsehair, and a pair +of scissors. + +On seeing this he uttered such a dreadful cry that his wife, who +had gone to shut the door, came back to ask him what could be the +matter. Then Benead told her of his visit to the Motenn-Dervenn, +and all that had occurred there. + +"St. Anne have pity on us!" cried the frightened woman; "the Korigans +have been making sport of you." + +"Alas, I see it but too well," replied Guilcher. + +"And you have dared, unhappy man, to touch these bags, the property +of the accursed." + +"I thought I should find something better in them," exclaimed Benead +piteously. + +"Nothing good can come from good-for-nothings," replied the old +woman. "What you have got there will bring an evil spell upon our +house. Heavens! if only I have a drop of holy water left." + +She ran to her bed, and taking from the wall a little earthen holy +water-stoup, she steeped in it a branch of box; but scarcely had the +dew of God been sprinkled on the bags, when the horsehair changed at +once to necklaces of pearls, the dead leaves into gold, and the sand +to diamonds. The enchantment was destroyed, and the wealth that the +Korigans would fain have hidden from a Christian eye was forced to +reassume its proper form. + +Guilcher repaid Balibouzik his five crowns. He gave to every poor +person in the parish a bushel of wheat, with six ells of cloth; and +he paid the rector handsomely for fifty Masses; then he set out with +his wife for Josselin, where they bought a mansion, and where they +reared a family who now are gentlefolks. + + + + + + + +THE BLESSED MAO. + + +Those Christians who stand in need of heavenly aid cannot do better +than apply themselves to our Lady of All-Help near Faou. In that place +has been built, expressly in her honour, the very richest chapel ever +yet raised for her by human hands. The whole inside is ornamented +with golden images, and the belfry-tower, which is made exactly like +the one at Kreisker, is perforated like a Quimper fritter. There +stands also near the church a stone fountain, famed for healing the +infirmities both of body and soul. + +It was at this chapel that Mao stopped on his road to pray. Mao came +from Loperek, which is a pleasant little parish between Kimerc'h and +Logoma. His friends and relations were all dead, and his guardian had +sent him off to seek his living where he liked, with a good club-stick +in his hand and three silver crowns in his purse. + +After saying devoutly at the foot of the high-altar all the prayers +he had ever learned from the curé, or the old woman who had nursed +him, Mao went out of church to go on his way. But as he passed the +palisades, he saw a crowd of people gathered around a corpse upon +the grass, and learnt upon inquiry that it was the body of a poor +beggar-man, who had yielded up his soul the morning before, and who +could not be buried for want of the money-payment. + +"Was he, then, a heathen, or a wretched reprobate who had been +unfaithful to his Christian duties, that no one will do him this +charitable service?" asked Mao. + +"He was a sheep of the true fold," replied one who stood by; "and +however hardly he might be pressed by hunger, he would not pluck the +three apples, or even ears of corn, which are permitted by old usage +to be gathered by the passing stranger. But poor Stevan has not left +the means of paying for his funeral, and so here he is allowed to +lie. If I were not as poor myself, I would not have allowed him to +lie here so long." + +"Alas," cried Mao, "are the people so cruel in this part of the world, +that they suffer the poor to enter the church-doors whilst living, +but not after death? If money is all that is wanted, here are three +crowns; they are all I have, but I will gladly give them to unlock +holy ground to one of the faithful departed." + +The sexton and the priest were now sent for, and the body of the poor +beggar was solemnly committed to the grave. As for Mao, he made a +simple cross of two yew-branches, set it on the grave of the poor +beggar; and after having devoutly repeated a De profundis, he set +off once more upon his journey towards Camfront. + +After a time, however, Mao grew both hungry and thirsty, and +remembering that he had nothing left of what his guardian had +bestowed, he set himself to gather blackberries, wild-sorrel, and +sloes from the hedges. And whilst thus employed, he watched the birds +that picked their living from the bushes, and said within himself, +"After all, these birds are better off than baptised creatures. They +have no need of inns, of butchers, bakers, or gardeners; God's open +sky belongs to them, and His earth is stretched before them like +a table always spread; the little insects are to them as game, the +grass in seed their fields of corn, the fruit of the wild-rose or +hawthorn their dessert; they are at liberty to gather all without +payment or permission asked. No wonder that the birds are joyous, +and sing from morning till night." + +Turning these thoughts in his mind, Mao slackened his pace, and at +last sat himself down under the shade of an old oak-tree, where he +fell asleep. But behold, in his sleep, a holy man appeared suddenly +before him, clad in shining raiment, who thus spoke: + +"I am the poor beggar Stevan, for whom you purchased a consecrated +grave. The Blessed Virgin Mary, whom I endeavoured to serve while +on earth, now reckons me amongst her court, and has vouchsafed to me +the privilege of bringing you good news. Think not the birds of the +air can possibly be happier than baptised creatures; for the Son of +God has shed His blood for these, and they are the favourites of the +Holy Trinity. And now hear what the Three Divine Persons will do to +recompense your piety. There stands hereabouts, beyond the meadows, +an old manor house: you will know it by its weather-vane, which +is painted red and green. A man of rank dwells there; his name is +Trehouar; and he has a granddaughter, lovely as the day, and gentle +as a new-born child. Go you, and knock this evening at his door, +saying that 'you are come, he knows for what.' He will receive you, +and you will of your own self make out the rest. Only remember, +that if you are in want of help, you must say, + + + 'Dead beggar, make haste, make haste to me; + For I am sorely in need of thee.'" + + +With these words the holy man vanished, and Mao awoke. His first +impulse was to thank God for vouchsafing such protection over him; and +this done, he set off across the meadows to find the manor-house. As +night was coming on, he had some doubts of being able to do so; but at +last he observed a flight of pigeons, which he set himself to follow, +feeling certain they could only lead him to the house of a noble. And, +in fact, he soon perceived the red-and-green weather-vane overtopping +a little orchard of black-cherry trees laden with fruit; for this +was a part of the country famous for black cherries. It is from the +mountain parishes that all those cherries are brought which may be +seen spread out on straw at the Léon festivals, and with which the +young men fill their great beaver hats for the damsels of their choice. + +Mao crossed the lawn, shaded with walnut-trees, and then knocked at +the most insignificant door he could find, saying, according to the +directions, that "he was come for--they knew what." The master of the +house was soon fetched. He came, his head shaking, for he was old and +feeble, and leaning on the arm of his fresh young granddaughter. To +have seen them together, you would have thought of an old tottering +wall supported by a blooming honeysuckle. + +The old gentleman and his granddaughter welcomed the young man with +the greatest politeness; a worked ottoman was drawn for him close +beside the grandfather's arm-chair, and he was treated with sweet +cider whilst they waited for supper. + +Mao was much surprised to see the way in which he was received, and +found great delight in watching the young girl, who prepared every +thing with tripping step, singing the while like a very lark. + +At last, when supper was over, and Liçzenn,--for so the old man called +his grandchild,--had cleared all away, he said to Mao, + +"We have treated you to the best of our ability, and according to +our means, young man, though not according to our wishes; for the +mansion of the Trehouars has been long afflicted by a most grievous +plague. Formerly you might have counted twenty horses, and full forty +cows, here; but the evil spirit has taken possession of the stalls +and stables; cows and horses have disappeared one after another, +and that as often as they have been replaced, until the whole of my +savings have been thus consumed. All religious services to rid us of +this destructive demon have hitherto failed. There has been nothing +for us but to submit; and for want of cattle my whole domain now +lies uncultivated. I had put some confidence in my nephew Matelinn, +who is gone to the war in France; but as he does not return, I have +given notice throughout the country, both from the altar and elsewhere, +that the man who can deliver the manor from this curse shall both marry +Liçzenn, and inherit my property after me. All those who have hitherto +made the attempt, by lying in wait in the stables, have disappeared +like the cows and horses. I pray God that you may be more fortunate." + +Mao, whom the remembrance of his vision secured against all fear, +replied that, by the aid of the Blessed Virgin, he hoped to triumph +over the hidden foe. So, begging that he might have a fire to keep +him warm, he took his club-stick, and went forth. + +The place to which he was conducted was a very large shed, divided +in two parts for the use both of the cows and horses; but now all +was empty from one end to the other, and the cobwebs hung in thick +festoons from the racks. + +Mao kindled a fire of broom upon the broad paving-stones, and began +to pray. + +The first quarter of an hour he heard nothing but the crackling of +the flame; the second quarter of an hour he heard nothing but the +wind that whistled mournfully through the broken door; the third +quarter of an hour he heard nothing but the little death-watch +tapping in the rafters overhead; but the fourth quarter of an hour, +a dull sound rumbled beneath the pavement; and at the further end of +the building, in the darkest corner, he saw the largest stone rise +slowly up, and the head of a dragon coming from below. It was huge +as a baker's kneading-trough, flattened like a viper's, and all round +the forehead shone a row of eyes of different colours. + +The beast raised his two great fore-feet armed with scarlet claws +upon the edge of the pavement, glared upon Mao, and then crept hissing +from his hole. As he came on, his scaly body could be seen unrolling +from beneath the stone like a mighty cable from a ship's hold. + +Courageous as was the youth, at this spectacle his blood ran cold; +and just as he began to feel the dragon's breath, he cried aloud, + + + "Dead beggar, make haste, make haste to me; + For I am sorely in need of thee." + + +In an instant the shining form he had invoked was at his side. + +"Fear nothing," said the saint; "those who are protected by the Mother +of God are always victorious over the monsters of the earth. Raise +your club and lay the dragon dead at your feet;" and with these words +he raised his hand, pronouncing some words that can only be heard in +heaven. Mao aimed a fearful blow at the dragon's head, and that very +moment the huge monster sank dead upon its side. + +The next morning, when the sun rose, Mao went to awaken all the people +at the manor, and led them to the stables; but at sight of the dead +monster even the most courageous started back at least ten paces. + +"Do not be afraid," said the young man; "the Blessed Mother came to +my assistance, and the beast that fed on cattle and their guardians +is nothing now but lifeless clay. Only fetch some ropes, and let us +drag it from this place to some lonely waste." + +So they did as he desired; and when the dragon was drawn forth from +his den, the whole length of his body was so great that it extended +twice round the black-wheat barn-floor. [9] + +The old man, happy in his deliverance from so dangerous an enemy, +fulfilled the promise he had made to Mao, and gave to him Liçzenn in +marriage. She was led to church at Camfront, her left arm circled, +after the custom of the country, by as many rows of silver-lace as +there were thousands of francs in her dowry; and the story goes that +she had eighteen. + +As soon as he was married, Mao bought cattle, hired servants, and soon +brought the land about the manor to a more flourishing condition than +it had ever known before. + +Then went the grandfather to seek his recompense from God, and left +all that he possessed to the young couple. + +So happy were they in each other and themselves, that no baptised +creature ever felt the like,--so happy, that when they knelt in prayer, +they could think of nothing to request from God that He had not already +blest them with; so they had nothing to do but to thank Him. But +one day, as they were sitting down to supper with their servants, +one of their attendants introduced a soldier, so tall that his head +reached the rafters; and Liçzenn knew him for her cousin Matelinn. He +had come back from the French war to marry his cousin; and learning +what had come to pass during his absence, he had felt the bitterest +rage. Nevertheless, he betrayed nothing of his thoughts to Mao and +his wife; for his was a deceitful heart. + +Mao, who suspected nothing, received him with affectionate kindness; +set before him the best of every thing in the house; had the handsomest +room prepared for his reception; and went out to show him all the +fields, now ripe for harvest. + +But the higher Matelinn saw the flax, and the heavier the ears of corn, +the more he was enraged at not being the possessor of all this; to +say nothing of his cousin Liçzenn, who had grown more charming than +ever. So one day he proposed to Mao that they should hunt together +on the downs of Logoma, and thus contrived to lead him towards a +distant heath, where he had an old deserted windmill, against which +bundles of furze for the baker's oven at Daoulas had been heaped +up in great piles. When they reached this place, he turned his face +towards Camfront, and said suddenly to his young companion, + +"Ah! I can see the manor all this way off, with its great courtyard." + +"Which way?" asked Mao. + +"Behind that little beech-wood. Don't you see the great hall-windows?" + +"I am too short," said Mao. + +"Ah, you are right, so you are; and it is a pity too, for I can see +my cousin Liçzenn in the little yard beside the garden." + +"Is she alone?" + +"No; there are some gentlemen with her whispering in her ear." + +"And what is Liçzenn doing?" + +"Liçzenn is listening to them, whilst she twists her apron-string." + +Mao raised himself upon the tips of his toes. "Ah, I wish I could see," +said he. + +"Oh, it is easy enough," replied Matelinn "you have only to climb up +to the top of the mill, and you will be higher than I am." + +Mao approved of this advice, and climbed up the old ladder. When he +reached the top, his cousin asked him what he saw? + +"I see nothing but the trees, which seem as near the ground as wheat +of two months' growth," said Mao, "and houses looking in the distance +small as the sea-shells stranded on the shore." + +"Look nearer," returned Matelinn. + +"Nearer, I can only see the ocean, with its boats skimming the water +like seagulls." + +"Look nearer yet," said the soldier. + +"Still nearer is the common, bright with rose-blossoms and the +purple heath." + +"Look down beneath you." + +"Beneath me!" cried Mao, in terror. "Instead of the ladder to descend +by, I see flames rushing upwards to devour me." + +And he saw rightly; for Matelinn had drawn away the ladder, and set +fire to the surrounding fagots, so that the old mill stood as in +a furnace. + +Mao in vain besought the giant not to leave him there to perish in +so horrible a manner. He only turned his back, and went off whistling +down the moor. + +Then the young man, feeling himself nearly suffocated, invoked the +saint once more: + + + "Dead beggar, make haste, make haste to me; + For I am sorely in need of thee." + + +Instantly the saint appeared, holding in his right hand a glittering +rainbow, one end of which was resting on the sea, and in his left +Jacob's mysterious ladder, that once led from heaven to earth. With +the rainbow he put out the fire, and by the ladder's aid poor Mao +reached the ground, and went safely home. + +On beholding him, Matelinn was seized with surprise and consternation, +sure that his cousin would hasten to denounce him before the +magistrates; and rushing to fetch his arms and war-horse, was hurrying +from the courtyard, when Mao came to him, and said, + +"Fear nothing, cousin; for no man saw what passed upon Daoulas +common. Your heart was hurt that God had given me more good things +than yourself; I wish to heal its wounds. From this day forward, so +long as I live, you shall share with me half of all that I possess, +save and except my darling Liçzenn. So come, my cousin, harbour no +more evil thoughts against me." + +The deed of this convention was drawn up by the notary in the usual +form; and Matelinn received henceforward, every month, the half of +all the produce of the fields, the courtyard, and the stables. + +But this noble generosity of Mao served only to increase the spite +and venom of his heart; for undeserved benefits are like wine drank +when one is not thirsty,--they bring us neither joy nor profit. He +did not wish Mao dead, because then he would have lost his share in +Mao's wealth; but he hated him, even as a caged wolf hates the hand +that feeds him. + +What made him still more angry was, to see how every thing prospered +with his cousin. To crown his felicity, he had a son born to him, both +strong and beautiful, and one that wept not at his birth, the nurses +said. Mao sent the news out to the first people of the neighbourhood, +entreating them to come to the baptismal feast. And they came from more +than six leagues round,--from Braspars, Kimerc'h, Loperek, Logoma, +Faou, Irvillac, and Saint Eloi,--all mounted on handsomely-equipped +horses, with their wives or daughters behind them. The baptism of a +prince of Cornouaille himself could not have brought together a more +goodly assembly. + +When all were drawn up ready in the front of the manor-house, and Mao +came to Liçzenn's chamber for the new-born babe, with those who were +to hold it at the font, and his nearest friends, Matelinn presented +himself also, with a traitor's joy depicted on his countenance. On +seeing him, the mother uttered a cry; but he, approaching, bent over +her with specious words, and thanked her for the present she had +made him. + +"What present?" asked the poor woman, in surprise. + +"Have you not added a new-born infant to my cousin's wealth?" said +the soldier. + +"Certainly," replied Liçzenn. + +"A parchment deed confirms to me," said Matelinn, "half of every thing +Mao possesses, save and except yourself; and I am consequently come +to claim my share of the child." + +All who were present uttered a great cry; but Matelinn repeated calmly +that he would have his half of the child; adding that if they refused +it to him, he would take it himself, showing as he spoke a huge knife, +which he had brought with him for the purpose. + +Mao and Liçzenn in vain, with bended knees and folded hands, besought +him to renounce his rights; the giant only answered by the whetting of +his knife against the steel which dangled at his waist; and at last +he was about to snatch the infant from its poor young mother's arms, +when Mao all at once recalled the invocation to the dead beggar, and +repeated it aloud. Scarcely had he finished, when the room was lighted +with a heavenly radiance, and the saint appeared upon a shining cloud, +the Virgin Mary at his side. + +"Behold me here, my friends," said the Mother of God, "called by my +faithful servant from celestial glory to come and decide between you." + +"If you are the Mother of God, save the child," cried Liçzenn. + +"If you are the Queen of Heaven, make them render me my dues," said +Matelinn audaciously. + +"Listen to me," said Mary. "You first, Mao, and you, Liçzenn, come +near me with your new-born child. Till now I have given you the joys +of life; I will do more, and give you for the future the delights of +death. You shall follow me into the Paradise of my Son, where neither +griefs, nor treachery, nor sicknesses can enter. As for you, Goliath, +you have a right to share the new benefit conferred on them; and you, +like them, shall die, but only to go down twelve hundred and fifty +leagues below the surface of the earth, [10] into the kingdom of the +wicked one, whose servant you are." + +Saying these words, the Holy Mary raised her hand on high, and the +giant was buried in a gulf of fire; whilst the young husband, with his +wife and child, sank gently towards each other as in peaceful sleep, +and disappeared, borne upwards on a cloud. + + + + + + + +KERIS. + + +In the olden times a king named Grallon reigned over the land of +Cornouaille. He was as good a man as any son of Adam, and gave a +cordial welcome at his court to all who had in any way distinguished +themselves, were they plebeian or noble in their birth. Unfortunately +his daughter was an ill-conducted princess, who, in order to evade +his parental rule, had taken herself off to live at Keris, some few +leagues from Quimper. + +One day, whilst King Grallon was out hunting in a forest at the foot +of Menéhom, he and all his followers lost their way, and came at last +before the cell of the holy hermit Corentin. Grallon had often heard +tell of this saintly man, and was delighted to find he had discovered +his retreat; but as for the attendants, who were dying with hunger, +they looked with any thing but satisfaction upon the humble cell, +and whispered discontentedly amongst themselves that they should +certainly have to sup on pious prayers. + +Corentin, enlightened by God's grace, perceived their thoughts, and +asked the king whether he would accept a little refreshment. Now +Grallon, who had eaten nothing since cockcrow that morning, was +extremely willing; so the saint, calling the king's cupbearer and +cook, desired them to prepare his majesty a good repast after his +long abstinence. + +Then, leading them both to a fountain which bubbled near his cell, +he filled with water the golden pitcher carried by the first, and cut +a morsel from a little fish swimming in the basin, which he gave to +the second, desiring them both to spread the board for the king and +all his train. But the cupbearer and the cook began to laugh, and +asked the holy man if he could possibly mistake the king's courtiers +for miserable beggars, that he presumed to offer them his scraps of +fish-bone and his frog-wine. Corentin quietly besought them not to +be disturbed, for that God would provide for all. + +Consequently they resolved to follow out the saint's directions, +and found, to their astonishment, his words come true. For while the +water he had poured into the golden pitcher came out a wine as sweet +as honey and as hot as fire, the morsel of fish became an ample meal +for twice as many guests as the king's suite contained. + +Grallon was told by his two servants of this miracle; and they moreover +showed him, as a greater wonder, the very same little fish from which +Corentin had cut a portion, swimming safe and sound in the fountain, +as whole as if the saint's knife had never come near him. + +At this sight the King of Cornouaille was struck with admiration, and +exclaimed to the hermit, "Man of God, this place is not for you; for +He who is my Master as well as yours has forbidden us to hide a light +beneath a bushel. You must leave this hermitage, and come with me. You +shall be Bishop of Quimper, my palace shall be your dwelling-place, +and the whole city your possession. I will build a monastery for your +disciples at Landevenec, and the abbot shall be chosen by yourself." + +The good king kept his promise; and giving up his capital to the new +Bishop, he went to dwell himself in the town of Is. + +This town then stood upon the very spot now covered by the Bay of +Douarnénèz. It was so large and so beautiful, that when the people of +old times were seeking for a title worthy of the capital of France, +they could find nothing better than to call it Par-is, that is to say, +The like of Is. It was lower than the sea itself, and was defended from +all fear of inundation by huge dikes, with doors to open occasionally +and let the tide in or out. Grallon's daughter, the Princess Dahut, +carried the silver keys which locked these doors suspended round her +neck, from which fact the people generally called her Alc'huèz, or +more shortly Ahèz. [11] Now she was a great magician, and had adorned +the town with numberless works of art far surpassing the skill of any +human hand. All the Korigans [12] throughout Cornouaille and Vannes +had assembled at her call to make the dikes and forge the iron doors; +they had plated the palace all over with a metal resembling gold +(Korigans being clever workers in metal), and had fenced in the royal +gardens with balustrades glittering like polished steel. + +They it was that kept Dahut's beautiful stables in such perfect +order,--those stables that were paved with black, red, or white marble, +according to the different colours of the horses in the stalls. And +to the Korigans also was intrusted the care of the harbour, where +the sea-dragons were kept; for by her powerful art had Dahut gained +a wonderful ascendency over the monsters of the deep, so that she +had placed one at the disposal of each inhabitant of Keris, that it +should serve him like a horse, on which he might safely go across +the waves to fetch rich treasure from another shore, or to attack +the ships of foreign enemies. So these citizens were rich to that +degree they actually measured out their corn in silver vessels. But +wealth had hardened and perverted their