Cap O' Rushes
Encyclopedia
"Cap-o'-Rushes" is an English fairy tale
published by Joseph Jacobs
in English Fairy Tales.
Jacobs gives his source as "Contributed by Mrs. Walter-Thomas to "Suffolk Notes and Queries" of the Ipswich Journal, published by Mr. Lang in Longman's Magazine, vol. xiii., also in Folk-Lore September, 1890". In the latter journal, Andrew Lang
notes the folktale was "discovered" in the Suffolk notes by Edward Clodd
.
Marian Roalfe Cox
, in her pioneering study of Cinderella
, identified as one of the basic types, the King Lear
decision, contrasting with Cinderella itself and Catskin
.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B, unnatural love. Others of this type include Little Cat Skin
, Donkeyskin
, Catskin
, Allerleirauh
, The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter
, The She-Bear
, Mossycoat
, Tattercoats
, The Princess That Wore A Rabbit-Skin Dress
, and The Bear
.
It was the first story read on the BBC series Jackanory
.
One day, the servants all went to look at the fine people at a ball. Cap-o'-Rushes said she was too tired, but when they were gone, she took off her rushes and went to the ball. Her master's son fell in love with her, but she slipped off. This repeated two more nights, but the third
night, he gave her a ring and said he would die without her. There were no more balls, and the master's son took to his bed. They sent orders to the cook to make him some gruel, and Cap-o'-Rushes pleaded until the cook let her make it instead. She slid the ring into the gruel.
The master's son sent for the cook and demanded to know who had made the gruel, and then summoned Cap-o'-Rushes, and questioned her until she admitted she was the woman and took off her rushes. They were married, and Cap-o'-Rushes ordered that the wedding feast be prepared without any salt. This left all the dishes without flavor, and her father, who was a guest, burst into tears because he realized what his daughter had meant, and now he feared she was dead. Cap-o'-Rushes told him that she was his daughter, and so they lived happily ever after.
-like opening is unusual in type 510B, in which the daughter usually flees because her father wishes to marry her, as in Allerleirauh, The She-Bear, The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter
, or Donkeyskin. It does share it with the French variant, The Dirty Shepherdess
.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
published by Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs was a folklorist, literary critic and historian. His works included contributions to the Jewish Encyclopaedia, translations of European works, and critical editions of early English literature...
in English Fairy Tales.
Jacobs gives his source as "Contributed by Mrs. Walter-Thomas to "Suffolk Notes and Queries" of the Ipswich Journal, published by Mr. Lang in Longman's Magazine, vol. xiii., also in Folk-Lore September, 1890". In the latter journal, Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
notes the folktale was "discovered" in the Suffolk notes by Edward Clodd
Edward Clodd
Edward Clodd was an English banker, writer and anthropologist. He cultivated a very wide circle of literary and scientific friends, who periodically met at Whitsun gatherings at his home at Aldeburgh, Suffolk....
.
Marian Roalfe Cox
Marian Roalfe Cox
Marian Roalfe Cox was an English folklorist who pioneered studies in Morphology for the fairy tale Cinderella.In 1893, after being commissioned by the Folklore Society of Britain, she produced Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-Five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin and, Cap O' Rushes, Abstracted...
, in her pioneering study of Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, identified as one of the basic types, the King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
decision, contrasting with Cinderella itself and Catskin
Catskin
Catskin is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs, in More English Fairy Tales. Marian Roalfe Cox, in her pioneering study of Cinderella, identified as one of the basic types, the Unnatural Father, contrasting with Cinderella itself and Cap O' Rushes.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B,...
.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B, unnatural love. Others of this type include Little Cat Skin
Little Cat Skin
Little Catskin is an American fairy tale from Kentucky, collected by Marie Campbell in Tales from the Cloud Walking Country, listing her informant as Big Nelt....
, Donkeyskin
Donkeyskin
Donkeyskin is a French fairy tale told by Charles Perrault.Andrew Lang included it, somewhat euphemized, in The Grey Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson folktale type 510B, unnatural love...
, Catskin
Catskin
Catskin is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs, in More English Fairy Tales. Marian Roalfe Cox, in her pioneering study of Cinderella, identified as one of the basic types, the Unnatural Father, contrasting with Cinderella itself and Cap O' Rushes.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B,...
, Allerleirauh
Allerleirauh
Allerleirauh is a fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Since the second edition published in 1819, it has been recorded as Tale no. 65. Andrew Lang included it in The Green Fairy Book....
