THE KING OF THE RAVENS
Today, I am starting a collection of folk tales from the former French province of Gascony.
There was once a man who was green as grass, and who had only one eye, right in the middle of his forehead. This Green Man lived on the edge of the forest near the city of Lectoure, in an old house. With him lived his three daughters: the eldest beautiful as the day, the younger more beautiful than the eldest; the last, who was only ten years old, more beautiful than the other two.
One winter evening, the Green Man was at his window. Night was falling, and the mist was rising from the Gers river. Suddenly there was a great noise of wings. A bird, as big as a bull, and black as the hearth, came and perched on the edge of the window.
— Quack! quack! quack! I am the King of the Ravens.
— King of the Ravens, what do you want from me?"
— Quack! quack! quack! Green man, I want one of your three daughters in marriage.
— King of the Ravens, wait for me here.
The Green Man went to the room of his three daughters.
“My daughters, listen. The King of Crows has come. He wants one of you three in marriage."
"Father," said the eldest, "I got engaged nearly a year ago to the son of the King of Spain, who had come to Lectoure to buy mules on the day of the Saint-Martin fair. Yesterday, my gallant sent word to me, through a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, that he would soon come to fetch me, to take me to his country. You see, father, that I cannot marry the King of the Ravens."
"Father," said the second daughter, "I got engaged nearly a year ago to the son of the King of the Islands of the Sea. soon to seek me, to take me to his country. You see, father, that I cannot marry the King of Ravens."
Then the Green Man looked at his last daughter. Seeing her very young, he took pity on her, and thought:
“If I marry this child to the King of Ravens, I am damned forever, like those who die without confession."
So the Green Man asked nothing of his youngest daughter, and returned to find the King of the Ravens, still perched on the edge of the window.
“King of the Ravens, none of my daughters want you."
Then the King of the Ravens flew into a terrible rage. He pecked out the eye that the Green Man had in the middle of his forehead. Then he flew away in the mist.
The Green Man began to scream, like someone possessed by the Devil. At these cries, his three daughters came running.
— Father, what is the matter with you? Who gouged out your eye?
— He's the King of Ravens. All three of you refused him in marriage.
— Father, said the youngest daughter, I was not born to contradict you. However, I did not refuse the King of Ravens in marriage.
- It's good. Take me to my bed. Let no one enter my room unless I call.
The third daughter did as her father had ordered.
The next evening, the Green Man called his third daughter and said:
— Lead me to the room where I was yesterday when the King of Raven put out my eye. Open the window, and leave me alone.
The third daughter did as her father had ordered. Then the Green Man stood at the window. Night was falling, and the mist was rising from the Gers river. Suddenly there was a great noise of wings. A bird, as big as a bull, and black as the hearth, came and perched on the edge of the window.
— Quack! quack! quack! I am the King of the Ravens.
— King of the Ravens, what do you want from me?
— Quack! quack! quack! Green man, I want one of your three daughters in marriage.
— King of the Ravens, you will have my third daughter.
Then the Crow King gave back the Green Man his sight, and shouted:
— Quack! quack! quack! Tell my fiancée to be ready tomorrow morning at daybreak, with her white dress and her bridal crown.