hearts; beggars were hunted +like wild-beasts from the city, for they could not endure the sight +of any in their streets but merry prosperous folks dressed out in +smart apparel. Our Lord Himself, had He appeared amongst them clad in +sackcloth, would have been driven away. The only church remaining in +the city was so forsaken, that the very beadle had lost the key of +it; nettles grew upon its steps, and against the door-posts of the +principal entrance birds had built their nests. The people of the +place spent their days and nights in public-houses, dancing-rooms, +or theatres; the one only object of their lives being apparently to +ruin their immortal souls. + +As for Dahut, she set them the example; day and night it was a gala in +the palace. Gentlemen, nobles, and princes came from the remotest lands +to visit this far-famed court. Grallon received them with courtesy, +and Dahut with something more. If they were good-looking, she bestowed +on them a magic mask, by means of which they were enabled to keep +private appointments with her in a tower standing near the floodgates. + +There they might remain talking with her until the hour when the +sea-swallows, beginning their flight, passed before the tower-windows; +when Dahut hastily bade them farewell, and, in order that they might +go out, as they came, unseen, she once more brought forth her magic +mask; but, alas, this time it closed upon them of its own accord with +a strangling embrace. Then a black man took up the dead body, threw +it across his horse like a sack of wheat, and went to fling it down +the precipice between Huelgoat and Poulaouën. This is indeed only too +true; for even to this day can be heard from the depths of the ravine +the melancholy wailing of these wretched souls at evening hour. May +all good Christians bear them in remembrance at their prayers! [13] + +Corentin, who heard of all the goings-on at Keris, had many a time +warned Grallon that the forbearance of God was drawing to a close; +[14] but the king had lost all his power, and dwelt quite solitary +in one wing of his palace, like a grandfather who has made over all +his property to his heirs; and as for Dahut, she cared nothing for +the threats or warnings of the saint. + +Well, one evening, when she was keeping festival as usual, she was +informed that a powerful prince from the very ends of the earth had +arrived to see her, and he was instantly announced. + +He was a man of vast stature, clad from head to foot in scarlet, +and so bearded that even his two eyes, glittering as stars, could +scarcely be seen. He began by paying compliments in rhyme to the +princess--no poet or minstrel could have conceived the like; and then +he went on talking with such brilliant wit, that the entire assembly +were struck dumb with astonishment. But what moved the friends of +Dahut with the greatest wonder was to find how far more skilful than +themselves this stranger was in sin. He was familiar, not only with +all that human malice has invented since the creation of the world, +in every region where mankind has dwelt, but with all that it ever +shall invent until the moment when the dead shall rise again from +their cold graves to stand before the judgment-seat of God. Ahèz and +her court perceived that they had found their master, and one and all +resolved to put themselves under the teaching of the bearded prince. + +By way of beginning, he proposed to them a new dance, danced in hell +by the Seven Deadly Sins. So he called in for the purpose a musician +he had brought with him. This was a little dwarf, clad in goat-skin, +and carrying a sort of bagpipe under his arm. + +Scarcely had he begun to play before Dahut and her courtiers were +seized with a sort of frenzy, and began to whirl about like the waves +of the sea in a furious storm. The stranger instantly took advantage +of the confusion to snatch the silver keys of the floodgates from +the princess's neck, and to vanish from the saloon. + +Meanwhile Grallon sat all solitary in the great gloomy hall of his own +lonely palace. He was near the hearth; but the fire was almost out. His +heart grew every moment more and more heavy with sad thoughts, when all +at once the great folding-doors flew open, and St. Corentin appeared +upon the threshold, with a halo of glory round his brow, his pastoral +staff in his hand, and a cloud of incense floating all about him. + +"Rise, great king," said he to Grallon; "take whatever precious things +may still be left you, and flee away; for God has given over to the +power of the demon this accursed city." + +Grallon, terrified, started up; and calling to some faithful old +servants, took what treasure he possessed; and mounting his black +horse, followed after the saint, who shot like an arrow through +the air. + +As they passed before the dikes, they heard a wild roar of waters, and +beheld the bearded stranger, now restored to his own demoniac form, +opening the floodgates with the silver keys he had taken from the +Princess Dahut. The sea already streamed like a torrent on towards +the devoted city; and the white waves, rearing their foamy crests +above the lofty roofs, seemed rushing to its overthrow. The dragons +chained within the harbour roared with terror, for even the beasts +could feel their end at hand. + +Grallon would fain have uttered a cry of warning, but St. Corentin +once more entreated him to fly, and he plunged onwards at full gallop +towards the shore; on, on through streets and squares and high roads, +ever followed by the raging ocean, with the horse's hind hoofs always +in the surge. So passed he by the palace of Dahut herself, who darted +down the marble steps, her wild locks floating on the breeze, and +sprang behind her father on the saddle. The horse stood still suddenly, +staggered, and already the water mounted to the old king's knees. + +"Help, help, St. Corentin!" he cried in terror. + +"Shake off the iniquity you carry at your back," replied the saint, +"and, by the help of God, you shall be saved." + +But Grallon, who was, after all, a father, hesitated what to do. Then +St. Corentin touched the princess on the shoulders with his pastoral +staff, and she sank downwards to the sea, disappearing in the depths +of the gulf, called after her the Gulf of Ahèz. + +The horse, thus lightened of his load, made a spring forwards, and so +gained Garrec Rock, where to this very day may be seen the print-marks +of his iron shoes. [15] + +The first act of the king was to fall upon his knees, and pour forth +thanks to God; then turning towards Keris, [16] he tried to judge how +great was the danger from which he had been so miraculously rescued, +but in vain he sought the ancient Queen of Ocean. + +There, where had stood but a few moments before a harbour, palaces, +treasures of wealth, and thousands of people, was to be seen nothing +now but a smooth bay, on whose unruffled surface the stars of heaven +looked calmly down; but beyond, in the horizon, just over the last +ruins of the submerged dikes, there appeared the great red man, +holding up with a triumphant air the silver keys. + +Many are the forests of oak that have sprung up and withered since +this awful warning; but through every generation fathers have told +it to their children until this day. Up to the time of the great +Revolution, the clergy of the different river-side parishes were wont +to embark every year in fisher-boats, and go to say Mass over the +drowned city. Since that time this custom has been lost, with many +another one; but when the sea is calm, the remains of the great town +may clearly be seen at the bottom of the bay, and the neighbouring +downs are full of relics which bear witness to its wealth. + + + + + + + +THE STONES OF PLOUHINEC. + + +Plouhinec is a poor little market-town beyond Hennebon, towards the +sea. Bare commons or little fir-woods stretch all round it, and enough +grass to fit an ox for the butcher's knife, or so much bran as would +fatten one descendant of the Rohans, [17] has never yet been yielded +by the entire parish. + +But if the people of those parts have reason to complain for want of +corn and cattle, they abound in flints to that degree that they could +furnish materials for the rebuilding of Lorient; and out beyond the +town there lies a great wide common, whereon are set by Korigans two +rows of tall stones that might be taken for an avenue, did they but +lead to any thing. + +Near this place, hard by the banks of the River Intel, there lived +in former days a man named Marzinne. He was wealthy for those parts, +that is to say, he could salt down a little pig once a year, eat as +much black bread as he cared for, and buy himself a pair of wooden +shoes when Laurel Sunday came round. [18] + +And he was looked upon as proud by his neighbours, and had taken upon +him to refuse the hand of his sister Rozenn to many a young fellow +who laboured for his daily bread. + +Amongst others to Bernèz, a diligent labourer and a worthy Christian; +but one whose only treasure, coming into life, had been that of a good +will. Bernèz had known Rozenn as a little girl, when he first came +to work in the parish from Ponscorff-Bidré; and by degrees, as Rozenn +grew up, the attachment of Bernèz had grown stronger and stronger. + +It may be easily believed that Marzinne's refusal was a terrible +heartsore for him; nevertheless he kept up his courage, for Rozenn +always received him kindly. + +Well, Christmas-eve came round; and as a raging storm kept every +one at the farm from going to the midnight Mass, they all sat round +the fire together, with many young men from the neighbourhood, and +amongst them Bernèz. The master of the house, willing to show off, +had caused a supper of black-puddings, and hasty puddings made with +wheat flour and honey, to be prepared; so that they all sat gazing +towards the hearth, except Bernèz, whose eyes were fixed upon Rozenn. + +But just as all the benches were drawn round the table, and every +wooden saucer ready to be dipped into the steaming bowl, an old man +suddenly pushed open the door, and wished the assembled company a good +appetite. He was a beggar from Pluvigner, one who never set his foot +on the church-floor, and of whom all good folks stood in dread. It was +said that he bewitched cattle, turned standing corn black, and sold +to wrestlers magic herbs. He was even suspected of becoming a goblin +[19] at his pleasure. + +However, wearing as he did the garb of a mendicant, he was welcomed +by the farmer to the fireside; a three-legged stood was placed at +his disposal, and he received a portion with the guests. + +When the beggar had done eating and drinking, he asked for a night's +lodging, and Bernèz showed him his way into the stable, where a bald +old ass and sorry ox were already established. The beggar stretched +himself down between the two to share their warmth, and rested his +head upon a pillow of turf. + +But just as he was dropping off to sleep the clock struck twelve. Then +the old ass shook his long ears, and turned towards the ox. + +"Well, my cousin," said he, in friendly tones, "and how has it gone +with you since last Christmas, when we talked together?" + +Instead of answering, the horned beast looked sideways at the beggar, +and muttered, + +"It was hardly worth while for the Almighty to vouchsafe us speech +together on a Christmas-eve, and thus to acknowledge the assistance +rendered by the presence of our ancestors at the birth of the Saviour, +if we are compelled to put up with this fellow as our auditor." + +"You are very proud, my friend," answered the ass gaily. "It is I +rather who have reason to complain, I, whose noble ancestor once +carried the Saviour to Jerusalem, proved by the cross imprinted ever +since upon the shoulders of our family. But I can be well satisfied +with whatever Providence has seen fit to grant me. Besides which, +you see well enough that the sorcerer is asleep." + +"All his witchcrafts have been powerless to enrich him," said the ox; +"and he has thrown his soul away for little enough. The devil has +not even hinted to him of the lucky chance he might have hereabouts +in the course of a few days." + +"What lucky chance?" asked the ass. + +"How!" cried the ox; "don't you know, then, that each hundred years +the stones on Plouhinec Common go down to drink at the river Intel, +and that whilst away the treasures they conceal are left exposed?" + +"Ah, I remember now," interrupted the ass, "but then the stones +return so quickly to their places, that it is impossible to avoid +being crushed to pieces by them if you have not as your safeguard a +twig of cross-wort surrounded by the five-leaved clover." + +"And besides," continued the ox, "the treasures you may carry off all +fade to dust unless you offer in return a baptised soul. A Christian +must suffer death before the devil will permit you to enjoy in peace +the wealth of Plouhinec." + +The beggar was not asleep, but had listened breathless to this +conversation. + +"Ah, my good friends," thought he to himself, "you have made me richer +than the wealthiest in all Vannes or Lorient. Be easy; the sorcerer +of Pluvigner shall not lose Paradise for nothing." + +He slept at last; and rising at the break of day, he wandered through +the country seeking for the cross-wort and the five-leafed clover." + +He was forced to look long and wander far, where skies are milder +and plants always green, before he was successful. But on the eve of +New-Year's Day he came again to Plouhinec, with the countenance of +a weasel that has just found out the entrance to a dovecote. + +In crossing the common, he came upon Bernèz busy striking with a +pointed hammer on the tallest of the stones. + +"Heaven preserve me!" cried the sorcerer, laughing, "are you anxious +to dig yourself a dwelling in this rocky mass?" + +"No," answered Bernèz quietly; "but as I am just now out of work, I +thought that perhaps if I carved a cross upon one of these accursed +stones, I should perform an act agreeable in the sight of God, and +one that may stand me in good stead some other day." + +"Then you have something to ask of Him?" said the old man. + +"All Christians need to beg from Him salvation for their souls," +replied the youth. + +"And have you nothing too to say to Him about Rozenn?" pursued the +beggar, in a lower voice. + +Bernèz looked full at him. + +"Ah, you know that?" said he. "Well, after all, there is no shame +or sin in it. If I seek for the maiden, it is that I may lead her +to the presence of the priest. Unhappily Marzinne is waiting for a +brother-in-law who can count more reals than I have silver coins." + +"And if I could put you in the way of having more louis-d'or than +Marzinne has reals?" said the sorcerer in an under-tone. + +"You!" cried Bernèz. + +"I!" + +"And how much do you ask for this?" + +"Only to be remembered in your prayers." + +"Then there will be nothing that can compromise my soul?" + +"Only courage is required." + +"Tell me, then, what must be done," cried Bernèz, letting fall his +hammer. "If needs be, I am ready to encounter any difficulty." + +The beggar, seeing him thus disposed, related how that on that very +night the treasures of the common would be all exposed; but he said +nothing at the same time of the way by which the stones were to be +avoided as they came trooping back. The young fellow thought nothing +was wanting but boldness and a swift step; so he said, + +"As sure as I am a living man I will profit by this opportunity, +old man; and I shall always be at your service for the notice you +have given me of this great chance. Only let me finish the cross I +have begun engraving on this stone; when the time comes, I will join +you near the little pine-wood." + +Bernèz kept his word, and arrived at the appointed place an hour +before midnight. He found the beggar carrying a wallet in each hand, +and one suspended round his neck. + +"Come," said he to the young man, "sit down there, and think of +all that you will do when you have silver, gold, and jewels to your +heart's content." + +The young man sat down on the ground and answered, "If I have silver +to my heart's content, I will give my gentle Rozennik [20] all that +she wishes for, and all that she can wish for, from linen to silk, +from bread to oranges." + +"And if you have gold?" added the sorcerer. + +"If I have gold at will," replied the youth, "I will make wealthy +all my Rozennik's relations, and all the friends of her relations, +to the utmost limits of the parish." + +"And if at last you should have jewels in plenty?" continued the +old man. + +"Then," cried out Bernèz, "I would make all the people in the world +happy, and I would tell them it was my Rozennik's desire." + +Whilst talking thus, the hour slipped away, and midnight came. + +At the same instant a great sound arose upon the heath, and by the +light of the stars all the huge stones might be seen leaving their +places, and hurrying towards the river Intel. They rushed down the +slope, grazing the earth as they went, and jostling each other like +a troop of drunken giants. So they swept pell-mell past the two men, +and were lost in darkness. + +Then the beggar flew towards the common, followed by Bernèz; and there, +in the very spots where just before huge stones had reared themselves, +they now saw large holes piled to the brim with gold, with silver, +and with precious stones. + +Bernèz uttered a cry of admiration, and made the sign of the cross; +but the sorcerer made haste to cram all his wallets, turning meanwhile +an attentive ear towards the river's bank. + +He had just finished lading the third bag, whilst the young man +stuffed the pockets of his linen vest, when a dull sound like that +of an approaching storm was audible in the distance. + +The stones had finished drinking, and were coming back once more. + +They rushed, stooping forwards like runners in a race, and bore down +all before them. + +When the youth perceived them, he started upright, and exclaimed, + +"Ah, Blessed Virgin, we are lost!" + +"I am not," said the sorcerer, taking in his hand the cross-wort and +the five-leaved clover, "for I have that here which will secure my +safety; but a Christian must be sacrificed to make good all these +treasures, and the bad angel put thee in my way. So give up Rozenn, +and prepare to die." + +While yet he spoke the stony army was at hand; but holding forth +his magic nosegay, they turned aside to right and left to fall upon +Bernèz. He, feeling sure that all was over for him, sank down upon +his knees and closed his eyes; when the great stone that led the +troop stopped all at once, and barring the way, set itself before +him as a protecting rampart. + +Bernèz, astonished, raised his head, and recognised the stone on which +his hand had traced a cross. Being thenceforward a baptised stone, +it could have no power to harm a Christian. + +Remaining motionless before the young man until all its fellows had +regained their places, it then rushed forwards like a sea-bird to +retake its own, and met upon its way the beggar hampered with his +three ponderous bags of gold. + +Seeing it advance, he would have defied it with his magic plants; but +the stone, become Christian, was no longer subject to the witchery of +the demon, and hurrying onwards, crushed the sorcerer like an insect. + +Bernèz had not only all his own collection, but the three full wallets +of the mendicant, and became thus rich enough to wed his Rozenn, to +bring up a numerous family, and to succour his relations, as well as +the poor of the whole country around, to the end of his long life. + + + + + + + +TEUZ-A-POULIET; [21] OR, THE DWARF. + + +The vale of Pinard is a pleasant slope which lies behind the city of +Morlaix. There are plenty of gardens, houses, shops, and bakers to +be found there, besides many farms that boast their ample cowsheds +and full barns. + +Now, in olden times, when there was neither conscription nor general +taxation, there dwelt in the largest of these farms an honest man, +called Jalm Riou, who had a comely daughter, Barbaik. Not only was she +fair and well-fashioned, but she was the best dancer, and also the +best drest, in all those parts. When she set off on Sunday to hear +Mass at St. Mathieu's church, she used to wear an embroidered coif, +a gay neckerchief, five petticoats one over the other, [22] and silver +buckles in her shoes; so that the very butchers' wives were jealous, +and tossing their heads as she went by, they asked her whether she +had been selling the devil her black hen. [23] But Barbaik troubled +herself not at all for all they said, so long as she continued to +be the best-dressed damsel, and the most attractive at the fair of +the patron saint. + +Barbaik had many suitors, and among them was one who really loved +her more than all the rest; and this was the lad who worked upon her +father's farm, a good labourer and a worthy Christian, but rough and +ungainly in appearance. So Barbaik would have nothing to say to him, +in spite of his good qualities, and always declared, when speaking +of him, that he was a colt of Pontrieux. [24] + +Jégu, who loved her with all his heart, was deeply wounded, and fretted +sorely at being so ill-used by the only creature that could give him +either joy or trouble. + +One morning, when bringing home the horses from the field, he stopped +to let them drink at the pond; and as he stood holding the smallest +one, with his head sunk upon his breast, and uttering every now and +then the heaviest sighs, for he was thinking of Barbaik, he heard +suddenly a voice proceeding from the reeds, which said to him, + +"Why are you so miserable, Jégu? things are not yet quite so +desperate." + +The farmer's boy raised his head astonished, and asked who was there. + +"It is I, the Teuz-à-pouliet," said the same voice. + +"I do not see you," replied Jégu. + +"Look closely, and you will see me in the midst of the reeds, under +the form of a beautiful green frog. I take successively whatever form +I like, unless I prefer making myself invisible." + +"But can you not show yourself under the usual appearance of your +kind?" + +"No doubt, if that will please you." + +With these words the frog leaped on one of the horses' backs, and +changed himself suddenly into a little dwarf, with bright green dress +and smart polished gaiters, like a leather-merchant of Landivisiau. + +Jégu, a little scared, drew back a step or two; but the Teuz told him +not to be afraid, for that, far from wishing him harm, he was ready +to do him good. + +"And what makes you take this interest in me?" inquired the peasant, +with a suspicious air. + +"A service which you rendered to me the last winter," said the +Teuz-à-pouliet. "You doubtless are aware that the Korigans of the +White-Wheat country and of Cornouaille declared war against our race, +because they say we are too favourably disposed to man. [25] We were +obliged to flee into the bishopric of Léon, where at first we concealed +ourselves under divers animal forms. Since then, from habit or fancy, +we have continued to assume them, and I became acquainted with you +through one of these transformations." + +"And how was that?" + +"Do you remember, three months ago, whilst working in the alder-park, +finding a robin caught in a snare?" + +"Yes," interrupted Jégu; "and I remember also that I let it fly, +saying, 'As for thee, thou dost not eat the bread of Christians: +take thy flight, thou bird of the good God.'" + +"Ah, well, that robin was myself. Ever since then I vowed to be your +faithful friend, and I will prove it too by causing you to marry +Barbaik, since you love her so well." + +"Ah, Teuz-à-pouliet, could you but succeed in that," cried Jégu, +"there is nothing in this world, except my soul, that I would not +bestow upon you." + +"Let me alone," replied the dwarf; "yet a few months from this time, +and I will see you are the master of that farm and of the maiden too." + +"And how can you undertake that?" asked the youth. + +"You shall know all in time; all you have to do just now is to smoke +your pipe, eat, drink, and take no trouble about any thing." + +Jégu declared that nothing could be easier than that, and he would +conform exactly to the Teuz's orders; then, thanking him, and taking +off his hat as he would have done to the curé or the magistrate, +he went homewards to the farm. + +The following day happened to be Sunday. Barbaik rose earlier than +usual, and went to the stables, which were under her sole charge; +but to her great surprise she found them already freshly littered, +the racks garnished, the cows milked, and the cream churned. Now, +as she recollected having said before Jégu, on the preceding night, +that she wanted to be ready in good time to go to the feast of +St. Nicholas, she very naturally concluded that it was he who had +done all this for her, and she told him she was much obliged. Jégu, +however, replied in a peevish tone, that he did not know what she +meant; but this only confirmed Barbaik in her belief. + +The same good service was rendered to her now every day. Never had +the stable been so cleanly, nor the cows so fat. Barbaik found her +earthen pans full of milk at morning and at evening, and a pound of +fresh-churned butter decked with blackberry-leaves. So in a few weeks' +time she got into the habit of never rising till broad daylight, +to prepare breakfast and set about her household duties. + +But even this labour was soon spared her; for one morning, on getting +out of bed, she found the house already swept, the furniture polished, +the soup on the fire, and the bread cut into the bowls; so that she +had nothing to do but go to the courtyard, and call the labourers +from the fields. She still thought it was an attention shown to her +by Jégu, and she could not help considering what a very convenient +husband he would be for a woman who liked to have her time to herself. + +And it was a fact that Barbaik never uttered a wish before him that +was not immediately fulfilled. If the wind was cold, or if the sun +shone hot, and she was afraid of injuring her complexion by going to +the spring, she had only to say low, "I should like to see my buckets +filled, and my tub full of washed linen." Then she