THE ENCHANTED RING

A CORSICAN STORY

BEFORE the invasion of the Saracens there were six brothers and their sister who were very, very poor; their parents were sick and not able to work. One day when they had been hunting for chestnuts in the neighboring wood and had scarcely been able to find any, the smallest said to his brothers,—

“I want to go out into the world to see if I can make a fortune. At the end of the week I will come back to tell you what has happened to me.”

And the little brother went away. He traveled for several days, and at last he saw a small house in the midst of a forest.

“At last,” said he to himself, “I shall be able to rest myself a few moments and eat a piece of bread.”

Tap! tap!

“Who is there?”

“It is I.”

Seeing it was a man, the mistress of the house, who was a fairy, dropped her ring as if by mistake.

The little brother saw it and put it on his finger, saying,—

“Ah! what a beautiful ring!”

But immediately his body was covered with hairs, two horns grew out from him, his ears became long, and his two hands were changed into the feet of a goat.

In fact, he was altogether changed into a goat.

“Baa! baa! baa!” said the little brother; but nothing could bring him back to his original shape.

The fairy tied him, put him down in the cellar; and gave him some very fresh grass.

Seeing that their brother did not come back, the other five wished to go and look for him.

They started out one after the other; but when they reached the fairy’s house, they each put on the ring that she threw to them, and all shared their youngest brother’s fate.

The sister wanted to go too.

She was beautiful and well formed, with blue eyes and black hair; her name was Milia.

As she was going along, the little sister came upon a large bird caught in a bush; it could not get out in spite of all its efforts.

The young girl took her knife, cut off the briers and set free the bird, which flew away, saying,—

“Thanks, thanks, Milia; thanks, thanks, Milia.”

The latter continued her journey; as night came on, she sat down under a tree to eat a piece of bread.

As she was making her frugal meal, she saw a poor old woman coming, who could scarcely drag herself along.

Milia ran to meet her, saying to her,—

“My good mother, lean on me; come rest yourself a moment and have part of the small quantity of bread that I have left.”

Milia had scarcely uttered these words when she was completely dazzled. The old woman was changed suddenly into a beautiful fairy, adorned with a lovely necklace of fine pearls, and dressed in a magnificent robe of blue and rose-color, all embroidered with gold.

“What do you wish for? I am powerful; ask, and it shall be granted you.”

“I wish to know where my brothers are; are they dead or alive?”

“Your brothers are living, but it will be very difficult for you to recognize them. To find them you have only to go on straight before you. They are shut up in the first house that you will find on your way.”

“Thanks, good fairy.”

And Milia set out.

After having walked hours and hours, the little sister saw a house.

“This is where they are, doubtless,” she thought, and she walked more rapidly.

Milia was not more than fifty paces from it when the wicked fairy saw her.

She threw out her ring quickly.

But a large bird flew by and carried it off in its beak.

It was the bird that the young girl had set free.

Tap! tap!

“Come in.”

Milia entered.

“Sit down a moment, while I go to find you something to eat; you must be tired,” said the old woman to her; then she went out.

Then the bird came and tapped at the window.

“Milia, take nothing from that wicked old woman, or you will be turned to stone. Your brothers, changed to goats, are shut up in the cellar.”

The old fairy came in at that moment.

“Here, eat a piece of this cake and drink a little of this exquisite wine.”

“Thanks, madam; I am neither hungry nor thirsty.”

“What, after such a long journey?”

“I do not want anything; if you wish to please me, let me sleep quietly in this corner.”

“Make yourself comfortable, my poor child.”

However, the fairy thought,—

“This little one must not escape me; I wish to have her at all hazards.”

And she went for a necklace of gold and robes changeable as the sky.

“Since you will not accept anything to eat, take these things, at least; for it must not be said that any one rests at my house without taking away some token of my good will.”

“What do you wish a poor girl to do with all these wonderful things? Robes and necklace would soon be torn up among the bushes through which I must pass.”

Seeing that all her designs were baffled, the perfidious fairy stretched herself on her bed, and slept soundly.

The bird came again and tapped at the window.

“Milia, wake up! wake up, Milia!”

“What do you want?”

“Kill that wicked fairy, or she will soon find means to destroy you. Then take the chemise that she wears, put it on yourself, and you will possess her magic power.”

Milia got up softly, and taking a knife which was on the table, killed the wicked old woman; then she undressed her, took her chemise and put it on herself.

Her mind was enlightened in a moment. A number of things which she had thought impenetrable mysteries were now explained to her.

Before trying her power, Milia went over the whole house. In a hall were a number of statues, two of which were in a niche. They were a king and queen laid under a spell by the magician.

Then Milia went down into the cellar. There she saw six goats, extremely emaciated, though they had an abundance of food.

“Ah, poor beasts! and to think they are my brothers!”

And Milia, good sister that she was, began to cry. She would have restored them to their original shape at that moment, but she did not know how to manage it.

Happily, she remembered that on the fairy’s chemise was written,—

Milia repeated these words, then thought,—

“Chemise, chemise, cause these goats to become men again as they were before!”

And immediately the goats lost their hair, their horns fell off, and their feet were changed into the two hands and feet of a man.

Imagine Milia’s joy! She threw herself on her brothers’ necks, for she knew them at once; and for a long time they embraced each other joyfully.

“Where is the old fairy who changed us to beasts?”

“She is dead; and I have all her power.”

“How did it happen? In what does this power reside?”

“I cannot tell you my secret. I am going now to set free all those who are in the castle.”

This was quickly done.

The king and the queen and all the other persons thanked Milia very much, as you may suppose. They wished to bestow castles and villas on her; but she refused them all. Had she not the fairy’s chemise to put her in possession of all that she desired?

By means of her magic power the young girl made handsome carriages come up out of the ground, and distributed them among all those who were there, so that they could return to their homes.

She bestowed one of them upon herself, and harnessed to it two beautiful horses as fleet as the wind.

Thus she went back to the home of her parents, who were amazed to see her with her brothers in such an equipage.

“Ah! our daughter has a fortune,” said they to themselves.

And they were happy.

Unfortunately, the chemise became so very, very dirty that one day Milia wanted to have it washed.

It was spread in the sun to dry.

A tramp saw it, seized upon it, and ran away.

They sought for it a long time in vain; they could never find it.

Milia died in despair at having lost the precious chemise from which she derived all her power.

As for her brothers, who went in search of the thief, nothing more was heard of them. If I learn anything about them, you may be sure I will tell you of it.

Ortoli, “Contes de l’ile de Corse.”