, The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter
The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter
"The King Who Wished to Marry His Daughter" is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as Ann Darroch from Islay.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B, unnatural love...
, The She-Bear
The She-Bear
"The She-bear" is an Italian literary fairy tale, written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone.Ruth Manning-Sanders included it in A Book of Princes and Princesses....
, Mossycoat
Mossycoat
Mossycoat is a fairy tale collected by Katherine M. Briggs and Ruth I. Tongue in Folktales of England.Also included within A Book of British Fairy Tales by Alan Garner....
, Tattercoats
Tattercoats
Tattercoats is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in his More English Fairy Tales.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B, the persecuted heroine...
, The Princess That Wore A Rabbit-Skin Dress
The Princess That Wore A Rabbit-Skin Dress
"The Princess That Wore a Rabbit-skin Dress" is an American fairy tale from Kentucky, collected by Marie Campbell in Tales from the Cloud Walking Country, listing her informant as Uncle Tom Dixon.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B...
, and The Bear
The Bear (fairy tale)
The Bear is a fairy tale collected by Andrew Lang in The Grey Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson classification system type 510B, unnatural love...
.
It was the first story read on the BBC series Jackanory
Jackanory
Jackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,...
.
Synopsis
Once upon a time a rich man had three daughters and asked each one how much they loved him. The first said, as much as life; the second, as much as the world; the third, as much as meat needs salt. He declared to the third that she did not love him at all and that it was not enough, and hence drove her out. She made herself a garment of rushes, to wear over her fine clothing, and found a great house where she begged a job scrubbing the dishes, and because she gave them no name, they called her "Cap-o'-Rushes."One day, the servants all went to look at the fine people at a ball. Cap-o'-Rushes said she was too tired, but when they were gone, she took off her rushes and went to the ball. Her master's son fell in love with her, but she slipped off. This repeated two more nights, but the third
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
night, he gave her a ring and said he would die without her. There were no more balls, and the master's son took to his bed. They sent orders to the cook to make him some gruel, and Cap-o'-Rushes pleaded until the cook let her make it instead. She slid the ring into the gruel.
The master's son sent for the cook and demanded to know who had made the gruel, and then summoned Cap-o'-Rushes, and questioned her until she admitted she was the woman and took off her rushes. They were married, and Cap-o'-Rushes ordered that the wedding feast be prepared without any salt. This left all the dishes without flavor, and her father, who was a guest, burst into tears because he realized what his daughter had meant, and now he feared she was dead. Cap-o'-Rushes told him that she was his daughter, and so they lived happily ever after.
Commentary
The King LearKing Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
-like opening is unusual in type 510B, in which the daughter usually flees because her father wishes to marry her, as in Allerleirauh, The She-Bear, The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter
The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter
"The King Who Wished to Marry His Daughter" is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as Ann Darroch from Islay.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B, unnatural love...
, or Donkeyskin. It does share it with the French variant, The Dirty Shepherdess
The Dirty Shepherdess
The Dirty Shepherdess is a French fairy tale collected by Paul Sébillot. Andrew Lang included it in The Green Fairy Book-Plot summary:A king asked his two daughters how much they loved him. His older said as the apple of her eye. The younger said as much as the salt on her food. He ordered her...
.
See also
- The Goose-Girl at the WellThe Goose-Girl at the WellThe Goose-Girl at the Well is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 179.It is Aarne-Thompson type 923, love like salt.-Synopsis:...
- Water and SaltWater and SaltWater and Salt is an Italian fairy tale, it can be found in the collection Italian Popular Tales, collected by Thomas Frederick Crane.In the Aarne-Thompson classification system, Water and Salt is Type 923.-Synopsis:...
- CinderellaCinderella"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
- Katie WoodencloakKatie WoodencloakKatie Woodencloak or Kari Woodengown is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norske Folkeeventyr. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book....
- The Child who came from an EggThe Child who came from an EggThe Child who came from an Egg or The Egg-Born Princess is an Estonian fairy tale, collected by Dr. Friedrich Kreutzwald in Eestirahwa Ennemuistesed jutud. W. F...
- The Tale of the HoodieThe Tale of the HoodieThe Tale of the Hoodie is a Scottish fairy tale, collected by John Francis Campbell in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands. Andrew Lang included it, as The Hoodie-Crow, in The Lilac Fairy Book....
External links
- "Love Like Salt" a collection of similar tales