would go and gossip +with a neighbour, and on her return she would find tub and buckets just +as she had desired them to be, standing on the stone. If she found +the rye-dough too hard to bake, or the oven too long in heating, +she had only to say, "I should like to see my six fifteen-pound +loaves all ranged upon the board above the kneading-trough," and +two hours later the six loaves were there. If she found the market +too far off, and the road too bad, she had only to say over-night, +"Why am I not already come back from Morlaix, with my milk-can empty, +my tub of butter sold out, a pound of black cherries in my wooden +platter, and six reals [26] at the bottom of my apron-pocket?" and +the next morning, when she rose, she would discover at the foot of +her bed the empty milk-can and butter-tub, the pound of cherries in +her wooden plate, and six reals in her apron-pocket. + +But the good offices that were rendered to her did not stop here. Did +she wish to make an appointment with another damsel at some fair, +to buy a ribbon in the town, or to find out the hour at which the +procession at the church was to begin, Jégu was always at hand; all she +had to do was to mention her wish before him, and the thing was done. + +When things were thus advanced, the Teuz advised the youth to ask +Barbaik now in marriage; and this time she listened to all he had to +say. She thought Jégu very plain and unmannerly; but yet, as a husband, +he was just what she wanted. Jégu would wake for her, work for her, +save for her. Jégu would be the shaft-horse, forced to draw the whole +weight of the wagon; and she, the farmer's wife, seated on a heap of +clover, and driving him with the whip. + +After having well considered all this, she answered the young man, +as a well-conducted damsel should, that she would refer the matter +to her father. + +But she knew beforehand that Jalm Riou would consent; for he had +often said that only Jégu would be fit to manage the farm when he +should be no more. + +So the marriage took place the very next month; and it seemed as if +the aged father had but waited until then to go and take his rest +in Paradise; for a very few days after the marriage he died, leaving +the house and land to the young folks. + +It was a great responsibility for Jégu; but the Teuz came to his +assistance. He became the ploughboy at the farm, and did more work +alone than four hired labourers. He it was who kept the tools and +harness in good order, who repaired omissions, who pointed out the +proper time for sowing or for mowing. If by chance Jégu had occasion +to expedite some work, the Teuz would go and tell his friends, and +all the dwarfs would come with hoe, fork, or reaping-hook upon their +shoulders; if teams were wanted, he would send the farmer to a town +inhabited by some of his tribe, who would be out upon the common; and +Jégu had only to say, "Little men, my good friends, lend me a pair of +oxen, or a couple of horses, with all that is needed for their work," +and the team would appear that very instant. + +Now all the Teuz-à-pouliet asked in payment of these services was a +child's portion of broth, served up in a milk-measure, every day. So +Jégu loved him like his own son. Barbaik, on the contrary, hated +him, and not without reason; for the very next day after marriage +she saw with astonishment she was no longer assisted as before; and +as she was making her complaint to Jégu, who seemed as if he did not +understand her, the dwarf, bursting out in laughter, confessed that +he had been the author of all these good offices, in order that the +damsel might consent to marry Jégu; but that now he had other things +to do, and she must once more undertake the household management. + +Deceived thus in her expectations, the daughter of Jalm Riou treasured +in her heart a furious rage against the dwarf. Every morning, when +she had to rise before the break of day and milk the cows or go to +market, and every evening, when she had to sit up till near midnight +churning cream, she cursed the Teuz who had encouraged her to look +forward to a life of ease and pleasure. + +However, one day, being invited to a wedding at Plouezorc'h, and not +being able to take the farm-mare, as it was near foaling, she asked +the Teuz-à-pouliet for a steed; and he sent her to the dwarf village, +telling her to explain exactly what she wanted. + +So Barbaik went; and thinking she was doing for the best, she said, + +"Teuz, my friends, lend me a black horse, with eyes, mouth, ears, +saddle, and bridle." + +The horse that she had asked for instantly appeared, and she set out +on him towards Plouezorc'h. + +But soon she saw that every one was laughing as she went along. + +"See, see!" they cried, "the farmer's wife has sold her horse's tail." + +Barbaik turned quickly round, and saw indeed that her horse had no +tail. She had forgotten to ask for one; and the malicious dwarf had +served her to the letter. + +Disconcerted, she would have hastened on, but the horse refused to mend +his pace; and so she was compelled to endure the jests of passers-by. + +The young wife came home at night more furious than ever against the +Teuz-à-pouliet, accusing him of having played her this ill turn on +purpose, and fully resolved to be revenged upon him at the earliest +opportunity. + +Well, spring drew near, and as this was the time the dwarfs held +festival, the Teuz asked leave of Jégu to extend an invitation to all +his friends to come and spend the night on the barn-floor, where he +might give them a supper and a dance. Jégu was far too much indebted +to the dwarf to think of saying no; and ordered Barbaik to spread over +the barn-floor her finest fringed table-cloths, and to serve up a batch +of little butter-cakes, all the morning and the evening milk, and as +many wheaten pancakes as could be turned out in a good day's work. + +Barbaik made no reply, to her husband's great surprise. + +She made the pancakes, prepared the milk, cooked the buttered cakes, +and at evening-tide she took them all out to the barn; but at the +same time she spread down, all round about the extended table-cloths, +just where the dwarfs were going to place themselves, the ashes she +had drawn smoking from the oven; so that when the Teuz-à-pouliet and +his guests came in to seat themselves, they were every one severely +burned, and fled away, uttering loud cries. They soon came back, +however, carrying jugs of water, and so put out the fire; and then +danced round the farm, all singing in an angry tone, + + + "Barbe Riou, with dire deceit, + Has roasted our poor little feet: + Adieu! far hence away we go; + On this house be grief and woe!" + + +And, in fact, they left the country that very morning. Jégu, having +lost their help, soon fell into distress and died; whilst the beautiful +Barbaik became a basket-woman at Morlaix market. + +Since then the Teuz have never been seen in these parts. However, +there are some who say that all good work-people have to this very day +ten dwarfs who toil for them, and not invisibly; and these are--their +ten fingers. + + + + + + + +THE SPECTRE LAUNDRESSES. + + +The Bretons are born in sin, even as other men, but never have they +been wanting in care for the souls of their faithful departed. They +take tender pity upon those who burn in purgatory, and earnestly +strive to redeem them from their fiery trial. Every Sunday, after +Mass, they kneel and plead for their suffering souls upon the very +earth in which their poor bodies are mouldering away. + +It is in the Black Month, [27] as they call November, that they +especially attach themselves to this pious duty. When the Messenger of +Winter [28] arrives, each one bethinks himself of those who are gone to +the judgment-seat of God. Masses are said for them at the altar of the +Dead; in their behalf are tapers kindled, and vows made to saints in +highest veneration; little children are taken to offer their innocent +prayers upon the grave-stones; and after Vespers the priest comes out +of church to bless the earth to which their dust has been committed. + +On this night also is it that our Lord vouchsafes some respite to their +sufferings, and permits them to return once more and pay a visit to the +hearth-stones of their former homes. Then are the dead as numerous in +the homesteads of the living as the yellow leaves that rustle in the +deep dry lanes; and therefore it is that all good Christians leave +the board spread and the fire blazing, that the unwonted guests may, +if they will, refresh themselves. + +But if it is so with all who are truly devoted to the service of the +Blessed Mother and her divine Son, there are also children of the Black +Angel ("l'ange noir"), who forget those that were once nearest to their +hearts. Wilherm Postik was one of these. His father had died without +desiring to receive the last Sacraments; and, as the proverb has it, +Kadiou is his father's own son. Wilherm gave himself up, body and soul, +to forbidden pleasures, dancing during Mass-time, whenever he could +find an opportunity, and drinking with rascally horse-dealers when he +should have been in church. Nevertheless, God had not left him without +enough of warnings. Within the same year had his mother, his sisters, +and his wife been carried off by a contagious disease. Many a time, +too, had the good curé exposed to him his evil deeds, showing him that +he was a scandal to the whole parish, and urging him to repentance; +but all was in vain. + +Meanwhile the fine weather went by. The feast of All Souls arrived, +and all good Christians, clad in decent mourning, repaired to church +to pray for the faithful departed. But for Wilherm, he dressed himself +out in his best, and set out for the neighbouring town, where he was +sure to find plenty of reprobate sailors and reckless women. + +All the time devoted by others to the solace of the suffering souls +he spent there in drinking, gambling, and singing vile songs; nor +did he think of returning till close upon midnight, when every body +else had gone home wearied with iniquity. For him, he had a frame of +iron for sinful pleasures; and he quitted the drinking-house as well +disposed for a fresh bout as when he entered it. + +Heated with drink, he went along, singing at the top of his voice, +though his songs were such as the boldest are apt to give out in +an undertone. He passed the wayside crosses without dropping his +voice or uncovering his head, and struck out right and left with his +walking-stick amongst the tufts of broom, regardless of the holy dead +who thronged every path. + +At last the road divided, giving him his choice of two ways homeward; +the one longer about, but safer, under the blessing of God, the other +more direct, but haunted by spirits. Many a one in passing by that +way had heard noises and seen sights that could be only told of in a +cheerful assembly, and within arm's-length of the holy-water stoup. But +Wilherm feared nothing; so he struck at once into the shorter path, +at a pace that made his heavy shoes ring against the stones. + +Neither moon nor stars cheered the night, the leaves trooped before +the driving wind, the brooks trickled dismally adown the hill-sides, +the bushes shivered like a man afraid, and through the midnight +stillness the steps of Wilherm echoed like a giant's tread. Yet +nothing daunted him, and on he went. + +But as he passed the ruins of the old manor-house, he plainly heard +the weather-vane call to him as it creaked, + +"Go back, go back, go back!" + +Still Wilherm went on. He came up to the waterfall, and the water +murmured, + +"Cross me not, cross me not, cross me not!" + +Wilherm set his foot upon the well-worn stepping stones, and crossed +the stream. He came to an old hollow oak-tree, and the wind that +whistled in its branches cried, + +"Stay here, stay here, stay here!" + +But he struck his staff against the dead tree in passing, and hurried +onwards. + +At last he came into the haunted vale, and midnight struck from the +three parish-church towers. Wilherm began to whistle a jovial air; +but just as he came to the fourth verse, he heard the sound of tireless +wheels, and saw a cart approaching covered with a funeral pall. + +Wilherm knew it for a hearse. It was drawn by six black horses, +and driven by Ankou [29] himself, with an iron whip in his hand, +and ever crying as he went, + +"Turn aside, or I turn thee back!" + +Wilherm gave him way without being disconcerted. + +"What are you doing here, Squire White?" [30] he questioned boldly. + +"I make prize, and by surprise," replied Ankou. + +"That is to say, you're thievish and treacherous," continued Wilherm. + +"I am he that strikes without distinction and without regret." + +"That is to say, a fool and a brute. Then I wonder no more, my fine +fellow, that you're a regular inhabitant of the four bishoprics, +for to you the whole proverb belongs. [31] But what are you in such +haste about to-day?" + +"I am going to fetch Wilherm Postik," replied the phantom as he +passed on. + +The profligate laughed aloud, and went on his way. As he came up to +the little sloe-hedge leading to the washing-ground, he saw two white +females hanging linen on the bushes. + +"On my life," said he, "here are some damsels not much afraid of the +night-dews! What are you about here at this time, my little doves?" + +"We wash, we dry, we sew!" replied the two women both at once. + +"But what?" asked the young man. + +"The winding-sheet of one that yet walks and speaks." + +"A corpse! Pardieu! Tell me his name." + +"Wilherm Postik." + +Louder than before laughed Wilherm, and went down the little rugged +path. + +But as he went on he heard more and more distinctly the beetle of +the spectre laundresses striking on the douez [32] stones, and ere +long they themselves were to be seen, beating at their death-shrouds, +and chanting the sorrowful refrain: + + + "If no good soul our hands will stay, + We must toil till judgment-day; + In stormy wind, or clear moonlight, + We must wash the death-shroud white." + + +As soon as they perceived this boon companion, they all rushed forward +with loud cries, offering each her winding-sheet, that he might help +them to wring out the water. + +"Amongst friends we must not scruple to do a good turn," replied +Wilherm gaily; "but one at a time, my pretty laundresses, a man has +but two hands." + +So laying down his walking-stick, he took the end of the shroud offered +by one of the ghosts, taking care to wring the same way that she did; +for he had heard of old that this was the only way to escape being +shivered to atoms. + +But whilst they thus wrung the winding-sheet, behold, the other +spectres surrounded Wilherm, who recognised amongst them his aunt, +his wife, his mother, and his sisters, who cried aloud, + +"A thousand curses upon him who leaves his own flesh and blood to +suffer torments! A thousand curses!" + +And they shook their streaming locks, and whirled aloft their +snow-white beetles; while from all the douez of the valley, along +the hedgerows, and floating over the commons far and wide, there came +the sound of ghostly voices echoing the same cry, + +"A thousand curses! a thousand curses!" + +Wilherm, beside himself with terror, felt his hair stand up on end, +and, forgetting in his confusion the precaution hitherto observed, he +began to wring the contrary way. In the same instant the winding-sheet +grasped his hands as in a vice, and he fell, brayed by the iron arms +of the spectre laundress. + +A young girl of Henvik, named Fantik-ar-Fur, passing at daybreak near +the douez, saw Wilherm stretched upon the blue stones. Thinking that +he had lain down there to sleep whilst tipsy, the child drew near to +wake him with a sprig of broom; but finding he remained motionless, +she took fright and ran to the village to tell the news. + +A number of the inhabitants came with the curé, the sexton, and the +notary, who was mayor of the place. The body was taken up, placed on +a wagon, and drawn home by oxen; but the blessed candles that were +lighted continually went out, a token of the fearful fate that had +overtaken Wilherm Postik. + +So his body was deposited outside the church-yard walls, in the +resting-place of dogs and reprobates. + + + + +The belief in spectre laundresses is universal in Brittany. + + + + + + + +ROBIN REDBREAST. + + +Long, long ago, ere the acorns were sown which have since furnished +timber for the oldest vessels of the port of Brest, there lived in +the parish of Guirek a poor widow called Ninorc'h Madek. Her father, +who was very wealthy and of noble race, had left at his death a +manor-house, with a farm, a mill, and a forge, twelve horses and +twice as many oxen, twelve cows and ten times as many sheep, to say +nothing of corn and flax. + +But Ninorc'h was a helpless widow, and her brothers took the whole +for themselves. Perrik, the eldest, kept the house, the farm, and +the horses; Fanche, the second, took the mill and the cows; whilst +the third, whose name was Riwal, had the oxen, the forge, and the +sheep. Nothing was left for Ninorc'h but a doorless shed on the open +heath, which had served to shelter the sick cattle. + +However, as she was getting together her little matter of furniture, +in order to take possession of her new abode, Fanche pretended to +take pity upon her, and said, + +"Come, I will deal with you like a brother and a Christian. Here is a +black cow; she has never come to much good, and, indeed, gives scarce +milk enough to feed a new-born babe; but you may take her with you, +if you will, and May-flower can look after her upon the common." + +May-flower [33] was the widow's daughter, now in her eleventh year, +and had been called after the colourless blossom of the thickets from +her unusually pale complexion. + +So Ninorc'h went away with her pallid little girl, who led the +poor lean cow by an old cord, and she sent them out upon the common +together. + +There May-flower stayed all day, watching her black cow, which with +much ado contrived to pick a little grass between the stones. She +spent her time in making little crosses with blossoms of the broom, +[34] or in repeating aloud her Rosary and her favourite hymns. + +One day, as she was singing the "Ave Maris Stella," as she had heard +it at Vespers in the church of Guirek, all at once she noticed a +little bird perched upon one of the flower-crosses she had set in the +earth. He was warbling sweetly, and turned his head from side to side, +looking at her as if he longed to speak. Not a little surprised, she +gently drew near and listened, but without being able to distinguish +any meaning in his song. In vain he sang louder, flapped his wings, +and fluttered about before May-flower. Not a whit the wiser was she +for all this; and yet such pleasure did she take in watching and +listening to him, that night came on without her being able to think +of any thing else. At last the bird flew away; and when she looked up +to see what had become of him, she saw the stars twinkling in the sky. + +With all speed she started off to look for her cow, but to her dismay +it was nowhere to be found upon the common. In vain she called aloud, +in vain she beat the bushes, in vain she went down into each hollow +where the rainwater had formed a pool. At last she heard her mother's +voice, calling her, as if some great misfortune had happened. All in +a fright, she ran up to her, and there, at the edge of the heath, +on the way homeward, she found the widow beside all that remained +of the poor cow,--her horns, that is, and her bones, the latter well +picked by the wolves, which had sallied forth from the neighbouring +woods and made a meal of her. + +At this sight May-flower felt her blood run cold. She burst into tears, +for she loved the black cow she had tended so long, and falling on +her knees exclaimed, + +"Blessed Virgin, why did you not let me see the wolf? I would have +scared him away with the sign of the cross; I would have repeated +the charm that is taught to shepherd-boys who keep their flocks upon +the mountains,-- + + + 'Art thou wolf, St. Hervé shend [35] thee! + Art thou Satan, God defend me!'" [36] + + +The widow, who was a very saint for piety and resignation, seeing +the sorrow of the little girl, sought to comfort her, saying, + +"It is not well to weep for the cow as for a fellow-creature, my poor +child; if the wolves and wicked men conspire against us, the Lord God +will be on our side. Come, then, help me up with my bundle of heath, +and let us go home." + +May-flower did as she said, but sighed at every step, and the big +tears trickled down her cheeks. + +"My poor cow!" said she to herself, "my poor, good, gentle cow! and +just, too, as she was beginning to fatten a little." + +The little girl had no heart for supper, and many times awakened in the +night, fancying that she heard the black cow lowing at the door. With +very restlessness she rose before the dawn, and ran out upon the +common, barefooted and but half-dressed. There, at the selfsame spot, +appeared the little bird again, perched as before on her broom-flower +cross. Again he sang, and seemed to call her. But, alas, she was as +little able as on the preceding evening to understand him, and was +turning away in vexation, when she thought she saw a piece of gold +glittering on the ground. To try what it really was, she moved it with +her foot; but, lo, it was the gold-herb; and no sooner had she touched +it than she distinctly understood the language of the little bird, +[37] saying in his warbling, + +"May-flower, I wish thee well. May-flower, listen to me." + +"Who are you?" said May-flower, wondering within herself that she +could understand the language of an unbaptised creature. + +"I am Robin Redbreast," returned the bird. "It was I that followed +the Saviour on His way to Calvary, and broke a thorn from the crown +that was tearing His brow. [38] To recompense this act, it was granted +to me by God the Father that I should live until the day of judgment, +and that every year I might bestow a fortune upon one poor girl. This +year I have chosen you." + +"Can this be true, Robin Redbreast?" cried May-flower, in a transport +of delight. "And shall I have a silver cross for my neck, and be able +to wear wooden shoes?" + +"A cross of gold shall you have, and silken slippers shall you wear, +like a noble damsel," replied Robin Redbreast. + +"But what must I do, dear kind Robin?" said the little maid. + +"Only follow me." + +It may well be supposed that May-flower had no objection to make; +so Robin Redbreast flew before, and she ran after him. + +On they went; across the heath, through the copses, and over the +fields of rye, till at last they came to the open downs over against +the Seven Isles. There Robin stopped, and said to the little girl, + +"Seest thou aught on the sands down there?" + +"I see," replied May-flower, "a great pair of beechen shoes that the +fire has never scorched, and a holly-staff that has not been hacked +by the sickle." + +"Put on the shoes, and take up the staff." + +It was done. + +"Now walk upon the sea to the first island, and go round it till thou +shalt come to a rock on which grow sea-green rushes." + +"What then?" + +"Gather some of the rushes, and twist them into a cord." + +"Well, and then?" + +"Then strike the rock with the holly-staff, and there will come forth +from it a cow. Make a halter of the rushen cord, and lead her home +to console thy mother for the one just lost." + +All that Robin Redbreast had told her, May-flower did. She walked upon +the sea; she made the cord of rushes; she struck the rock, and there +came out from it a cow, with eyes as soft as a stag-hound's, and a +skin sleek as that of the mole that burrows in the meadows. May-flower +led her home to her poor mother, whose joy now was almost greater +than her former sorrow. + +But what were her sensations when she began to milk Mor Vyoc'h! [39] +(for so had Robin Redbreast named the creature). Behold, the milk +flowed on and on beneath her fingers like water from a spring! + +Ninorc'h had soon filled all the earthen vessels in the house, and +then all those of wood, but still the milk flowed on. + +"Now, holy Mother save us!" cried the widow, "certainly this beast +has drunk of the waters of Languengar." [40] + +In fact, the milk of Mor Vyoc'h was inexhaustible; she had already +yielded enough to satisfy every babe in Cornouaille. + +In a little time nothing was talked of throughout the country but +the widow's cow, and people crowded from all parts to see it. The +rector of Peros-Guirek came among the rest, to see whether it were +not a snare of the evil one; but after he had laid his stole upon +Mor Vyoc'h's head, he pronounced her clear of all suspicion. + +Before long all the richest farmers were persuading Ninorc'h to sell +her cow, each one bidding against the other for so invaluable a beast; +her brother Perrik among the rest. + +"Come," said he, "I am your brother; as a good Christian you must +give me the preference. Let me have Mor Vyoc'h, and I will give you +in exchange as many cows as it takes tailors to make a man." [41] + +"Is that your Christian dealing?" answered the widow. "Nine cows +for Mor Vyoc'h! She is worth all the cows in the country, far and +near. With her milk I could supply all the markets in the bishoprics +of Tréguier and Cornouaille, from Dinan to Carhaix." + +"Well, sister, only let me have her," replied Perrik, "and I will +give up to you our father's farm, on which you were born, with all +the fields, ploughs, and horses." + +This proposal Ninorc'h accepted, and was forthwith put in possession, +turning up a sod in the meadows, taking a draught of water from the +well, and kindling a fire on the hearth; besides cutting a tuft of +hair from the horses' tails in token of ownership. [42] She then +delivered Mor Vyoc'h to Perrik, who led her away to a house which he +had at some distance, towards Menez-Brée. + +A day of tears and sadness was that for May-flower; and as at night +she went the round of the stalls to see that all was right, she could +not help again and again murmuring, as she filled the mangers, + +"Alas, Mor Vyoc'h is gone! I shall never see Mor Vyoc'h again." + +With