Crimson Fairy Book

Chapter 6 Wise Maria
Once upon a time, there lived a merchant near the palace. He had three beautiful daughters, the youngest of whom, Maria, was the most beautiful.One day, the king sent someone to find the merchant and asked him to be a guide for a long-distance caravan.The merchant didn't want to go because he was a widower and he didn't feel comfortable leaving his daughters at home.But he dared not disobey the king's order, so he went home with a heavy heart and said goodbye to his daughters.Before leaving home, he took out three flower pots with basil and gave them to his three daughters respectively, saying to them: "I'm going on a trip, so I leave these three flower pots for you. Remember that no one is allowed to enter the house." The flowers in the pot will tell me all about it when I come back." "It will be nothing," replied the daughters.

The day after the merchant left, the king, accompanied by two friends, came to see the three girls.At this time, they were having dinner, and when they saw the king coming, Maria said, "Let's go to the cellar and get a bottle of wine, and I'll get the key, and the elder sister will hold the lamp, and the second sister will get the wine." But the king said, "No, we won't thirsty." "Okay then, we don't have to go." The other two girls said.But Maria said, "Then I'll go alone." She left the room, went into the hall, put out the lights, put down the keys and the wine bottle, and knocked on the door of the neighbor's house. "Who is it? It's so late!" The neighbor's grandmother poked her head out of the window and asked.

"Let me in," Maria said, "I have had a quarrel with my elder sister, and I don't want to continue the quarrel. Please let me in for the night."

So the grandmother opened the door and let her live in.Maria never returned, the king was very angry.The next day, when Maria returned home, she found that the flowers her father had left for her sisters had withered, because they had disobeyed their father's order before leaving and let the king enter the house.The eldest sister's window just overlooked the king's garden. She saw that the hawthorns in the garden were ripe, and she wanted to eat some, so she asked Maria to climb down and pick some for her.The kind-hearted Maria went to the garden to pick hawthorns along the rope, and was about to fasten the rope so that her sister could pull her up.The eldest sister shouted again: "Oh, there are many attractive lemons not far away, you can pick one or two for me!" Maria turned to pick them, but was caught by the garden guard. "What are you doing? You thief!" the gardener yelled, "don't scold me, or you will see me." Maria pushed the gardener violently as she spoke, and the gardener fell heavily on the lemon grove middle.Maria grabbed the rope and struggled to climb home.

The next day, the second sister begged Maria to pick some bananas in the king's garden. Although Maria had declared that she would not take the risk, she finally agreed.This time she met the king in the garden.The king said, "Haha, here you go again, little liar! You will pay for your trick."

Then the king interrogated Maria, and Maria pleaded guilty one by one. "Well, now follow me to that house and be punished!" said the king, walking towards the house.On the way, he looked back from time to time to see if Maria had escaped.Suddenly, when he looked back, Maria had disappeared without a trace.The king ordered the whole city to be searched, even every corner was searched, but Maria was still not found.The king became very ill with rage, and lay in bed for several months, dying.

Meanwhile, Maria's sisters married two of the King's friends, and both had daughters.

One day, Maria quietly came to the residence of her sisters, put the children into a beautiful basket, and covered it with flowers.Then he disguised himself as a boy, with a basket of flowers on his head, and shouted outside the palace: "Who will bring these flowers to the lovesick king!"

When the king heard this, he ordered someone to buy a flower basket and bring it to his bedside.He lifted the lid, and there was a crying sound in the basket, and it turned out that there were two children.The king was furious when he realized that he had been cheated by Maria again.While he was looking at the child and wondering what to do, someone came to report that the merchant had returned home from his trip.The king thought of Maria refusing his visit and stealing his fruit, so he decided to take revenge.He asked the waiter to bring a letter to the merchant, and to bring a stone garment to him tomorrow, or he would be punished.The poor merchant came home last night already very sad, because the two daughters broke their promise and married without his permission.Now to add insult to injury, where would he get clothes made of stone?He rubbed his hands anxiously, and asserted that the king would definitely kill him.At this time, Maria walked in suddenly and said, "Dear father, don't be sad. Tomorrow you will take some chalk to the palace, and say that you are going to measure the king." The businessman thought it was useless, but Maria used to often To tide him over, he trusts his bright young daughter.So the next day, I did as Maria said.

"It's useless," said the king after hearing the businessman's intentions.

"Otherwise I cannot make clothes for you, Your Majesty," replied the merchant.

"Well, if you want to live, send your daughter Maria."

The merchant was silent, and he returned home sadly, where Maria was waiting for him.

"Oh, dear child, why did you come into the world! The king asked me to bring you to him when he didn't want clothes."

"Have fun, father," said Maria, "make a fake doll just like me, and put a string around its head so that I can pull it to make it shake its head or nod."

So the merchant immediately went out to deal with it.

In the palace, the king was waiting patiently, thinking that Maria would not escape this time.He told the waiter: "If anyone comes to see me with his daughter, take the lady to my room and watch at the door, don't let her leave."

After the door was closed, Maria took out the doll hidden under the cloak, hid herself under the bed, and tightened the rope tied to the doll's head.

After a while, the king came in and said: "Miss Maria, everything is all right!" The fake doll nodded.

"Now we shall settle the ledger," continued the King.Then he talked about it one by one, all the way to the sale of flower baskets.After everything was said, Maria pulled the string to make the doll nod its head.Finally the king said: "Anyone who fools me should die!" Then he drew his sword and cut off the doll's head.The doll's head fell to the king, and the king felt a kiss, and he cried out in pain, "Oh Maria! Maria! who tormented me so much in life and so tenderly in death, who killed you Damn it too!" He was about to kill himself with a sword, when the real Maria jumped out from under the bed and threw herself into his arms.They had their wedding the next day and lived happily together for many years.

(End of this chapter)