this lament still on her lips, she suddenly heard a lowing behind +her, in which, as by virtue of the gold-herb her ears were now open +to the language of all animals, she distinctly made out these words, + +"Here I am again, my little mistress," + +May-flower turned round in astonishment, and there indeed was Mor +Vyoc'h. + +"Oh, can this indeed be you?" cried the little girl. "And what, then, +has brought you back?" + +"I cannot belong to your uncle Perrik," said Mor Vyoc'h, "for my +nature forbids me to remain with such as are not in a state of grace; +so I am come back to be with you again as before." + +"But then my mother must give back the farm, the fields, and all that +she has received for you." + +"Not so; for it was already hers by right, and had been unjustly +taken from her by your uncle." + +"But he will come to see if you are here, and will know you again." + +"Go and gather three leaves of the cross-wort, [43] and I will tell +you what to do." + +May-flower went, and soon returned with the three leaves. + +"Now," said Mor Vyoc'h, "pass those leaves over me, from my horns to +my tail, and say 'St. Ronan of Ireland!' three times." + +May-flower did so; and as she called on the saint for the third +time, lo, the cow became a beautiful horse. The little girl was lost +in wonder. + +"Now," said the creature to her, "your uncle Perrik cannot possibly +know me again; for I am no longer Mor Vyoc'h, but Marc'h-Mor." [44] + +On hearing what had come to pass, the widow was greatly rejoiced; and +early on the morrow proceeded to make trial of her horse with a load of +corn for Tréguier. But guess her astonishment when she found that the +more sacks were laid on Marc'h-Mor's back the longer it grew; so that +he alone could carry as much wheat as all the horses in the parish. + +The tale of the widow's wonderful horse was soon noised about the +neighbourhood, and among the rest her brother Fanche heard of it. He +therefore lost no time in proceeding to the farm; and when he had seen +Marc'h-Mor, begged his sister to part with him, which, however, she +would by no means consent to do till Fanche had offered her in exchange +his cows and his mill, with all the pigs that he was fattening there. + +The bargain concluded, Ninorc'h took possession of her new property, +as she had done at the farm; and Fanche led away Marc'h-Mor. + +But in the evening there he was again; and again May-flower gathered +three leaves of cross-wort, stroked him over with them three times from +his ears to his tail, repeating each time St. Ronan of Ireland! as she +had done before to Mor Vyoc'h. And, lo, in a moment the horse changed +into a sheep covered with wool as long as hemp, as red as scarlet, +and as fine as dressed flax. + +Full of admiration at this new miracle, the widow came to behold it; +and no sooner was she within sight than she called to May-flower, + +"Run and fetch a pair of shears; for the poor creature cannot bear +this weight of wool." + +But when she began to shear Mor-Vawd, she found the wool grow as fast +as she cut it off; so that he alone far out-valued all the flocks +of Arhèz. + +Riwal, who chanced to come by at that moment, was witness of the +wonder; and then and there parted with his forge, his sheep-walks, +and all his sheep, to obtain possession of the wonderful sheep. + +But see! As he was leading his new purchase home along the sea-shore, +the sheep suddenly plunged in the water, swam to the smallest of the +seven isles, and passed into a chasm of the rocks, which opened to +receive it, and straight-way closed again. + +This time May-flower expected him back at the usual hour in +vain. Neither that night nor on the morrow did he revisit the farm. + +The little girl ran to the common. There she found Robin Redbreast, +who thus spoke, before he flew away for ever: + +"I have been waiting for you, my little lady. The sheep is gone, +and will return no more. Your uncles have been punished after their +deserts. For you, you are now a rich heiress, and may wear a cross of +gold and silken slippers, as I promised you. My work here is done, +and I am about to fly away far hence. Only, do you remember always, +that you have been poor, and that it was one of God's little birds +that made you rich." + +To prove her gratitude, May-flower built a chapel on the heath, on +that very spot where Robin Redbreast first addressed her. And the old +men, from whom our fathers heard this tale, could remember lighting +the altar-candles there when they were little boys. + + + + + + + +COMORRE. + + +In the old times, it is said that the city of Vannes was far larger +and finer than it is in our days, and that instead of a prefect, +it was ruled by a king, whose will was law. I do not know what his +name was; but from all I have heard, it seems that he was a man who +lived in the fear of God, and of whom no one had ever found occasion +to speak an evil word. + +He had been early left a widower; and he lived happily with his +only daughter, said to be the most beautiful creature in the whole +world. She was called Tryphyna, and those who knew her have asserted +that she came of age unsullied by a single mortal sin. So that the +king her father would have willingly sacrificed his horses, castles, +and farms, rather than see Tryphyna made unhappy. + +However, it came to pass, that one day ambassadors from Cornouaille +were announced. They came on the part of Comorre, a powerful prince +of those times, who ruled over the land of Black-Wheat as Tryphyna's +father ruled that of the White. [45] + +After offering presents of honey, flax, and a dozen of little pigs, +to the king, they informed him that their master had visited the last +fair at Vannes disguised as a soldier, and there beholding the beauty +and modesty of the young princess, he had determined at all hazards +to have her in marriage. + +This proposal filled both the king and Tryphyna with great grief; +for the Count Comorre was a giant, and said to be the wickedest man +that had ever been on the earth since the days of Cain. + +From his earliest youth he had been used to find his only pleasure in +working mischief; and so malicious was he, that his mother herself had +been accustomed to run and ring the alarm-bell whenever he left the +castle, to warn the country people to take care of themselves. When +older, and his own master, his cruelty was greater still. It was +said that one morning, on his way out, he tried his gun upon a lad +tending a colt at pasture, and killed him. And at other times, when +returning unsuccessful from the chase, he would let loose his dogs +upon the poor peasants in the fields, and suffer them to be pulled +down like beasts of prey. But, most horrible of all, he had married +four wives in succession, each of whom had died off suddenly without +receiving the last Sacraments; and it was even said that he had made +away with them by the knife, fire, water, or poison. + +So the King of Vannes replied to the ambassadors that his daughter was +too young and too weak in health to think of marrying. But Comorre's +people answered roughly, after their manner, that the Count Comorre +would listen to no such excuses, and that they had received orders, +if the young princess was not sent back with them, to declare war +against the King of Vannes. The king replied, that they must do as +they liked about that. Then the most aged among the envoys lighted a +handful of straw, which he flung to the winds, declaring that thus +should the anger of Comorre pass over the country of White-Wheat; +and so they departed. [46] + +Tryphyna's father, being a courageous man, did not allow himself to +be disheartened by this threat, and called together all the soldiers +he could muster to defend his territories. + +But in a few days he heard that the Count of Cornouaille was advancing +upon Vannes with a powerful army; and it was not long before he came +in sight with trumpets and cannons. Then the king put himself at the +head of his people, and the battle was on the point of beginning; when +St. Veltas [47] came to find Tryphyna, who was praying in her oratory. + +The saint wore the cloak which had served him as a vessel for crossing +the sea, and carried the walking-staff which he had fastened to +it as a mast to catch the wind. A halo of glory hovered round his +brow. He announced to the young princess that the men of Vannes and +Cornouaille were on the point of shedding each other's blood, and +asked her whether she would not stay the death of so many Christians +by consenting to become the wife of Count Comorre. + +"Alas, then, God demands from me the death of all my peace and +happiness," cried the young girl, weeping. "Why am I not a beggar? I +could then at least be wedded to the beggar of my choice. Ah, if it +is indeed the will of God that I espouse this giant, whom I dread so +much, say for me, holy man, the Office for the Dead; for the count +will kill me, as he has his other wives." + +But St. Veltas replied, + +"Fear nothing, Tryphyna. See here this ring of silver, white as milk; +it shall serve you as a warning; for so surely as Comorre is plotting +any thing against you, it will become as black as the crow's wing. Take +courage, then, and save the Bretons from death." + +The young princess, reassured by this present of the ring, consented +to St. Veltas's request. + +Then the saint hurried without loss of time towards the opposed armies, +that he might announce the good tidings to their chiefs. The King of +Vannes, notwithstanding his daughter's resolution, was very unwilling +to consent to the marriage; but Comorre promised so fairly, that at +last he accepted him as son-in-law. + +The nuptials were celebrated with such festivities as have never +been seen since within the two dioceses. The first day six thousand +noble guests sat down to table; and on the second they received as +many poor, whom the bride and bridegroom, forgetful of their rank, +waited on at table, with napkins on their arms. [48] Then there was +dancing, at which all the musicians of Lower Brittany were engaged; +and wrestling-matches, in which the men of Brévelay contended with +those of Cornouaille. + +At last, when all was over, every one went home to his own country; +and Comorre carried off with him his young bride, as a sparrow-hawk +that has pounced upon a poor little yellow-hammer. + +However, during the first few months his affection for Tryphyna +softened him more than might have been expected. The castle-dungeons +remained empty, and the gibbets held no pasture for foul birds of +prey. The count's people whispered low, + +"What ails our lord, then, that he thirsts no more for tears and +blood?" But those who knew him better waited and said nothing. Tryphyna +herself, notwithstanding the count's kindness towards her, could +never feel easy or happy in her mind. Every day she went down to the +castle-chapel, and there, praying on the tombs of Comorre's four dead +wives, she besought God to preserve her from a violent death. + +About this time a grand assembly of Breton princes took place at +Rennes, and Comorre was obliged to join it. He gave into Tryphyna's +keeping all the castle keys, even those of the cellars; told her to +amuse herself as she liked best, and set out with a great retinue. + +It was five months before he returned, full of anxiety to see Tryphyna, +of whom he had thought often during his absence. And in his haste, +unwilling to lose time by announcing his arrival, he rushed up into +her room, where she was at that moment engaged in making an infant's +cap, trimmed with silver-lace. + +On seeing the cap, Comorre turned pale, and asked for what it was +designed. The countess, thinking to rejoice his heart, assured him +that they would shortly have a child; but at this news the Prince of +Cornouaille drew back in horror, and after looking at Tryphyna with +a dreadful countenance, went suddenly out, not speaking a word. + +The princess might have taken this for one of the count's frequent +caprices, had she not perceived, on casting down her eyes, that the +silver ring had turned black. She uttered a cry of terror; for she +remembered the words of St. Veltas, and knew that she must be in +imminent peril. But she knew not wherefore, neither could she tell +how to escape it. Poor woman! all day long, and during part of the +night, she employed herself in pondering what could be the reason +of the count's displeasure; and at last, her heart growing heavier, +she went down into the chapel to pray. + +But scarcely had she finished her rosary, and risen to depart, +when the hour of midnight struck. At that instant she beheld the +four grave-stones of Comorre's four wives rise slowly up, and they +themselves come out swathed in their funeral shrouds. + +Tryphyna, more dead than alive, would have escaped; but the phantoms +called to her: + +"Take care, poor lost one; Comorre waits to kill thee." + +"Me!" cried the countess; "and how have I offended, that he seeks +my death?" + +"You have told him you will shortly be a mother; and he knows, thanks +to the evil one, that his first child will be his destroyer. Therefore +it was that he took our lives also." + +"My God! and have I fallen into hands so cruel?" cried Tryphyna, +weeping. "If it is so, what hope remains for me? what can I do?" + +"Go back to your father in the land of White-Wheat," said the phantoms. + +"How can I fly?" returned the countess; "the giant dog of Comorre +guards the gate." + +"Give to him this poison, which killed me," said the first. + +"How can I get down the high wall?" asked the young wife. + +"Let yourself down by this cord, which strangled me," replied the +second. + +"But who will direct me through the darkness?" asked the princess. + +"This fire, which consumed me," replied the third. + +"How can I take so long a journey?" once more asked Tryphyna. + +"Make use of this staff, which crushed my temples," said the last. + +Comorre's wife took the staff, the torch, the cord, and the poison. She +silenced the dog, she scaled the lofty wall, she penetrated the +darkness, and took the road to Vannes, where her father dwelt. + +Comorre, not being able to find her the next morning when he rose, +sent his page to search for her in every chamber; but the page returned +with the tidings that Tryphyna was no longer in the castle. + +Then the count went up the donjon-tower, and looked out to the +four winds. + +To the north he saw a raven that croaked; to the sunrise a swallow on +the wing; to the south a wailing sea-mew; and to the west a turtle-dove +that sped away. + +He instantly exclaimed that Tryphyna was in that direction; and having +his horse saddled, set out in pursuit. + +His unfortunate wife was still upon the border of the wood which +surrounded the count's castle; but she was warned of his approach by +seeing the ring grow black. Then she turned aside over the common, +and came to the cabin of a poor shepherd, whose sole possession was +an old magpie hanging in a cage. + +The poor lady lay concealed there the whole day, bemoaning herself +and praying; and when night came on, she once more set forth along +the paths which skirt the fields of flax and corn. + +Comorre, who had kept to the high road, could not find her; and after +travelling two days, he returned the same way as far as the common. But +there, as ill-luck would have it, he entered the shepherd's hut, +and heard the magpie trying to recall the melancholy wailings it had +listened to, and murmuring, "Poor Tryphyna! poor Tryphyna!" Then +Comorre knew the countess had passed by that way, and calling his +hunting-dog, set him on the track, and began to pursue her. + +Meanwhile Tryphyna, pressed by terror, had walked on unresting, +and was already drawing near to Vannes. But at last she felt herself +unable to proceed; and turning into a wood, lay down upon the grass, +where she gave birth to a son miraculously lovely, who was afterwards +called St. Trever. + +As she held him in her arms, and wept over him, half sorrowfully +and half in joy, she perceived a falcon ornamented with a collar of +gold. He was perched upon a neighbouring tree; and she knew him for +her father's bird, the king of the land of White-Wheat. Calling him +quickly by his name, the bird came down upon her knees; and giving him +the warning-ring she had received from St. Veltas, she said, "Fly, +falcon, hasten to my father's court, and carry him this ring. When +he sees it, he will know I am in urgent danger, and will order his +soldiers to horse. It is for you to lead them hither to save me." + +The bird understood, and taking the ring, flew like a flash of +lightning in the direction of Vannes. + +But almost at the same instant Comorre came in sight with his +stag-hound, who had incessantly tracked Tryphyna; and as she had no +longer the ring to forewarn her of approaching danger, she remained +unconscious of it till she heard the tyrant's voice cheering on +his dog. + +Terror froze the marrow in her bones, and she had only just time to +wrap the infant in her mantle and hide it in the hollow of a tree, +when Comorre appeared upon his horse at the entrance of the pathway. + +Seeing Tryphyna, he uttered a cry like that of a wild-beast, and +throwing himself upon the unhappy victim, who had sunk upon her +knees, he severed her head from her shoulders by one stroke of his +hunting-knife. + +Believing himself now at once rid of mother and child, he whistled +back his dog, and set off on his return to Cornouaille. + +Now the falcon arrived at the court of the King of Vannes, who was +then dining; and hovering over the table, let fall the silver ring into +his master's cup. He had no sooner recognised it, than he exclaimed: + +"Woe is me, some misfortune must have befallen my daughter, since +the falcon brings me back her ring. Let the horses be made ready, +and let St. Veltas be our companion; for I fear we shall but too soon +stand in need of his assistance." + +The servants obeyed promptly; and the king set forth with the saint, +who had come at his prayer, and a numerous retinue. They put their +horses to their full speed, and followed the course of the flying +falcon, who led them to the glade where lay the dead Tryphyna and +her living child. + +The king then threw himself from his horse, and uttered cries that +might have made the very oaks to weep; but St. Veltas silenced him. + +"Hush!" said he, "and join with me in prayer to God; He can even yet +repair all." + +With these words, he knelt down with all those who were present, and +after addressing a fervent prayer to Heaven, he said to the dead body, +"Arise!" + +Tryphyna obeyed. + +"Take thine head and thy child," added the saint, "and follow us to +the castle of Comorre." + +It was done as he commanded. + +Then the terrified escort took horse once more, and spurred onwards +towards Cornouaille. But however rapidly they rode, Tryphyna was +ever in advance; holding her son upon her left arm, and her head on +her right. + +And thus they came before the castle of the murderer. Comorre, who +saw them coming, caused the drawbridge to be raised. St. Veltas drew +near the moat, and exclaimed, with a loud voice, + +"Count of Cornouaille, I bring thee back thy wife, such as thy +wickedness has made her; and thy son, as God has bestowed him on +thee. Wilt thou receive them beneath thy roof?" + +Comorre was silent. St. Veltas repeated the same words a second, +then a third time; but still no voice replied. Taking, therefore, +the infant from his mother's arms, he placed him on the ground. + +Then was beheld a miracle which proved the Omnipotence of God; for +the child walked alone, and boldly, to the edge of the moat, whence +gathering a handful of the sand, he flung it towards the castle, +crying out, + +"God is just!" + +At that instant the towers shook with a great tumult, the walls gaped +open, and the whole castle sank down in ruins, burying the Count of +Cornouaille, and all those who had abetted him in sin. + +St. Veltas then replaced the head of Tryphyna on her shoulders, and +laying his hands upon her, the holy woman came back to life; to the +great content of the King of Vannes, and of all who were there present. + + + + +NOTE. + +According to the legend of Albert de Morlaix, Comorre was not buried +in the castle ruins, but succeeded in making his escape; but, at the +instance of Guerok, the Breton Bishops met in council "to cut off +this rotten branch from the body of the Church. They assembled at +the mountain called Menez-Brée, near Louargat, between Belle Isle +and Guingamp, not daring to meet in any town, through the terror +inspired by this tyrant; who, having killed King Johava, and his son +Jugduval, did what he pleased throughout the whole of the Low Country" +(Basse Bretagne). + +The Bishops thundered from their place of meeting a deadly +excommunication against Comorre; who shortly after, according to the +historian Le Bault, suffered the punishment of Arius; or, as others +say, "vomited forth at the same instant his blood and his soul." + + + + + + + +THE GROAC'H OF THE ISLE OF LOK. [49] + + +Every one who knows the land of the Church (Lanillis), knows also that +it is one of the loveliest parishes in the diocese of Léon. To say +nothing of green crops and corn, its orchards are famed from all time +for apples sweeter than the honey of Sizun, and plum-trees of which +every blossom ripens into fruit. As for the marriageable maidens, +they are all models of discretion and housewifery; at least so say +their nearest relations, who of course know them best. + +In olden times, when miracles were as common in these parts as +christenings and burials now, there dwelt in Lanillis a young man +called Houarn Pogamm, and a damsel whose name was Bellah Postik. + +They grew up together in love, as in age and stature; but every one +that they had to care for them being dead, one after the other, and +they left portionless, the two poor orphans were at last obliged to +go into service. They ought, indeed, to have been happy, for they +served the same master; but lovers are like the sea, that murmurs ever. + +"If we had only enough to buy a little cow and a lean pig," said +Houarn, "I would take a bit of land of our master; and then the good +father should marry us, and we would go and live together." + +"Yes," replied Bellah, with a deep sigh; "but the times are so +hard. The cows and pigs were dearer than ever at Ploudalmazeau the +last fair. Providence must surely have given up caring for the world." + +"I am afraid we shall have to wait a long time," said the young man; +"for I never get the last glass of the bottle when I drink with the +rest of them." + +"Very long," replied the maiden; "for I never can hear the cuckoo." + +Day after day it was the same story; till at last Houarn was quite out +of patience. So one morning he came to Bellah, as she was winnowing +some corn in the threshing-floor, and told her how he had made up +his mind that he would set out on his travels to seek his fortune. + +Sadly troubled was the poor girl at this resolve, and she said all +she could to dissuade him from it; but Houarn, who was a determined +young fellow, would not be withheld. + +"The birds," said he, "fly hither and thither till they have found +a field of corn, and the bees till they meet with flowers that +may yield them honey; is it for man to be less reasonable than the +winged creatures? I also will go forth on my quest; what I want is +but the price of a little cow and a lean pig. If you love me, Bellah, +you will no longer oppose a project which is to hasten our marriage." + +Bellah could not but acknowledge that there was reason in his words; +so with a sigh and a yearning heart she said, + +"Go then, Houarn, with God's blessing, if it must be so; but first +let me share with you my family relics." + +She led him to her cupboard, and took out a little bell, a knife, +and a staff. + +"There," said she, "these are immemorial heirlooms of our family. This +is the bell of St. Kolédok. Its sound can be heard at any distance, +however great, and will give immediate notice to the possessor's +friends should he be in any danger. The knife once belonged to +St. Corentin, and its touch dissolves all spells, were they of the +arch-fiend himself. Lastly, here is the staff of St. Vouga, which +will lead its possessor whithersoever he may desire to go. I will +give you the knife to defend you from enchantments, and the little +bell to let me know if you are in peril; the staff I will keep, +that I may be able to join you, should you need my presence." + +Houarn accepted with thanks his Bellah's gifts, wept awhile with her, +as belongs to a parting, and set out towards the mountains. + +But it was then just as it is now, and in all the villages through +which he passed, the traveller was beset by beggars, to whom any one +with whole garments was a man of rank and fortune. + +"By my faith," thought he, "this part of the country seems fitter +for spending a fortune than for making one: I must go farther." + +He went onwards therefore towards the west, till at last he arrived +at Pontaven, a pretty town, built upon a river bordered with poplars. + +There, as he sat at the inn-door, he overheard two carriers, who, +as they loaded their mules, were talking together of the Groac'h of +the Isle of Lok. + +Houarn inquired who or what that might be; and was told that it was the +name of a fairy who inhabited the lake in the largest of the Glénans, +[50] and who was said to be as rich as all the kings of the earth +together. Many had been the treasure-seekers that had visited her +island, but not one of them had ever returned. + +The thought came suddenly into Houarn's mind that he too would try +the adventure. The muleteers did all they could to dissuade him. They +were so loud in their remonstrances, that they collected quite a +crowd about him, crying out that it was downright unchristian to +let him run into destruction in that way; and the people would even +have kept him back by force. Houarn thanked them for the interest +they manifested in his welfare, and declared himself ready to give +up his design, if only they would make a collection amongst them +which would enable him to buy a little cow and a lean pig; but at +this proposition the muleteers and all the others drew back, simply +repeating that he was an obstinate fellow, and that it was of no use +talking to him. So Houarn repaired to the sea-shore, where he took +a boat, and was carried to the Isle of Lok. + +He had no difficulty in finding the pond, which was in the centre +of the island, its banks fringed by sea-plants with rose-coloured +flowers. As he walked round, he saw lying at one end of it, shaded by +a tuft of broom, a sea-green canoe, which floated on the unruffled +waters. It was fashioned like a swan asleep, with its head under +its wing. + +Houarn, who had never seen any thing like it before, drew nearer with +curiosity, and stepped into the boat that he might examine it the +better; but scarcely had he set foot within it when the swan seemed +to awake, its head started from amongst the feathers, its wide feet +spread themselves to the waters, and it swam rapidly from the bank. + +The young man gave a cry of alarm, but the swan only made the more +swiftly for the middle of the lake; and just as Houarn had decided on +throwing himself from his strange bark, and swimming for the shore, +the bird plunged downward head foremost, drawing him under the water +along with it. + +The unfortunate Léonard, who could not cry out without gulping down +the unsavoury water of the pool, was silent by necessity, and soon +arrived at the Groac'h's dwelling. + +It was a palace of shells, far surpassing in beauty all that can be +imagined. It was entered by a flight of crystal steps, each stair of +which, as the foot pressed it, gave forth a concert of sweet sounds, +like the song of many birds. All around stretched gardens of immense +extent, with forests of marine plants, and plots of green seaweed, +spangled with diamonds in the place of flowers. + +The Groac'h was reclining in the entrance-hall upon a couch of +gold. Her dress was of sea-green silk, exquisitely fine, and floating +round her like the waves that wrapped her grotto. Her black locks, +intertwined with coral, descended to her feet; and the white and red +of her brilliant complexion blended as in the polished lining of some +Indian shell. + +Dazzled with a sight at once so fair and unexpected, Houarn stood +still; but with a winning smile the Groac'h rose, and came forward +to meet him. So easy and flowing were her movements, that she seemed +like a snowy billow heaving along the sea, as she advanced to greet +the young Léonard. + +"You are welcome," said she, beckoning him with her hand to enter; +"there is always room here for all comers, especially for handsome +young men." + +At this gracious reception Houarn somewhat recovered himself, and +entered the hall. + +"Who are you? Whence come you? What seek you?" continued the Groac'h. + +"My name is Houarn," replied the Léonard; "I come from Lanillis; and +I am in quest of the wherewithal to buy a little cow and a lean pig." + +"Well, come in, Houarn," said the fairy; "and dismiss all anxiety +from your mind; you shall have every thing to make you happy." + +While this was passing she had led him into a second hall, the walls +of which were covered with pearls; where she set before him eight +different kinds of wine, in eight goblets of chased silver. Houarn made +trial of each, and found all so much to his taste, that he repeated +his draught of each eight times; while ever as the cup left his lips, +the Groac'h seemed still fairer than before. + +She meanwhile encouraged him to drink, telling him he need be in no +fear of robbing her, for that the lake in the Isle of Lok communicated +with the sea, and that all the treasures swallowed up by shipwrecks +were conveyed thither by a magic current. + +"I do not wonder," cried Houarn, emboldened at once by the wine and +the manner of his hostess, "that the people on shore speak so badly +of you; in fact, it just comes to this, that you are rich, and they +are envious. For my part, I should be very well content with the half +of your fortune." + +"It shall be yours if you will, Houarn," said the fairy. + +"How can that be?" he asked. + +"My husband, the Korandon, is dead," she answered, "so that I am now +a widow; if you like me well enough, I will become your wife." + +Houarn quite lost his breath for very wonderment. For him to marry +that beautiful creature! to dwell in that splendid palace! and to +drink to his heart's content of the eight sorts of wine! True, he +was engaged to Bellah; but men easily forget such promises,--indeed, +for that they are just like women. So he gallantly assured the fairy +that one so lovely must be irresistible, and that it would be his +pride and joy to become her husband. + +Thereupon the Groac'h exclaimed that she would forthwith make ready +the wedding-feast. She spread a table, which she covered with all +the delicacies that the Léonard had ever heard of, besides a great +many unknown to him even by name; and then proceeding to a little +fish-pond at the bottom of the garden, she began to call, and at +each call up swam a fish, which she successively caught in a steel +net. When the net was full, she carried it into the next room, and +threw all the fish into a golden frying-pan. + +But it seemed to Houarn as though there was a whispering of little +voices amidst the hissing of the pan. + +"What is that whispering in the frying-pan, Groac'h?" he asked. + +"It is the crackling of the wood," said she, stirring the fire. + +An instant after the little voices again began to murmur. + +"What is that murmuring, Groac'h?" asked the bridegroom. + +"It is the butter in the frying-pan," she answered, giving the fish +a toss. + +But soon the little voices cried yet louder. + +"What is that cry, Groac'h?" said Houarn. + +"It is the cricket in the hearth," replied the fairy; and she began to +sing, so that the Léonard could no longer hear any thing but her voice. + +But he could not help thinking on what he had noticed: and thought +brought fear, and fear, of course, repentance. + +"Alas!" he cried, "can it then be possible that I have so soon +forgotten Bellah for this Groac'h, who is no doubt a child of +Satan? With her for my wife, I shall not even dare to say my prayers +at night, and shall be as sure to go to hell as an exciseman." + +While he thus communed with himself, the fairy brought in the fried +fish, and pressed him to eat, while she went to fetch him twelve new +sorts of wine. + +Houarn sighed, took out his knife, and prepared to begin; but scarcely +had the spell-destroying blade touched the golden dish, when all the +fish rose up in the form of little men, each one clad in the proper +costume of his rank and occupation. There was a lawyer with his bands, +a tailor in blue stockings, a miller all white with flour, and so on; +all crying out at once, as they swam in the melted butter,-- + +"Houarn, save us, if thou wouldst thyself be saved." + +"Holy Virgin! what are these little men singing out from amongst the +melted butter?" cried the Léonard, in bewilderment. + +"We are Christians like thyself," they answered. "We too came to seek +our fortunes in the Isle of Lok; we too consented to marry the Groac'h; +and the day after the wedding she did with us as she had done with +all our predecessors, of whom the fish-pond in the garden is full." + +"What!" cried Houarn, "a creature so young and fair, and yet so +wicked?" + +"And thou wilt soon be in the same condition, subject thyself to be +fried and eaten by some new-comer." + +Houarn gave a jump, as though he felt himself already in the golden +frying-pan, and ran towards the door, thinking only how he might +escape before the Groac'h should return. But she was already there, +and had heard all; her net of steel was soon thrown over the Léonard, +who found himself instantly transformed into a frog, in which guise +the fairy carried him to the fish-pond, and threw him in, to keep +her former husbands company. + +At this moment the little bell, which Houarn wore round his neck, +tinkled of its own accord; and Bellah heard it at Lanillis, where +she was busy skimming the last night's milk. + +The sound struck upon her heart like a funeral knell; and she cried +aloud, "Houarn is in danger!" And without a moment's delay, without +asking counsel of any as to what she should do, she ran and put on +her Sunday clothes, her shoes and silver cross, and set out from the +farm with her magic staff. Arrived where four roads met, she set the +stick upright in the ground, murmuring in a low voice,-- + + + "List, thou crab-tree staff of mine! + By good St. Vouga, hear me! + O'er earth and water, through air, 'tis thine + Whither I will to bear me!" + + +And lo, the stick became a bay nag, dressed, saddled, and bridled, +with a rosette behind each ear, and a blue feather in front. + +Bellah mounted, and the horse set forward; first at a walking +pace, then he trotted, and at last galloped, and that so swiftly, +that ditches, trees, houses, and steeples passed before the young +girl's eyes like the arms of a spindle. But she complained not, +feeling that each step brought her nearer to her dear Houarn; nay, +she rather urged on her beast, saying, + +"Less swift than the swallow is the horse, less swift the swallow +than the wind, the wind than the lightning; but thou, my good steed, +if thou lovest me, outstrip them all in speed: for a part of my heart +is suffering; the better half of my own life is in danger." + +The horse understood her, and flew like a straw driven by the whirlwind +till he arrived in the country of Arhés, at the foot of the rock +called the Stag's Leap. But there he stood still, for never had horse +scaled that precipice. Bellah, perceiving the cause of his stopping, +renewed her prayer: + + + "Once again, thou courser mine, + By good St. Vouga, hear me! + O'er earth and water, through air, 'tis thine + Whither I will to bear me!" + + +She had hardly finished, when a pair of wings sprang from the sides +of her horse, which now became a great bird, and in this shape flew +away with her to the top of the rock. + +Strange indeed was the sight that here met her eyes. Upon a nest +made of potter's clay and dry moss squatted a little korandon, [51] +all swarthy and wrinkled, who, on beholding Bellah, began to cry aloud, + +"Hurrah! here is the pretty maiden come to save me!" + +"Save thee!" said Bellah. "Who art thou, then, my little man?" + +"I am Jeannik, the husband of the Groac'h of the Isle of Lok. She it +was that sent me here." + +"But what art thou doing in this nest?" + +"I am sitting on six stone eggs, and I cannot be free till they +are hatched." + +Bellah could not keep herself from laughing. + +"Poor thing!" said she; "and how can I deliver thee?" + +"By first saving Houarn, who is in the Groac'h's power." + +"Ah, tell me how I may do that!" cried the orphan girl, "and not a +moment will I lose in setting about my part in the matter, though I +should have to make the circuit of the four dioceses upon my bare +knees." + +"Well, then, there are two things to be done," said the korandon. "The +first, to present thyself before the Groac'h as a young man; and the +next, to take from her the steel net which she carries at her girdle, +and shut her up in it till the day of judgment." + +"And where shall I get a suit of clothes to fit me, korandon?" + +"Thou shalt see." + +And with these words the little dwarf pulled out four hairs from +his foxy poll, and blew them to the winds, muttering something in an +under-tone, and lo, the four hairs became four tailors, of whom the +first held in his hand a cabbage, the second a pair of scissors, the +third a needle, and the last a smoothing goose. All the four seated +themselves cross-legged round the nest, and began to prepare a suit +of clothes for Bellah. + +Out of one cabbage-leaf they made a beautiful coat, laced at every +seam; of another they made a waistcoat; but it took two leaves for +the trunk-breeches, such as are worn in the country of Léon; lastly, +the heart of the cabbage was shaped into a hat, and the stalk was +converted into shoes. + +Thus equipped, Bellah would have passed any where for a handsome +young gentleman in green velvet lined with white satin. + +She thanked the korandon, who added some further instructions; +and then her great bird flew away with her straight to the Isle of +Lok. There she commanded him to resume the form of a crab-stick; and +entering the swan-shaped boat, arrived safely at the Groac'h's palace. + +The fairy was quite taken at first sight with the velvet-clad young +Léonard. + +"Well," quoth she to herself, "you are the best-looking young fellow +that has ever come to see me; and I do think I shall love you for +three times three days." + +And she began to make much of her guest, calling her her darling, +and heart of hearts. She treated her with a collation; and Bellah +found upon the table St. Corentin's knife, which had been left there +by Houarn. She took it up against the time of need, and followed the +Groac'h into the garden. There the fairy showed her the grass-plots +flowered with diamonds, the fountains of perfumed waters, and, above +all, the fish-pond, wherein swam fishes of a thousand colours. + +With these last Bellah pretended to be especially taken, so that she +must needs sit down upon the edge of the pond, the better to enjoy +the sight of them. + +The Groac'h took advantage of her delight to ask her if she would not +like to spend all her days in this lovely place. Bellah replied that +she should like it of all things. + +"Well, then, so you may, and from this very hour, if you are only +ready at once to marry me," proceeded the fairy. + +"Very well," replied Bellah; "but you must let me fetch up one of +these beautiful fishes with the steel net that hangs at your girdle." + +The Groac'h, nothing suspecting, and taking this request for a mere +boyish freak, gave her the net, saying with a smile, "Let us see, +fair fisherman, what you will catch." + +"Thee, fiend!" cried Bellah, throwing the net over the Groac'h's +head. "In the name of the Saviour of men, accursed sorceress, become +in body even as thou art in soul!" + +The cry uttered by the Groac'h died away in a stifled murmur, for +the exorcism had already taken effect; the beautiful water fay was +now nothing more than the hideous queen of toadstools. + +In an instant Bellah drew the net, and with all speed threw it into a +well, upon which she laid a stone sealed with the sign of the cross, +that it might remain closed till the tombs shall be opened at the +last day. + +She then hastened back to the pond; but all the fish were already out +of it, coming forth to meet her, like a procession of many-coloured +monks, crying in their little hoarse voices, "Behold our lord and +master! who has delivered us from the net of steel and the golden +frying-pan." + +"And who will also restore you to your shape of Christians," said +Bellah, drawing forth the knife of St. Corentin. But as she was +about to touch the first fish, she perceived close to her a frog, +with the magic bell hung about his neck, and sobbing bitterly as he +knelt before her. Bellah felt her bosom swell, and she exclaimed, +"Is it thou, is it thou, my Houarn, thou lord of my sorrow and my joy?" + +"It is I," answered the youth. + +At a touch with the potent blade he recovered his proper form, and +Bellah and he fell into each other's arms, the one eye weeping for +the past, the other glistening with the present joy. + +She then did the like to all the fishes, who were restored each of +them to his pristine shape and condition. + +The work of disenchantment was hardly at an end, when up came the +little korandon from the Stag's-Leap rock. + +"Here I am, my pretty maiden," cried he to Bellah: "the spell which +held me where you saw me is broken, and I am come to thank you for +my deliverance." + +He then conducted the lovers to the Groac'h's coffers, which were +filled with precious stones, of which he told them to take as many +as they pleased. + +They both loaded their pockets, their girdles, and their hats; and +when they had as much as they could carry, they departed, with all +whom she had delivered from the enchantment. + +The banns were soon published, and Houarn and Bellah were married. But +instead of a little cow and a lean pig, he bought all the land in the +parish, and put in as farmers the people he had brought with him from +the Isle of Lok. + + + + + + + +THE FOUR GIFTS. + + +If I had an income of three hundred crowns, I would go and dwell +at Quimper; the finest church in Cornouaille is to be found there, +and all the houses have weather-vanes upon their roofs. If I had two +hundred crowns a year, I would live at Carhaix, for the sake of its +heath-fed sheep and its game. But if I had only one hundred, I would +set up housekeeping at Pontaven, for there is the greatest abundance +of every thing. At Pontaven they sell butter at the price of milk, +chickens for that of eggs, and linen at the same rate as you can buy +green flax. So that there are plenty of good farms there, where they +dish up salt pork at least three times a week, and where the very +shepherds eat as much rye-bread as they desire. + +In such a farm lived Barbaik Bourhis, a spirited woman, who had +maintained her household like a man, and who had fields and stacks +enough to have kept two sons at college. + +But Barbaik had only a niece, whose earnings far outweighed her keep, +so that every day she laid by as much as she could save. + +But savings too easily acquired have always their bad side. If you +hoard up wheat, you attract rats into your barns; and if you lay by +crowns, you will engender avarice in your heart. + +Old Mother Bourhis had come at last to care for nothing but the +increase of her hoards, and think nothing of any one who did not +happen to pay heavy sums each month to the tax-gatherers. So she +was angry when she saw Dénès, the labourer of Plover, chatting with +her niece behind the gable. One morning, after thus surprising them, +she cried to Tephany in step-mother tones, + +"Are not you ashamed to be always chattering thus with a young man +who has nothing, when there are so many others who would gladly buy +for you the silver ring?" + +"Dénès is a good workman and a thorough Christian," replied the +damsel. "Some day he will be able to rent a farm where he may rear +a family." + +"And so you would like to marry him?" interrupted the old woman. "God +save us! I would sooner see you drowned in the well than married to +that vagabond. No, no, it shall never be said that I brought up my +own sister's child to be the wife of a man who can carry his whole +fortune in his tobacco-pouch." + +"What matters fortune when we have good health, and can ask the +Blessed Virgin to look down on our intentions?" replied Tephany gently. + +"What matters fortune!" replied the fermière, scandalised. "What! have +you come to such a length as to despise the wealth that God has given +us? May all the saints take pity on us! Since this is the case, you +bold-faced thing, I forbid you ever to speak again to Dénès; and if +I catch him at this farm again, it will be the worse for you both; +and meanwhile go you down to the washing-place, and wash the linen, +and spread it out to dry upon the hawthorn; for since you've had one +ear turned towards the wind from Plover, every thing stands still at +home, and your two arms are worth no more than the five fingers of +a one-armed man." + +Tephany would have answered, but in vain. Mother Bourhis imperiously +pointed out to her the bucket, the soap, and the beetle, and ordered +her to set off that very instant. + +The girl obeyed, but her heart swelled with grief and resentment. + +"Old age is harder than the farm-door steps," thought she to herself; +"yes, one hundred times harder, for the rain by frequent falling +wears away the stones; but tears have no power to soften the will of +old people. God knows that talking with Dénès was the only pleasure I +had. If I am to see him no more, I might as well leave the world at +once; and our good angel was always with us. Dénès has done nothing +but teach me pretty songs, and talk about what we shall do when we +are married, in a farm, he looking after the fields, and I managing +the cattle." + +Thus talking to herself, Tephany had reached the douez. Whilst setting +down her tub of linen upon one of the white lavatory stones, she +became aware of an old woman, a stranger, sitting there, leaning her +head upon a little scorched thorn-stick. Notwithstanding her vexation, +Tephany saluted her. + +"Is my aunt [52] taking the air under the alders?" said she, moving +her load farther off. + +"One must rest where one can, when one has the roof of heaven for a +shelter," answered the old woman, in a trembling voice. + +"Are you, then, so desolate?" asked Tephany compassionately; "is +there no relation left who can offer you a refuge at his fireside?" + +"Every one is long since dead," replied the stranger; "and I have no +other family than all kind hearts." + +The maiden took the piece of rye-bread rubbed with dripping which +Barbaik had given her in a bit of linen with her beetle. + +"Take this, poor aunt," said she, offering it to the beggar. "To-day, +at least, you shall dine like a Christian on our good God's bread; +only remember in your prayers my parents, who are dead." + +The old woman took the bread, then looked at Tephany. + +"Those who help others deserve help themselves," said she. "Your +eyes are red, because Barbaik has forbidden you to speak to the lad +from Plover; but he is a worthy youth, whose intentions are good, +and I will give you the means of seeing him once every day." + +"You!" cried the girl, astonished that the beggar was so well informed. + +"Take this long copper-pin," replied the crone; "and every time you +stick it in your dress, Mother Bourhis will be forced to leave the +farm, and go to count her cabbages. All the time this pin remains +where you stick it, you will be at liberty; and your aunt will not +return until the pin is put back into this étui." + +With these words the beggar rose, nodded a farewell, and disappeared. + +Tephany was lost in astonishment. Evidently the old woman was no +beggar, but a saint, or a singer of truth. [53] + +At any rate, the young girl treasured the pin carefully, well +determined to try its power the next day. Towards the time, then, +at which Dénès was accustomed to make his appearance, she set it in +her collar. Barbaik instantly put on her wooden shoes, and walked +off into the garden, where she set herself to count her cabbages; +from the garden she went to the orchard, and from the orchard to the +field, so that Tephany could talk with Dénès at her ease. + +It was the same the next day, and the next, through many weeks. As +soon as the pin made its appearance from the étui, the good woman +was off amongst her cabbages, always beginning to count once more +how many little or big, embossed or curly cabbages [54] she had. + +Dénès at first appeared enchanted at this freedom, but by degrees he +grew less eager to avail himself of it. He had taught Tephany all his +songs; he had told her all his plans; now he was forced to consider +what he could talk to her about, and make it up beforehand, like a +preacher preparing his sermon. And more than that, he came later, +and went earlier away; sometimes even, pretending cartage, weeding, +or errands to the town detained him, he came not to the farm at all; +and Tephany had to console herself with her pin. + +She understood that the love of her betrothed was cooling, and became +more sorrowful than before. + +One day, after vainly waiting for the youth, she took her pitcher, and +went all solitary to the fountain, her heart swelling with displeasure. + +When she reached it, she perceived the same old woman who had given +her the magic pin. There she sat, near the spring; and watching +Tephany as she advanced, she began with a little chuckling laugh, + +"Ah, ah! then the pretty girl is no longer satisfied to chatter with +her humble servant any hour of the day." + +"Alas, to chat, I must be with him," replied Tephany mournfully; +"and custom has made my company less agreeable to him. Oh, aunt, +since you have given me the means of seeing him every day, you might +give me at the same time wit enough to keep my hold upon him." + +"Is that what my daughter wants?" said the old woman. "In that case, +here is a feather; let her but put it in her hair, and no one can +resist her, for she will be as clever and as cunning as Master John +[55] himself." + +Tephany, reddening with delight, carried off the feather; and just +before Dénès' visit on the following day, she stuck it under her +blue rozarès. [56] That very instant it appeared to her as if the +sun rose in her mind; she found herself acquainted with what students +spend ten years in learning, and much that even the very wisest know +nothing of; for with the science of a man, she still preserved the +malice of a woman. Dénès was of course astonished at her words; she +talked in rhyme like the bazvalanes [57] of Cornouaille, she knew +more songs than the mendicants from Scaër, and could tell all the +stories current at the forges and the mills throughout the country. + +The young man came day after day, and Tephany found always something +new to tell him. Dénès had never met man or woman with so much wit; +but after enjoying it for a time, he began to be scared by it. Tephany +had not been able to resist putting in her feather for others than him; +her songs, her sayings, were repeated every where, and people said, + +"She is a mischievous creature; he who marries her is sure to be led +like a bridled horse." + +The Plover lad repeated in his own mind the same predictions; and as +he had always thought that he would rather hold than wear the bridle, +he began to laugh with more constraint at Tephany's jests. + +One day, when he wanted to be off to a dance in a new threshing-floor, +the maiden used her utmost efforts to retain him; but Dénès, who did +not choose to be led, would not listen to her reasons, and repulsed +her entreaties. + +"Ah, I see why you are so anxious to go to the new barn," said Tephany, +with irritation; "you are going to see Aziliçz of Penenru there." + +Aziliçz was the handsomest girl in the whole canton; and, if her good +friends told truth, she was the greatest flirt. + +"To tell the truth, Aziliçz will be there," said Dénès, who delighted +in piquing the jealousy of his dearly-beloved; "and to see her any +one would go a long round." + +"Go, then, where your heart draws you," said the wounded damsel. + +And she returned to the farm without hearing a word more he had to say. + +But seating herself, overwhelmed with sadness, on the broad +hearth-stone, she gave herself up to earnest thought; and then flinging +the wondrous feather from her, she exclaimed, + +"Of what use is wit and cleverness for maidens, since men rush towards +beauty as the flies to sunshine! Ah, what I want, old aunt, is not +to be the wisest, but the fairest on the earth." + +"Be thou also, then, the fairest," uttered an unexpected voice. + +Tephany turned round astonished, and saw at the door the old woman +with her thorn-stick, who thus spoke: + +"Take this necklace, and so long as you shall wear it round your neck, +you shall appear amongst all other women as the queen of the meadow +amidst wild flowers." + +Tephany could not repress a cry of joy. She hastened to put on the +necklace, rushed to her little mirror, and there stood dumb with +admiration. Never had any girl been at once so fair and so rosy, +so lovely to look upon. + +Anxious to judge instantly of the effect which her appearance would +produce on Dénès, she decked herself out in her finest dress, her +worsted stockings, and her buckled shoes, and took her way towards +the new barn. + +But just as she reached the cross-road, she met a young lord in his +coach, who, the instant he caught sight of her, desired the coachman +to stop. + +"By my life," cried he, in admiration, "I had no idea there was such +a beautiful creature as this in the country; and if it were to cost +me my life, she must bear my name." + +But Tephany replied, "Go on, good sir, go on your way; I am but a +poor peasant-girl, accustomed to winnow, milk, and mow." + +"But I will make a noble lady of you," cried the young lord; and +taking her hand, he tried to lead her to his coach. + +The maiden drew back. + +"I will only be the bride of Dénès, the Plover labourer," said she, +with resolution. + +The lord still insisted; but when he found that she went towards +the ditch to fly away across the meadows, he desired his footmen to +seize her, and put her by force into the coach, which then set off +at full gallop. + +In about an hour's time they reached the castle, which was built of +carved stone, and was covered with slate, like all noble mansions. The +young lord ordered them to go and fetch a priest to perform the +marriage ceremony; and as meanwhile Tephany would not hear a word he +had to say, and kept trying to run away, he made them shut her up +in a great hall closed by three doors well bolted, and desired his +servants to guard her well. But by means of her pin Tephany sent them +all into the garden to count cabbages; by her feather she discovered +a fourth door concealed in the panneling, whereby she escaped; and +then fervently committing herself to Providence, she scampered away +through the woods like a hare who hears the dogs behind her. + +As long as she had any strength left, on she went, until the night +began to close around her. Then, perceiving the turret of a convent, +she went up to the little grated door, and ringing the bell, begged +for a night's shelter; but on seeing her the portress shook her head. + +"Go away, go away," said she; "there is no place here for young girls +so beautiful as you, who wander all alone at this hour of night along +the roads." + +And closing the wicket, she went away without listening to another +word. + +Forced to go further on, Tephany stopped at a farm-door, where there +were several young men and women talking together, and made the same +request as at the convent. + +The mistress of the house hesitated what answer to make; but all the +young men, dazzled by Tephany's beauty, cried out each one that he +would take her to his father's house, and every one endeavoured to +outbid his neighbour in their offers. One said that he would take her +in a wagon and three horses, lest she should be tired; another promised +her the best bed; and a third declared that she should sit down at +table with the family. At last, from promises they came to quarrelling, +and from quarrelling to blows; until the women, frightened, began to +abuse Tephany, telling her it was an infamous shame to come with her +charms to put dissensions amongst men in that way. The poor girl, +quite beside herself, tried to run away; but all the young men set +off after her. Just then she all at once remembered her necklace, +and taking it from her neck slipped it round that of a sow who was +cropping the buttercups. In an instant the charm that drew the youths +towards her died away, and they began to pursue the beast instead, +which fled away in terror. + +Tephany still went on in spite of her fatigue, and came at last to her +aunt's farm, worn out with weariness, but still more with grief. Her +wishes had brought her so little satisfaction, that she passed many +days without making another. However, Dénès' visits grew more and +more uncertain; he had undertaken to clear a warren, and there he +toiled from morning until night. + +When the young girl regretted seeing so little of him, he had always +to reply that his labour was their sole resource; and that if people +want to spend their time in talking together, they must needs have +legacies or dowries. + +Then Tephany began to complain and to desire. + +"God pardon me," said she, in a low voice; "but what I ought to ask +for is not liberty to see Dénès every day, for he soon gets tired +of it; nor wit, for it scares him; nor beauty, for it brings upon me +trouble and mistrust; but rather wealth, for then one can be master +of oneself and others. Ah, if I dared to make yet one petition more +of the old aunt, I would be wiser than I was before." + +"Be satisfied," said the voice of the old beggar, though Tephany +perceived her not. "Feel in your right pocket, and you will find a +little box; rub your eyes with the ointment it contains, and you will +have a treasure in yourself." + +The young girl hastily felt in her pocket, found the box, opened +it, and began to rub her eyes as she had been desired, when Barbaik +Bourhis entered. + +She who, in spite of herself, had now for some time past consumed +whole days in cabbage-counting, and who saw all the farm-work fallen +into arrears, was only waiting an occasion for visiting her wrath upon +somebody. Seeing her niece sitting down doing nothing, she clasped +her hands and cried, + +"That's the way, then, that the work goes on whilst I am in the +fields. Ah, I am surprised no longer that we are all going to ruin. Are +you not ashamed, you wretch, to plunder food in this way from your +kith and kin?" + +Tephany would have excused herself; but Barbaik's rage was like +milk heating on a turf-fire--let but the first bubble rise, and all +mounts upwards and boils over; from reproaches she came to threats, +and from threats to a box on the ear. + +Tephany, who had borne every thing patiently till then, could no +longer restrain her tears; but guess her astonishment when she +perceived that every tear was a beautiful and shining fair round pearl. + +Mother Bourhis, who made the same discovery, uttered loud cries of +admiration, and set herself to pick them up. + +Dénès, who came in at that instant, was no less surprised. + +"Pearls! real pearls!" he exclaimed, catching them. + +"It will make our fortune," said Barbaik, continuing to pick them +up. "Ah, what fairy has bestowed this gift upon her? We must take +good care lest it gets noised abroad, Dénès; I will give you a share, +but only you. Go on, my girl, go on; you also shall be benefited by +this opportunity." + +She held her apron, and Dénès his hat; the pearls were all he thought +of, forgetful they were tears. + +Tephany, choking with emotion, would have escaped; but the old +woman stopped her, reproaching her with wishing to defraud them, +and saying all she could to make her cry the more. The young girl +compelled herself with violent effort to control her sorrow, and to +wipe her eyes. + +"It's all over already," cried Barbaik. "Ah, Blessed Virgin, can +one be so weak-minded! If I had such a gift as that, I would no more +think of stopping than the great fountain on the Green Road. Hadn't +we better beat her a little, and try again?" + +"No," interrupted Dénès, "for fear we should exhaust her the first +time. I will set forth this moment for the town, and there find out +how much each pearl is worth." + +Barbaik and he went out together, reckoning the value as nearly +as they could, and deciding beforehand how they should divide it, +forgetting Tephany completely in the matter. + +As for her, she clasped her two hands upon her heart, and raised her +eyes towards heaven; but her look was intercepted by the aged beggar, +who, leaning on her staff in the duskiest corner of the hearth, was +watching her with mocking eye. The maiden trembled; and seizing the +pin, the feather, and the box of ointment given her by the crone, + +"Take back, take back," she cried, "your fatal gifts. Woe to all +those who cannot be content with what they have received from God! He +had gifted me according to His own wise appointment, and I madly +was dissatisfied with my portion. Give others liberty, wit, beauty, +and wealth. For me, I neither am, nor will be, other than the simple +girl of former days, loving and serving her neighbours to the utmost +of her power." + +"Well said, Tephany," cried the old woman. "Thou hast come out from +the trial; but let it do thee good. The Almighty has sent me to +bestow this lesson on thee; I am thy guardian angel. Now that thou +hast learned this truth, thou wilt live more happily; for God has +promised peace to hearts of good will." + +With these words the beggar changed into an angel glittering with +light; and shedding through the farm a scent of violets and of incense, +vanished like a flash of lightning. + +Tephany forgave Dénès his willingness to make merchandise of her +tears. Become now more reasonable, she accepted happiness as we find +it on this earth; and she was married to the lad of Plover, who proved +through all his life a good husband and a first-rate workman. + + + + + + + +THE PALACE OF THE PROUD KING. + + +The children slumber sweetly in their curtained beds; the brown dog +snores upon the broad hearth-stone; the cows chew the cud behind their +screen of broom; and the fading fire-light quivers on the grandsire's +old arm-chair. + +This is the time, dear friends, when we should make the sign of +the cross, and murmur a prayer in secret for the souls of those +that we have loved. Hark! midnight is striking from St. Michael's +church,--midnight of Holy Pentecost. + +This is the hour when all true Christians lay down their heads upon +their quiet pillows, content with that which God has given them, +and sleep, lulled by the gentle breathing of their slumbering children. + +But as for Perik Skoarn, no little children had he. He was a daring +young fellow, but as yet quite solitary. When he saw the gentry from +the neighbourhood coming to Mass on Sundays, he envied them their +handsome horses with the silver-plated bridles, their velvet mantles, +and their embroidered silken hose. He longed to be as rich as they +were, that he also might have a seat covered with red leather in the +church, and be able to carry the fair farmers' daughters to the fair +seated on his horse's crupper. + +This is the reason Perik walked upon Lew-Dréz, at the foot of +St. Efflam's down, whilst all good Christians slept upon their beds, +watched over by the Holy Virgin. Perik is a man hungering after +greatness and luxury. The longings of his heart are countless, like +the nests of the sea-swallows in the sandy cliffs. + +The waves sighed sadly in the dark horizon; the crabs fed silently +upon the bodies of the drowned; the wind that whistled in the rocks +of Roch-Ellas mimicked the call-cry of the smugglers of Lew-Dréz; +but Skoarn still paced the shore. + +He looked upon the mountain, and recalled the words of the old beggar +at Yar Cross. That old man knew all that had happened in these parts, +when these our ancient oaks hung yet as acorns on their parent trees, +and our oldest ravens still slumbered in the egg. + +Now the old beggar of Yar had told him, that here, where now stretch +the downs of St. Efflam, a famous city formerly extended; its ships +covered the wide ocean, and it was governed by a king, whose sceptre +was a hazel-wand that fashioned every thing according to his wish. + +But the king and all his people were punished for their pride and +iniquity; for one day, by God's command, the strand rose upwards +like the bubbling of a boiling flood, and so engulfed the guilty +city. But every year, upon the night of Pentecost, a passage opens +through the mountain with the first stroke of twelve o'clock, and +shows an entrance to the monarch's palace. + +The all-powerful hazel-wand may be discovered hanging in the furthest +hall of this magnificent abode; but those who seek it must make haste, +for as the final stroke of midnight sounds upon the ear, the passage +closes once again, to open no more until the following Pentecost. + +Skoarn had well remembered all the tale of the old beggar at the +Cross of Yar, and for this reason he treads at such unwonted hour +the sands of the Lew-Dréz. + +At length a sharp stroke came dashing from the belfrey of +St. Michael. Skoarn trembled; he looked eagerly, by the pale starlight, +at the granite mass which heads the mountain, and beheld it slowly +open, like the jaws of an awakening dragon. + +Skoarn rushed into the passage, which at first seemed dark, but +gradually gleamed with a blue light, like that which hovers nightly +over church-yard graves; and thus he found his way into a mighty +palace, the marble front of which was sculptured like the church of +Folgoat or of Quimper-on-the-Odet. + +The first hall he entered was all full of chests heaped, like the +corn-bins after harvest, with the purest silver; but Perik Skoarn +wanted more than silver, and he passed it through. The clock sounded +the sixth stroke of midnight. + +He found a second hall, set round with coffers crammed with gold, as +stable-racks are crammed with blossoming grass in the sweet month of +June. But Skoarn wanted something better still, and he went on. The +seventh stroke sounded. + +The third hall to which he came had baskets flowing over with white +pearls, like milk in the broad dairy-pans of Cornouaille in the early +spring. Skoarn would gladly have had some of these; but he heard the +eighth stroke sounding, and he hurried on. + +The fourth hall was all glittering with diamond caskets, shedding +brighter light than all the furzy piles upon the hillocks of Douron +on St. John's eve. Skoarn was dazzled, and hesitated for a moment; +then rushed into the last hall as he heard the church-clock for the +ninth time. + +But there he stood still suddenly with wondering admiration. In +front of the hazel-wand, which hung in full sight at the further end, +were ranged a hundred maidens most fair to look upon; they held in +one hand wreaths of the green oak, and in the other cups of glowing +wine. Skoarn had resisted silver, gold, pearls, and diamonds; but he +was overpowered by the vision of these beauteous maidens, and he stood +still to gaze at them, and at the sparkling cups they presented to him. + +The tenth stroke sounded, and he heard it not; the eleventh, and he +still stood motionless. At last, just as he was about to hold out +his hand to receive the cup from the maiden next to him, the twelfth +was heard, as mournful as the great gun of a ship at wreck among +the breakers. + +Then Perik, terrified, would fain have turned, but time for him was +over. The doors all closed, the hundred fair young girls were now so +many granite statues, and all was once more folded up in darkness. + +This is the way our fathers tell the tale of Skoarn. You see now what +will happen to a youth who suffers his heart too readily to open at +seduction's voice. May all the young take warning by his fate. It +is well to walk sometimes with eyes cast downwards to the earth, +for fear we should be led into the paths of evil and sin. + + + + + + + +THE PIPER. + + +The sea-breeze blew from the shore of the Black Water, and the stars +were rising. The young maidens had gone homewards to the little farms, +carrying on their fingers the metal rings their friends had bought +them at the fair. The youths went across the common, singing their +songs. At last their sonorous voices could no more be heard; the +light dresses of the damsels were no longer to be seen; it was night. + +Nevertheless, here was Lao, with a merry company, at the entrance of +the lonely heath,--Lao, the celebrated piper, come expressly from the +mountains to lead the dance at the fair of Armor. His face was as red +as a March moon, his black locks floated as they would upon the wind, +and he held under his arm the pipe whose magic sounds had even set +in motion a number of old women in their sabots. When they came to +the cross-road of the Warning, where there rises the granite cross +all overgrown with moss, the women stopped, and said, + +"Let us take the pathway leading towards the sea." + +Master Lao pointed out the belfry-tower of Plougean over the hill, +and said, + +"That is the point we are making for; why not go across the heath?" + +The women answered, + +"Because there rises a city of Korigans, Lao, in the middle of that +heath; and one must be pure from sin to pass it without danger." + +But Lao laughed aloud. + +"By heaven!" said he, "I have travelled by night-time all these roads, +yet I have never seen your little black men counting their money by +moonlight, as they tell us at the chimney-corner. Show me the road +leading to the Korigan city, and I will go and sing to them the days +of the week." [58] + +But the women all exclaimed, + +"Don't tempt God, Lao. God has put some things in this world of which +it is better to be ignorant, and others which we ought to fear. Leave +the Korigans alone to dance about their granite dwellings." + +"To dance!" cried Lao. "Then the Korigans have pipers too?" + +"They have the whistling of the wind across the heath, and the singing +of the night-bird." + +"Well, then," said the mountaineer, "I am determined that to-day at +least they shall have Christian music. I will go across the common +playing some of my best Cornouaille airs." + +So saying, he put his pipe to his lips, and striking up a cheerful +strain, he set off boldly on the little footway that stretched like +a white line across the gloomy heath. + +The women, terrified, made the sign of the cross, and hurried down +the hill. + +But Lao walked straight on without fear, and played meanwhile upon +his pipes. As he advanced, his heart grew bolder, his breath more +powerful, and the music louder. Already had he crossed just half the +common, when he saw the Menhir rising like a phantom in the night, +and further on, the dwellings of the Korigans. + +Then he seemed to hear an ever-rising murmur. At first it was like +the trickling of a rill, then like the rushing of a river, and then +the roaring of the sea; and different sounds were mingled in this +roar,--sometimes like stifled laughs, then furious hissing, the +mutterings of low voices, and the rush of steps upon the withered +grass. + +Lao began to breathe less freely, and his restless eyes glanced right +and left over the common. It was as if the tufts of heath were moving, +all seemed alive and whirling in the gloom, all took the form of +hideous dwarfs, and voices were distinctly heard. Suddenly the moon +rose, and Lao cried aloud. + +To left, to right, behind, before, every where, far as the eye could +reach, the common was alive with running Korigans. Lao, bewildered, +drew back to the Menhir, against which he leant; but the Korigans +saw him, and came round with cries like those of grasshoppers. + +"It is the famous piper of Cornouaille come hither to play for the +Korigans." + +Lao made the sign of the cross; but all the little men surrounded him, +and shrieked, + +"Thou belongest to us, Lao. Pipe then, thou famous piper, and lead +the dance of the Korigans." + +Lao in vain resisted, some magic power mastered him; he felt the pipe +approach his lips; he played, he danced, in spite of himself. The +Korigans surrounded him with circling bands, and every time he would +have paused they cried in chorus, + +"Pipe, famous piper, pipe, and lead the dance of the Korigans." + +Lao went on thus the whole night; but as the stars grew paler in +the sky, the music of his pipes waxed fainter, his feet had greater +difficulty in moving from the ground. At last the dawn of day spread +palely in the east, the cocks were heard crowing in the distant farms, +and the Korigans disappeared. + +Then the mountain piper sunk down breathless at the foot of the +Menhir. The mouth-piece of his pipes fell from his shrivelled lips, +his arms dropped upon his knees, his head upon his breast, to rise +no more; and voices murmured in the air, + +"Sleep, famous piper! thou hast led the dance of the Korigans; thou +shalt never lead the dance for Christians more." + + + + + + + +THE WHITE INN. + + +Once upon a time there was an inn at Ponthou, known, from its +appearance, as the White Inn. The people who kept it were both good and +honest. They were known to be punctual at their Easter duties, and no +one ever thought of counting money after them. It was at the White Inn +that travellers would stop to sleep; and horses knew the place so well, +that they would draw up of their own accord before the stable-door. + +The headsman of the harvest [59] had brought in short gloomy days; +and one evening, as Floc'h the landlord was standing at the White-Inn +door, a traveller, evidently of importance, and mounted on a splendid +foreign steed, reined up his horse, and lifting his hand to his hat, +said courteously, + +"I want a supper and a bed-chamber." + +Floc'h drew first his pipe from his mouth, and then his hat from his +head, and answered, + +"God bless you, sir, a supper you shall have; but as to a room, we +cannot give it you; for we have now above, six muleteers on their +way home to Redon, who have taken all the beds of the White Inn." + +The traveller then said, + +"For God's sake, my good man, contrive for me to sleep somewhere. The +very dogs have a kennel, and it is not fitting that Christians be +without a bed in such weather as this." + +"Sir stranger," said the host remorsefully, "I can only tell you that +the inn is full, and we have no place for you but the red room." + +"Well, give me that," replied the stranger. + +But the landlord rubbed his forehead and looked grieved; for he could +not let the traveller sleep in the red chamber. + +"Since I have been at the White Inn," said he at last, "only two men +have ever occupied that room; and on the morrow, black as had been +their hair the night before, they rose with it snow-white." + +The traveller looked full at the landlord. + +"Then your house is haunted by the spirits from another world?" asked +he. + +"It is," faltered the landlord. + +"Then God and the Blessed Virgin be merciful to me. I will sleep there; +but make me a fire, and warm my bed; for I am cold." + +The landlord did as he was ordered. + +When the traveller had finished supper, he bade good night to all +at table, and went up to the red chamber. The landlord and his wife +trembled, and began to pray. + +The stranger having reached his room began to look about him. + +It was a large flame-coloured chamber, with great shining stains +upon the walls, that might well have been taken for the marks of +fresh-spilt blood. At the further end there stood a four-post bed, +surrounded by heavy curtains. The rest of the room was empty; and the +mournful whistling of the wind came down the chimney and the corridors, +and sounded like the cries of souls beseeching prayers. + +The traveller, kneeling down, prayed silently to God, then fearlessly +got into bed, and soon slept soundly. + +But, lo, at the very moment when the hour of midnight sounded from +a distant church-tower, he suddenly awoke, heard the curtain-rings +sliding on their iron poles, and beheld them open at his right hand. + +He was going to get out of bed; but his feet striking against something +cold, he recoiled in terror. + +There stood before him a coffin, with four lighted candles at the +corners, and covered with a great black pall that glittered as +with tears. + +The stranger turned to try the other side of his bed; but the coffin +instantly changed places, and barred his way out as before. + +Five times he made an effort to escape, and every time the bier was +there beneath his feet, with the candles and the funeral pall. + +The traveller then knew it was a ghost, who had some boon to ask; +and kneeling up in bed, he made the holy sign, and spoke: + +"Who art thou, departed one? Speak. A Christian listens to thee." + +A voice answered from the coffin, + +"I am a traveller murdered here by those who kept this inn before +its present owner. I died unprepared, and now I suffer in Purgatory." + +"What needs there, suffering soul, to give thee rest?" + +"I want six Masses said at the church of our Lady of Folgoat, and +also a pilgrimage made for my intention by some Christian to our Lady +of Rumengol." + +No sooner had these words been uttered than the lights went out, +the curtains closed, and all was silence. + +The stranger spent the night in prayer. + +The next morning he told the landlord every thing, and said, + +"My good friend, I am M. de Rohan, of family as noble as the noblest +now in Brittany. I will go and make the pilgrimage to Rumengol, and I +will see that the six Masses shall be said. Trouble yourself no more; +for this suffering soul shall rest in peace." + +Within the short space of one month the red room had lost its crimson +hue, and become white and cheerful as the others. No sound was heard +there but the swallows twittering in the chimney, and nothing could +be seen but a fair white bed, a crucifix, and a vessel of holy water. + +The traveller had kept his word. + + + + + + + +PERONNIK THE IDIOT. [60] + + +You cannot surely have failed, some time or other, to meet by chance +some of those poor idiots, or innocents, whose utmost wisdom scarcely +serves to lead them as beggars from door to door in quest of daily +bread. One might almost fancy they were straying calves who have lost +their way home. They stare all round with open eyes and mouth, as if in +search of somewhat; but, alas, that they seek is not plentiful enough +in these parts to be found upon the highways--for it is common sense. + +Peronnik was one of these poor idiots, to whom the charity of strangers +had been in place of father or of mother. He wandered ever onwards +unconscious whither; when he was thirsty, he drank from wayside +springs; when hungry, he begged stale crusts from the women he saw +standing at their doors; and when in need of sleep, he looked out for +a heap of straw, and hollowed himself out a nest in it like a lizard. + +As to any knowledge of a trade, Peronnik had, indeed, never learnt one; +but for all that he was skilful enough in many matters: he could go +on eating as long as you desired him to do so; he could outsleep any +one for any length of time; and he could imitate with his tongue the +song of larks. There is many a one now in these parts who cannot do +so much as this. + +At the time of which I am telling you (that is, many a hundred years +ago and more), the land of White-Wheat was not altogether what you see +it nowadays. Since then many a gentleman has devoured his inheritance, +and cut up his forests into wooden shoes. Thus the forest of Paimpont +extended over more than twenty parishes; some say it even crossed the +river, and went as far as Elven. However that may be, Peronnik came one +day to a farm built upon the border of the wood; and as the Benedicite +bell had long since rung in his stomach, he drew near to ask for food. + +The farmer's wife happened at that moment to be kneeling down on +the door-sill to scrape the soup-bowl with her flint-stone; [61] but +when she heard the idiot's voice asking for food in the name of God, +she stopped and held the kettle towards him. + +"Here," she cried, "poor fellow, eat these scrapings, and say an +'Our Father' for our pigs, that nothing on earth will fatten." + +Peronnik seated himself on the ground, put the kettle between his +knees, and began to scrape it with his nails; but it was little +enough he could succeed in finding, for all the spoons in the house +had already done their duty upon it. However, he licked his fingers, +and made an audible grunt of satisfaction, as if he had never tasted +any thing better. + +"It is millet-flour," said he, in a low voice,--"millet-flour moistened +with the black cow's milk, [62] and by the best cook in the whole +Low Country." + +The farmer's wife, who was going by, turned round delighted. + +"Poor innocent," said she, "there is little enough of it left; but +I will add a scrap of rye-bread." + +And she brought the lad the first cutting of a round loaf just out +of the oven. Peronnik bit into it like a wolf into a lamb's leg, and +declared that it must have been kneaded by the baker to his lordship +the Bishop of Vannes. + +The flattered peasant replied, that was nothing to the taste of +it when spread with fresh-churned butter; and to prove her words, +she brought him some in a little covered saucer. After taking this, +the idiot declared that this was living butter, not to be excelled by +butter of the White Week itself; [63] and to give greater force to his +words, he poured over his crust all that the saucer contained. But the +satisfaction of the farmer's wife prevented her from noticing this; +and she added to what she had already given him a lump of dripping +left from the Sunday soup. + +Peronnik praised every mouthful more and more, and swallowed every +thing as if it had been water from a spring; for it was very long +since he had made so good a meal. + +The farmer's wife went and came, watching him as he ate, and adding +from time to time sundry scraps, which he took, making each time the +sign of the cross. + +Whilst thus employed in recruiting himself, behold a knight appeared +at the house-door, and addressing himself to the woman, asked her +which was the road to Kerglas castle. + +"Heavens! good gentleman," exclaimed the farmer's wife, "are you +going there?" + +"Yes," replied the warrior; "and I have come from a land so distant +for this purpose, that I have been travelling night and day these +three months to get so far on my way." + +"And what are you come to seek at Kerglas?" asked the Breton woman. + +"I am come in quest of the golden basin and the diamond lance." + +"These two are, then, very valuable things?" asked Peronnik. + +"They are of more value than all the crowns on earth," replied the +stranger; "for not only will the golden basin produce instantaneously +all the dainties and the wealth one can desire, but it suffices to +drink therefrom to be healed of every malady; and the dead themselves +are raised to life by touching it with their lips. As to the diamond +lance, it kills and overthrows all that it touches." + +"And to whom do this diamond lance and golden basin belong?" asked +Peronnik, bewildered. + +"To a magician called Rogéar, who lives in the castle of Kerglas," +answered the farmer's wife. "He is to be seen any day near the forest +pathway, riding along upon his black mare followed by a colt of three +months' old; but no one dares to attack him, for he holds the fearful +lance in his hand." + +"Yes," replied the stranger; "but the command of God forbids him to +make use of it within the castle of Kerglas. So soon as he arrives +there, the lance and the basin are deposited at the bottom of a dark +cave, which no key will open; therefore, it is in that place I propose +to attack the magician." + +"Alas, you will never succeed, my good sir," replied the peasant +woman. "More than a hundred gentlemen have already attempted it; +but not one amongst them has returned." + +"I know that, my good woman," answered the knight; "but they had not +been instructed as I have by the Hermit of Blavet." + +"And what did the Hermit tell you?" asked Peronnik. + +"He warned me of all that I shall have to do," replied the +stranger. "First of all, I shall have to cross an enchanted wood, +wherein every kind of magic will be put in force to terrify and +bewilder me from my way. The greater number of my predecessors have +lost themselves, and there died of cold, hunger, or fatigue." + +"And if you succeed in crossing it?" said the idiot. + +"If I get safely through it," continued the gentleman, "I shall +meet a Korigan armed with a fiery sword, which lays all it touches +in ashes. This Korigan keeps watch beside an apple-tree, from which +it is necessary that I should gather one apple." + +"And then?" said Peronnik. + +"Then I shall discover the laughing flower, and this is guarded by +a lion whose mane is made of vipers. This flower I must also gather; +after which I must cross the lake of dragons to fight the black man, +who flings an iron bowl that ever hits its mark and returns to its +master of its own accord. Then I shall enter on the valley of delights, +where every thing that can tempt and stay the feet of a Christian +will be arrayed before me, and shall reach a river with one single +ford. There I shall meet a lady clad in sable whom I shall take upon +my horse's crupper, and she will tell me all that remains to be done." + +The farmer's wife did her best to persuade the stranger that it +would be impossible for him to go through so many trials; but he +replied that women were incapable of judging in so weighty a matter; +and after ascertaining correctly the forest entrance, he set off at +full gallop, and was soon lost among the trees. + +The farmer's wife heaved a deep sigh, declaring that here was another +soul going before our Lord for judgment; then giving some more crusts +to Peronnik, she bade him go on his way. + +He was about to follow her advice, when the farmer came in from the +fields. He had just been turning off the lad who looked after his +cows at the wood-side, and was revolving in his mind how his place +should be supplied. + +The sight of the idiot was to him as a ray of light; he thought he +had happened on the very thing he sought, and after putting a few +questions to Peronnik, he asked him bluntly if he would stay at the +farm to look after the cattle. Peronnik would have preferred having +no one but himself to look after, for no one had a greater aptitude +than he for doing nothing; but the taste of the lard, the fresh butter, +the rye-bread, and the millet-flour hung still sweet upon his lips; so +he suffered himself to be tempted, and accepted the farmer's proposal. + +The good man forthwith conducted him to the edge of the forest, counted +aloud all the cows, not forgetting the heifers, cut him a hazel-switch +to drive them with, and bade him bring them safely home at set of sun. + +Behold Peronnik now established as a keeper of cattle, watching over +them to see they did no mischief, and running from the black to the +red, and from the red to the white, to keep them from straying out +of the appointed boundary. + +Now whilst he was thus running from side to side, he heard suddenly the +sound of horse's hoofs, and saw in one of the forest-paths the giant +Rogéar seated on his mare, followed by her three-months' colt. He +carried from his neck the golden basin, and in his hand the diamond +lance, which glittered like flame. Peronnik, terrified, hid himself +behind a bush; the giant passed close by him and went on his way. As +soon as he was gone by, the idiot came out of his hiding-place, and +looked down in the direction he had taken, but without being able to +see which path he had followed. + +Well, armed knights came on unceasingly in quest of the castle of +Kerglas, and not one was ever seen to return. The giant, on the +contrary, took his airing every day as usual. The idiot, who had at +length grown bolder, no longer thought of concealing himself when he +passed, but looked after him as long as he was in sight with envious +eyes; for the desire of possessing the golden basin and the diamond +lance grew stronger every day within his heart. But these things, +alas, were more easily desired than obtained. + +One day, when Peronnik was all alone in the pasture-land as usual, +he saw a man with a white beard pausing at the entrance of the +forest-path. The idiot took him for some fresh adventurer, and inquired +if he did not seek the road to Kerglas. + +"I seek it not, since I already know it," replied the stranger. + +"You have been there, and the magician has not killed you?" exclaimed +the idiot. + +"Because he has nothing to fear from me," replied the white-bearded +old man. "I am called the sorcerer Bryak, and am Rogéar's elder +brother. When I wish to pay him a visit I come here, and as, in spite +of all my power, I cannot cross the enchanted wood without losing my +way, I call the black colt to carry me." + +With these words, he traced three circles with his finger in the +dust, repeated in a low tone such words as demons teach to sorcerers, +and then cried, + + + "Colt, wild, unbroken, and with footstep free,-- + Colt, I am here; come quick, I wait for thee." + + +The little horse speedily made his appearance. Bryak put him on a +halter, shackled his feet, and then mounting on his back, allowed +him to return into the forest. + +Peronnik said nothing of this adventure to any one; but he now +understood that the first step towards visiting Kerglas was to secure +the colt that knew the way. Unfortunately he knew neither how to trace +the three circles, nor to pronounce the magic words necessary for the +colt to hear the summons. Some other method, therefore, must be hit +upon for making himself master of it, and, when once it was captured, +of gathering the apple, plucking the laughing flower, escaping the +black man's bowl, and of crossing the valley of delights. + +Peronnik thought it all over for a long time, and at last he fancied +himself able to succeed. Those who are strong go forth clad in their +strength to meet danger, and too often perish in it; but the weak +compass their ends sideways. Having no hope of braving the giant, +the idiot resolved to try craft and cunning. As to difficulties, +he suffered them not to scare him: he knew that medlars are hard as +flint-stones when first gathered, and that a little straw and much +patience softens them at length. + +So he made all his preparations against the time when the giant usually +appeared in the forest-path. First he made a halter and a horse-shackle +of black hemp; a springe for taking woodcocks, moistening the hairs of +it in holy water; a cloth-bag full of birdlime and lark's feathers; +a rosary, an elder-whistle, and a bit of crust rubbed with rancid +lard. This done, he crumbled the bread given him for breakfast along +the pathway in which Rogéar, his mare, and three months' colt would +shortly pass. + +They all three appeared at the usual hour, and crossed the pasture +as on other days; but the colt, which was walking with hanging head, +snuffing the ground, smelt out the crumbs of bread, and stopped to eat +them, so that it was soon left alone out of the giant's sight. Then +Peronnik drew gently near, threw his halter over it, fastened the +shackle on two of its feet, jumped upon its back, and left it free +to follow its own course, certain that the colt, which knew its way, +would carry him to the castle of Kerglas. + +And so it came to pass; for the young horse took unhesitatingly one of +the wildest paths, and went on as rapidly as the shackle would permit. + +Peronnik trembled like a leaf; for all the witchery of the forest +was at work to scare him. One moment it seemed as if a bottomless pit +yawned suddenly before his steed; the next all the trees appeared on +fire, and he found himself surrounded by flames; often whilst in the +act of crossing a brook, it became as a torrent, and threatened to +carry him away; at other times, whilst following a little footway +beneath a gentle slope, he saw huge rocks on the point of rolling +down and crushing him to pieces. + +In vain he assured himself these were but magical delusions, he felt +his very marrow grow cold with dread. At last he resolutely pulled +his hat down over his eyes, and let the colt carry him blindly onwards. + +Thus they both came safely to a plain where all enchantment ceased, +and Peronnik pushed up his cap and looked about him. + +It was a barren spot, and gloomier than a cemetery. Here and there +might be seen the skeletons of gentlemen who had come in quest of +Kerglas Castle. There they lay, stretched beside their horses, and +the gray wolves still gnawing at their bones. + +At length the idiot entered a meadow entirely overshadowed by one +single apple-tree; and this was so heavily laden with fruit, that the +branches hung to the ground. Before this tree the Korigan kept watch, +grasping in his hand the fiery sword which would lay all it touched +in ashes. + +At sight of Peronnik, he uttered a cry like that of a wild bird, +and raised his weapon; but, without betraying any emotion, the lad +simply touched his hat politely, and said, + +"Don't disturb yourself, my little prince; I am only passing by on +my way to Kerglas, according to an appointment the Lord Rogéar has +made with me." + +"With you?" replied the dwarf; "and who, then, may you be?" + +"I am our master's new servant," said the idiot; "you know, the one +he is expecting." + +"I know nothing of it," replied the dwarf; "and you look to me +uncommonly like a cheat." + +"Excuse me," returned Peronnik, "such is by no means my profession; +I am only a catcher and trainer of birds. But, for God's sake, don't +keep me now; for his lordship, the magician, is expecting me this +very moment; and has even lent me his own colt, as you see, that I +may the sooner reach the castle." + +The Korigan saw, in fact, that Peronnik rode the magician's young +horse, and began to consider whether he might not really be speaking +truth. Besides, the idiot had so simple an air, that it was not +possible to suspect him of inventing such a story. However, he still +felt mistrust; and asked what need the magician had of a bird-catcher? + +"The greatest need, it seems," said Peronnik; "for, according to his +account, all that ripens, whether seed or fruit, in the garden at +Kerglas, is just now eaten up by birds." + +"And what can you do to hinder them?" asked the dwarf. + +Peronnik showed the little snare which he had manufactured, and +declared that no bird would be able to escape it. + +"That is just what I will make sure of," said the Korigan. "My +apple-tree is ravaged just as much by the blackbirds and thrushes. Set +your snare; and if you can catch them, I will let you pass." + +To this Peronnik agreed; he fastened his colt to a bush, and going up +to the apple-tree, fixed therein one end of the snare, calling to the +Korigan to hold the other whilst he got the skewers ready. He did as +the idiot requested; and Peronnik hastily drawing the running noose, +the dwarf found himself caught like a bird. + +He uttered a cry of rage, and struggled to get free; but the springe, +having been well steeped in holy water, bade defiance to all his +efforts. + +The idiot had time enough to run to the tree, pluck an apple from it, +and remount his colt, which continued its onward course. + +And so they came out of the plain; and behold, there lay a thicket +before them, formed of the very loveliest plants. There were to be seen +roses of every hue, Spanish brooms, rose-coloured honeysuckles, and, +towering above all, the mysterious laughing flower; but round about +the thicket stalked a lion, with a mane of vipers, rolling his eyes, +and with his teeth grinding like a couple of new mill-stones. + +Peronnik stopped, and bowed over and over again; for he knew that in +the presence of the powerful a hat is more serviceable in the hand +than on the head. He wished all sorts of prosperities to the lion and +his family; and requested to know if he was without mistake upon the +road to Kerglas. + +"And what are you going to do at Kerglas?" cried the ferocious beast +with a terrible air. + +"May it please your worship," replied the idiot timidly, "I am in +the service of a lady who is a great friend of Lord Rogéar, and she +has sent him something as a present to make a lark-pasty of." + +"Larks!" repeated the lion, licking his moustache; "it is an age +since I have tasted them. How many have you got?" + +"This bagful, your lordship," replied Peronnik, showing the cloth-bag +which he had stuffed with feathers and birdlime. + +And in order to verify his words, he began to counterfeit the warbling +of larks. + +This song aggravated the lion's appetite. + +"Let me see," said he, drawing near; "show me your birds; I should +like to know if they are large enough to be served up at our master's +table." + +"I desire nothing so much," replied the idiot; "but if I open the bag, +I am afraid they will fly away." + +"Half open it, just to let me peep in," said the greedy monster. + +This desire fulfilled Peronnik's highest hopes; he offered the bag to +the lion, who poked in his head to seize the larks, and found himself +smothered in feathers and birdlime. The idiot hastily drew the strings +of the bag tight round his neck, making the sign of the cross over +the knot, to keep it inviolable; then, rushing to the laughing flower, +he gathered it, and set off as fast as the colt could go. + +But it was not long before he came to the dragons' lake, which he +must needs cross by swimming; and scarcely had he plunged in, when +they came towards him from every side to devour him. + +This time Peronnik troubled not himself to pull off his hat, but +he began to throw out to them the beads of his rosary, as one would +scatter black wheat to ducks; and at every bead swallowed one of the +dragons turned over on its back and expired; so that he at length +reached the opposite shore unharmed. + +The valley guarded by the black man had now to be crossed. Peronnik +soon perceived him, chained by one foot to the rock, and holding +in his hand an iron bowl, which ever returned, of its own accord, +so soon as it had struck the appointed mark. He had six eyes, ranged +round his head, which generally took turns in keeping watch; but at +this moment it so chanced that they were every one open. Peronnik, +knowing that if seen he should be struck by the iron bowl before he +had the opportunity of speaking a word, resolved to creep along the +brushwood. And by this means, hiding himself carefully behind the +bushes, he soon found himself within a few steps of the black man, +who had just sat down, and closed two of his eyes in repose. Peronnik, +guessing that he was sleepy, began to chant in a drowsy voice the +beginning of the High Mass. The black man at first, taken by surprise, +started, and raised his head; but, as the murmur took effect upon him, +a third eye closed. Peronnik then went on to intone the Kyrie eleison, +in the tone of one possessed by the sleepy demon. [64] The black man +closed a fourth eye, and half the fifth. Peronnik then began Vespers; +but before he had reached the Magnificat, the black man slept soundly. + +Then the youth, taking the colt by the bridle, led it softly over +mossy places; and so, passing close by the slumbering guardian, +he came into the valley of delights. + +This was the most-to-be-dreaded place of all; for it was no +longer a question of avoiding positive danger, but of fleeing from +temptation. Peronnik called all the saints of Brittany to his aid. + +The valley through which he was now passing bore every appearance of +a garden richly filled with fruits, with flowers, and with fountains; +but the fountains were of wines and delicious drinks, the flowers +sang with voices as sweet as those of cherubim in Paradise, and +the fruits came of their own accord and offered themselves to the +hand. Then at every turning of the path Peronnik beheld huge tables, +spread as for a king, could scent the tempting odour of pastry drawn +fresh from the oven, and see the valets apparently expecting him; +whilst further off were beautiful maidens coming to dance upon the +turf, who called him by his name to come and lead the ball. + +In vain the idiot made the sign of the cross, insensibly he slackened +the pace of his colt, involuntarily he raised his face to snuff up +the delicious odour of the smoking dishes, and to gaze more fixedly +upon the lovely maidens; he would possibly have stopped altogether, +and there would have been an end of him, if the recollection of the +golden basin and the diamond lance had not all at once crossed his +mind. Then he instantly began to blow his elder-whistle, that he +might hear no more those soft appeals; to eat his bread well rubbed +with rancid dripping, to deaden the odour of the dainty meats; and +to stare fixedly on his horse's ears, that the lovely dancers might +no more attract his eyes. + +And so he came to the end of the garden quite safely, and caught sight +at last of Kerglas Castle. But the river of which he had been told +still lay between it and him, and he knew that this river could only +be forded in one place. Happily the colt was familiar with this ford, +and prepared to enter at the right spot. + +Then Peronnik looked around him in quest of the lady who was to be +his guide to the castle; and soon perceived her seated on a rock, +clad in black satin, and her countenance as yellow as a Moor's. + +The idiot pulled off his hat, and asked if it was her pleasure to +cross the river. + +"I expected thee for that very purpose," replied the lady; "draw near, +that I may seat myself behind thee." + +Peronnik approached, took her on his horse's crupper, and began to +cross the ford. He had almost reached the middle of it, when the lady +said to him, + +"Knowest thou who I am, poor innocent?" + +"I beg your pardon," replied Peronnik, "but from your dress I clearly +see that you are a noble and powerful lady." + +"As to noble, I ought to be," replied the lady, "for I can trace +back my origin to the first sin; and powerful I certainly am, for +all nations give way before me." + +"Then what is your name, may it please you, madam?" asked Peronnik. + +"I am called the Plague," replied the yellow woman. + +The idiot made a spring as if he would have thrown himself from his +horse into the water; but the Plague said to him, + +"Rest easy, poor innocent, thou hast nothing to fear from me; on the +contrary, I can be of service to thee." + +"Is it possible that you will be so benevolent, Madam Plague?" said +Peronnik, taking his hat off, this time for good; "by the by, I now +remember that it is you who are to teach me how to rid myself of the +magician Rogéar." + +"The magician must die," said the yellow lady. + +"I should like nothing better," replied Peronnik; "but he is immortal." + +"Listen, and try to understand," said the Plague. "The apple-tree +guarded by the Korigan is a slip from the tree of good and evil, set +in the earthly Paradise by God Himself. Its fruit, like that which was +eaten by Adam and Eve, renders immortals susceptible of death. Try, +then, to induce the magician to taste the apple, and from that moment +he need only be touched by me to sink in death." + +"I will try," said Peronnik; "but even if I succeed, how can I obtain +the golden basin and the diamond lance, since they lie hidden in a +gloomy cave, which cannot be opened by any key yet forged?" + +"The laughing flower will open every door," replied the Plague, +"and can illuminate the darkest night." + +As she spoke these words they reached the further bank of the river, +and the idiot went onwards to the castle. + +Now there was before the entrance-hall a huge canopy, like that which +is carried over his lordship the Bishop of Vannes at the processions +of the Fête Dieu. Beneath this sat the giant, sheltered from the heat +of the sun, his legs crossed, like a proprietor who has gathered in +his harvest, and smoking a tobacco-pipe of virgin gold. On perceiving +the colt, on which sat Peronnik and the lady clad in black satin, +he lifted up his head, and cried in a voice which roared like thunder, + +"Why this idiot is mounted on my three-months' colt!" + +"The very same, O greatest of all magicians," replied Peronnik. + +"And how did you get possession of him?" asked Rogéar. + +"I repeated what your brother Bryak taught me," replied the idiot. "On +reaching the forest border I said, + + + 'Colt, wild, unbroken, and with footstep free,-- + Colt, I am here; come quick, I wait for thee.' + + +and the little horse came at once." + +"Then you know my brother?" said the giant. + +"As one knows his master," replied the youth. + +"And what has he sent you here for?" + +"To bring you a present of two curiosities he has just received from +the country of the Moors,--this apple of delight, and the female +slave whom you see there. If you eat the first, you will always have a +heart as much at rest as that of a poor man who has found a purse of +a hundred crowns in his wooden shoe; and if you take the second into +your service, you will have nothing left you to desire in the world." + +"Give me then the apple, and make the Moorish woman dismount," +replied Rogéar. + +The idiot obeyed; but the instant the giant had set his teeth into +the fruit, the yellow lady laid her hand upon him, and he fell to +the ground like a bullock in the slaughter-house. + +Then Peronnik entered the palace, holding the laughing flower in his +hand. He traversed more than fifty halls, one after the other, and +came at length before the cavern with the silver door. This opened of +its own accord before the flower, which also gave the idiot sufficient +light to find the golden basin and the diamond lance. + +But scarcely had he seized them when the earth shook under his feet; +a terrible clap of thunder was heard; the palace disappeared; and +Peronnik found himself once more in the midst of the forest, holding +his two talismans, with which he set forward instantly to the court +of the King of Brittany. + +He only delayed long enough at Vannes to buy the richest costume +he could find there, and the finest horse that was for sale in the +diocese of White-Wheat. + +Now when he came to Nantes, this town was besieged by the Franks, who +had so mercilessly ravaged the surrounding country, that there were +scarcely more trees left than would serve a single goat for forage; +and more than that, famine was in the city; and those soldiers died +of hunger whose wounds had spared their lives. And on the very day +of Peronnik's arrival, a trumpeter proclaimed aloud in every street +that the King of Brittany would adopt that man as his heir who could +deliver the city, and drive the enemy out of the country. + +Hearing this promise, Peronnik said to the trumpeter, + +"Proclaim no more, but lead me to the king; for I am able to do all +he asks." + +"Thou!" said the herald, seeing him so young and small; "go on thy +way, fine goldfinch; [65] the king has now no time for taking little +birds from cottage-roofs." [66] + +By way of reply, Peronnik touched the soldier with his lance; and +that very instant he fell dead, to the infinite terror of the crowd +who looked on, and would have fled away; but the idiot cried, + +"You have just seen what I can do against my enemies; know now what +is in my power for my friends." + +And having touched with his golden basin the dead man's lips, he rose +up instantly, restored to life. + +The king being informed of this wonder, gave Peronnik command of all +the soldiers he had left; and as with his diamond lance the idiot +killed thousands of the Franks, and with his golden basin restored +to life the Bretons who were slain, a very few days sufficed him +for putting an end to the enemy's army, and taking possession of all +their camp contained. + +He then proposed to conquer all the neighbouring countries, such as +Anjou, Poitou, and Normandy, which cost him but very little trouble; +and finally, when all were in obedience to the king, he declared his +intention of setting out to deliver the Holy Land, and embarked from +Nantes in a magnificent fleet, with the first nobility of the land. + +On reaching Palestine, he performed great deeds of valour, compelled +many Saracens to be baptised, and married a fair maiden, by whom +he had many sons and daughters, to each of whom he gave wealth and +lands. Some even say that, thanks to the golden basin, he and his +sons are living still, and reign in this land; but others maintain +that Rogéar's brother, the magician Bryak, has succeeded in regaining +possession of the two talismans, and that those who wish for them +have only--to seek them out. + + + +NOTE ON THE TALE OF "PERONNIK THE IDIOT." + +It seems almost impossible not to recognise in the story of Peronnik +the Idiot traces of that tradition which has given birth to one of +the epic romances of the Round Table. Disfigured and overlaid with +modern details as is the Breton version, the primitive idea of the +Quest of the Holy Graal may still be found there pure and entire. + +Some explanation must be given of this. So early as the sixth century, +the Gallic bards speak of a magic vase which bestows a knowledge of +the future, and universal science, on its owner; in later times a +popular fable tells of a golden vase possessed by Bran the Blessed, +which healed all wounds, and even restored the dead to life. Other +tales are told of a basin in which every desired delicacy instantly +appeared. In time all these fictions become fused, and the several +properties of these different vases are found united in one; the +possession of which is of course naturally sought after by all great +adventurers. + +There is still extant a Gallic poem, composed in the beginning of the +twelfth century, of which the whole burden is this quest. The hero, +named Perédur, goes to war with giants, lions, serpents, sea-monsters, +sorcerers, and finally becomes conqueror of the basin and the lance, +which is here added to the primitive tradition. + +Now there can be no doubt that this Gallic legend, which found its +way throughout Europe, as is proved by the attempts at imitation +which have been made in every language, must have been known in +Brittany above all, united as it is to Gaul by a common origin and +language. It must have become popular in the very form it wore when +taught by the bards to the Armoricans. + +But besides the successive alterations which are the speedy result +of oral transmission, French imitations by degrees incorporated +themselves with all the primitive versions. M. de la Villemarqué +has in fact observed, in his learned work on the Popular Tales of +the Ancient Bretons, that when the Gallic legends were developed by +the French poets, they appeared so beautified in their new costume, +that the Gauls themselves abandoned the originals in favour of the +imitations. Now that which is true of them is equally so of the +Armoricans; and it seems to us beyond a doubt that the tradition of +Perédur, which they had originally received, must have been seriously +modified by the later poem of Christian of Troyes. + +In order to elucidate our idea, we will give a hasty analysis of this +poem, which is little known, being only extant in manuscript. [67] + +Perceval, the last remaining son of a poor widow, whom the miseries +of war had left destitute, is simple, ignorant, and boorish. His +mother carefully conceals from his sight every thing that might +turn his attention to the idea of war; but one day the lad meets +King Arthur's knights, learns the secret so long hidden from him, +and, his mind filled with nothing now but tournaments and battles, +abandons his maternal roof and sets off for Arthur's court. On the +way he sees a pavilion, which, taking in his simplicity for a church, +he enters. There he eats two roebuck pasties, and drinks a large +flagon of wine; after which he goes once more upon his way, and soon +arrives at Cardeuil, ill-clad, ill-armed, and ill-mounted. He finds +Arthur buried in profound meditation, a treacherous knight having just +carried off his golden cup, defying any warrior to take it from him +again. Perceval accepts the challenge, pursues the thief, kills him, +recovers the cup, and seizes on the slain knight's armour. He is at +length admitted into the order of chivalry. + +But the recollection of his mother haunts him every where. What is he +in quest of? He himself knows not; he wanders at random and without +a purpose wherever his wild courser carries him. Thus one day he +reaches a castle, and enters. A sick old man reposes there upon a bed; +a servant appears with a lance from which flows one drop of blood, and +then a damsel bearing a graal, or basin, of pure gold. Perceval longs +to know the meaning of what he sees, but dares not ask. The following +day, on leaving the castle, he is informed that the sick old man is +called the fisher-king, and that he has been wounded in the thigh; +Perceval is at the same time reproached for not having questioned him. + +He continues onwards, meeting by chance Arthur, whom he follows to +court; but the day after his arrival a lady clad in black appears to +him, and warmly blames him for being the cause of the fisher-king's +sufferings. + +"His wound," said she, "has become incurable, because thou didst not +question him." + +The knight, wishing to repair his fault, seeks in vain to find once +more the king's palace; he is repulsed as by an invisible hand, +until the moment when he resolves to go and find a saintly hermit, +to whom he makes his confession. The priest shows him that all his +errors are owing to his ingratitude towards his mother, and that +sin held his tongue in bondage when he ought to have inquired the +meaning of the graal; he imposes a penance on him, gives him advice, +reveals to him a mysterious prayer containing certain terrible words, +which he forbids him from making known; and then Perceval, absolved +from his sins, fasts, adores the Cross, hears Mass, receives Holy +Communion, and returns to a new life. + +He now sets forth in quest of the graal, and meets with a thousand +obstacles. A woman, whom he has loved, White-Flower, appears, and +endeavours to detain him; but he escapes from her. He fastens his +horse to the golden ring of a pillar rising on a mountain called the +Mount of Misery, arrives at length at the castle for which he sought, +and this time fails not to inquire into the history of the lance +and the graal. He is told that the lance is that with which Longus +pierced the side of Christ, and that the graal is the basin in which +Joseph of Arimathea received His divine blood. This has come down +by inheritance to the fisher-king, who is descended from Joseph, and +is Perceval's uncle. It procures all good things, both spiritual and +temporal, heals all wounds, and even restores life to the dead, besides +becoming filled with the most delicious dainties at its owner's desire. + +After the lance and the graal, they bring out a broken sword; +the fisher-king presents it to his nephew, begging him to reunite +the fragments; in which he succeeds. The king then tells him that, +according to prophecies, the bravest and most pious knight in the +whole world was to perform this act; that he himself had attempted +to weld the pieces together, but had been chastised for his rashness +by receiving a wound in the thigh. "I shall be healed," he added, "on +the same day that sees the knight Pertiniax perish,--that treacherous +knight who broke this wonderful sword in slaying my brother." + +Perceval kills Pertiniax, thanks to the aid of the holy graal, cuts +off his head, and brings it to the fisher-king, who gets well, and +abdicates in favour of his nephew. + + + +The points of accordance between this poem and the Breton story are +not very difficult to trace. In the two recitals we hear of the +conquest of a basin and a lance, the possession of which ensures +corresponding advantages; the heroes both of the French and Armorican +version are subjected to dangers and temptations, and success assures +to them alike--a crown. Some points of resemblance may even perhaps +be discovered between the idiot Peronnik, going ever onwards he knows +not whither, and extracting from the farmer's wife his rye-bread, +his fresh-churned butter, and his Sunday dripping; and this Perceval, +simple, ignorant, boorish, who begins by eating two roebuck pasties, +and drinking a great flagon of wine. + +Certainly the different details, and the trials imposed on Peronnik, +are not in general much like the probation to which Perceval was +subjected; but, on the other hand, they closely resemble those to which +Perédur, the hero of the Gallic tradition, was exposed. It would seem, +therefore, that this Armorican story has drunk successively from the +two fountains of French and Breton legendary lore. Born of the Gallic +tradition, modified by the French version, and finally accommodated +to the popular genius of our province, it has become such as we have +it at this day. + +Peronnik the idiot seems, moreover, to us worthy of being studied +by those who seek, above all else in tradition, for traces of the +popular genius. Idiotism, amongst all tribes of Celtic race, was never +looked on as a degradation, but rather as a peculiar condition wherein +individuals could attain to certain perceptions unknown to the vulgar; +and the Celts were led to imagine that they had an acquaintance with +the invisible world not permitted to other men. Thus the words of the +idiot were looked on as prophetic; a hidden meaning was sought for in +his acts; he was, in fact, considered, in the energetic language of an +old poet, as having his feet in this world, and his eyes in the other. + +Brittany has preserved in part this ancient reverence for persons of +weak mind. It is by no means unusual in the farms of Léon to see some +of these unfortunates, clad, whatever may be their age, in a long dress +with bone buttons, and holding a white wand in their hands. They are +tenderly cared for, and only spoken of under the endearing title of +dear innocents, unless in their absence, when they are called diskyant, +that is to say, without knowledge. They stay at home with the women +and little children; they are never called upon to perform any labour; +and when they die, they are wept over by their relations. + +I remember meeting with one of these idiots one day, in the +neighbourhood of Morlaix; he was seated before a farm-house door, +and his sister, a young girl, was feeding him. Her caressing kindness +struck me. + +"Then you are very fond of this poor innocent?" I asked, in Breton. + +"It is God who gave him to us," she replied. + +Words full of meaning, which hold the key to all this pious tenderness +for creatures useless in themselves, but precious for His sake by +whom they were confided to our care. + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] Limestra, mantle of some special material, which is highly valued +by the Bretons. + +[2] Aiguilles ailées. The fly commonly called demoiselle in French, +in Brittany is nadoz-aër; literally, "needle of the air." + +[3] A proverbial expression in Brittany to designate folly and +impertinence. + +[4] The song of the Korigans runs thus: Di-lun, di-meurs, +di-merc'her. The conclusion of this tale will explain the reason of +their keeping only to these first three days. + +[5] Cry of encouragement amongst the Bretons. In the same sense they +use also the word hardi! but the Celtic origin of this last word +seems rather doubtful. + +[6] Mettre en foire. Breton expression, signifying a sale at the +house of a debtor. + +[7] Breton expression, derived from an old custom of parading all +insolvents about the parish with a girdle of straw. + +[8] Equivalent to the French proverb, "One must not sell the bear-skin +till the bear is killed." + +[9] In many farms there is a small threshing-floor reserved especially +for black wheat. + +[10] This is the exact distance at which the Bretons define Hell +to lie. + +[11] Good or bad, these etymologies of Ahèz and Par-is are accepted +by the Bretons. The last word is even treasured in a proverb, + + + "Since the town of Is was drowned, + The like of Paris is not found." + + +[12] See the Korigans of Plauden, p. 31. + +[13] This legend still finds credence. The spot is shown, not far +from Carhaix, whence Grallon's daughter caused her lovers' bodies to +be thrown; and some antiquaries are also of opinion that Dahut often +visited this town, which has received from her its name of Ker-Ahèz +(town of Ahèz); at any rate, the old paved road which leads from the +Bay of Douarnénèz to Carhaix proves beyond a doubt that there was +frequent intercourse between Keris and this city. + +[14] All that follows is more properly ascribed to St. Corentin's +disciple Gwenolé. + +[15] The peasantry still show the marks. + +[16] There appears to exist incontestable evidence of a city named +Is lying buried beneath the Bay of Douarnénèz; and the relics which +have been discovered from time to time prove beyond all doubt that +art had been brought to very high perfection in those early times. It +was supposed to date about the fourth century. + +[17] The pigs in Brittany are called, no one knows why, mab-rohan, +sons of Rohan. + +[18] Easter Sunday. So called because blessed laurel is distributed +at church upon this day. + +[19] Gobelinn. None other than the loup-garou, or were-wolf. + +[20] 'Rozennik' is the diminutive of Rosenn; so 'Guilcherik,' +"Korils of Plauden," p. 43. + +[21] Literally 'will-o'-the-wisp.' + +[22] A number of petticoats is considered a mark of great elegance +amongst the Breton peasant-girls around Morlaix. + +[23] A proverbial expression, denoting some suspicion that people have +been acquiring wealth somewhat unfairly. There is an old tradition +among the country people, that if you take a black hen to some +cross-road, and there use certain incantations, you can summon the +devil, who will pay you handsomely for your hen. + +[24] Heubeul-Pontréau, a Breton form of reproach to young rustics of +ill address. + +[25] All European nations have admitted two races of dwarfs, the one +mischievous and impious, the other benevolent to man. The first is +represented in Brittany by the Korigans, the second by the Teuz. The +Teuz is just the same as the elf or fairy of the Scotch and Irish, +aiding the labourers in their toil, and resembles the mountain spirit +of Germany. + +[26] In Brittany they reckon by reals; the Breton real is not worth +one franc eight centimes, as in Spain, but only twenty-five centimes. + +[27] Miz-du, Breton name of November. + +[28] A name given to All Saints. + +[29] L'Ankou, literally, "the agony;" a name generally given to the +spectre of death. + +[30] M. de Ker-Gwen. A joke on the paleness of death; gwen signifying +white. + +[31] The allusion is to a proverbial Breton verse, in which the +inhabitants of the four dioceses are facetiously characterised as +thievish, false, stupid, and brutal. + +[32] Douez signifies in Breton the moat of a fortified town; but as +these moats were formerly full of water, and served the purposes of +the washerwomen, the name douez has gradually been appropriated to +the washing-places. + +[33] Spern-gwenn ("l'épine blanche"), to this day a family name +in Brittany. + +[34] All the Breton shepherds make these crosses with twigs of furze, +on the thorns of which they stick daisies and broom-blossoms; whole +rows of these flowery crosses may often be seen along the ditches. + +[35] Shend, 'subdue.' + +[36] This form of exorcism is supposed to originate in a story related +of St. Hervé. A wolf having devoured an ass belonging to his uncle, +the saint compelled the savage beast to dwell peaceably thenceforward +in the same shed with the sheep, and to perform all the duties of the +defunct ass. A similar story is told of St. Malo, another Breton saint. + +[37] The legend of the gold-herb (which must be gathered, according +to common credence, barefooted, en chemise, without the aid of any +iron tool, and whilst one is in a state of grace) comes evidently +from the Druids. It is the selage of the ancients, spoken of by Pliny +(lib. xiv.), and is said by the Bretons to glitter like gold before +the eyes of those who at the moment may fulfil the conditions for +perceiving it, and who, by touching it with the foot, are instantly +enabled to understand the language of all animals, and to converse +with them. + +[38] The tradition of the redbreast, who broke a thorn from the crown +of our Lord, is current throughout Brittany. + +[39] Mor Vyoc'h signifies Sea-cow. + +[40] The Breton peasants believe that the fountain of Languengar has +the property of promoting the flow of milk in those nurses who drink +of it. + +[41] In Brittany, as in England, it takes nine tailors to make a man. + +[42] This form of taking possession is extremely ancient. In all the +legislative systems of "the ancient world" transfer of landed property +was effected by symbolical tradition; that is, by the handing over +to the new owner of some visible and palpable portion or symbol of +the land itself. At Rome, the sale of a field takes place standing +on a turf cut from the field itself, which is handed over to the +purchaser as a symbol of his new possession. In an old deed of 828 +occurs the following: "I make over the underwritten goods and lands to +the Church of St. Mary. And I make legal cession by straw and knife, +glove and turf, and branch of tree; and so I put myself out, expel, +and make myself absent."--D. Calmet, Histoire de Lorraine, Preuves, +p. 524. And as Brittany is the very chosen home of old customs, it +has happened that even quite lately, at a farm near Léon, all these +forms of taking possession were gone through, not as having any legal +efficacy, but in compliance with ancient usage. + +[43] The vervain. + +[44] Marc'h-Mor, literally, Sea-horse. + +[45] The Breton name for Vannes, Gwen-ed, signifies literally White +Wheat. + +[46] This form of declaring war, preserved by tradition, is curious, +and, as far as we know, peculiar to Brittany. Amongst the ancient +Romans they cast upon the enemy's territory a javelin scorched +at the fire; in the middle ages the iron gauntlet was thrown, or +the finger was gnawed; the savages of North America sent, like the +Scythians, bundles of arrows, the number of which indicated that of +the combatants; but burning straw flung upon the enemy's land is a +peculiar symbol, which we have never noticed elsewhere. + +[47] The Breton name of St. Gildas. + +[48] This custom still exists in Brittany. + +[49] The name Groac'h, or Grac'h, means literally old woman; and +was given to the Druidesses, who had established themselves in an +island off the south-west coast of Brittany, called thence the isle +of Groac'h; by corruption Groais, or Groix. But the word gradually +lost its original meaning of old woman, and came to signify a woman +endowed with power over the elements, and dwelling amongst the +waves, as did the island Druidesses; in fact, a sort of water-fay, +but of a malevolent nature, like all the Breton fairies. Such of +our readers as are not acquainted with La Motte Fouqué's beautiful +tale of Undine, may require to be reminded that the sprites, sylphs, +gnomes, and fairies of the popular mythologies are not necessarily, +perhaps not even generally, exempt from mortality. + +[50] A cluster of islets off the southern coast of Brittany, near the +headland of Penmarc'h. The name signifies literally summer-land. One +of them is called the isle of Lok, or Lock, and contains a fish-pool, +from which it seems to derive its name. + +[51] A dwarfish sprite. + +[52] Young Breton girls thus address old women from a motive of +respect. + +[53] Chanteuse de vérité (Dion ganérez), literally qui chante droit, +a name given in Brittany to fairies who foretell the future. + +[54] These are different kinds of cabbages cultivated in Brittany. + +[55] A name given by the Bretons to the tricksy sprite Maistr Yan. + +[56] The ribbon covered with lace worn by Breton peasant-girls in +their hair. + +[57] Negotiators for a wedding, who improvise disputations in verse, +like Virgil's shepherds. + +[58] See tale at p. 31. + +[59] Dibenn-eost, a name given to autumn in Brittany. + +[60] This word idiot must not lead to misconception; the idiot of +popular tales is the personification of cunning weakness triumphing +over strength. Idiotism, in the traditions of Christian nations, +plays the same part as physical ugliness in those of the ancients. The +latter take the hunchback Æsop to accomplish extraordinary actions; +the former Peronnik, or some other lad of weak mind, in order that +the contrast between the hero and the action may be more striking, +and the result more unexpected. + +We refer the reader to the note which follows this story for the more +particular examination which it seems to deserve. + +[61] On the sea-coast they scrape away the burnt part left in the +porridge-kettles with a mussel-shell; in the interior they use for +the same purpose a sharp stone, commonly a gun-flint. + +[62] The milk of the black cow is considered in Brittany to be at +once the daintiest and the most wholesome. + +[63] The Bretons attribute to the butter of the White Week and of +the Rogation weeks a special delicacy, and even medicinal properties, +on account of the excellence of the pastures at this season. + +[64] The Bretons believe in a special demon for sending one to sleep +in church, and call him ar c'houskezik, from the verb kouska, which +signifies to sleep. + +[65] Koanta pabaour, a common form of mockery in Brittany. + +[66] A proverbial expression, meaning that one has no time to lose. + +[67] The Searcher for the Basin,--Myvyrian, t. i. p. 8. The poem +of Perceval, or the Quest for the Holy Graal, is to be found in the +Royal Library of Paris, Mss. No. 7523, et supp. franc. 450. We give +M. de la Villemarqué's analysis, contenting ourselves with abridging +his labours. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Breton Legends, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41681 *** |