Love Like Salt
folktales of types 923 and 510
translated and/or edited by
D. L. Ashliman
Copyright 1998
translated and/or edited by
D. L. Ashliman
Copyright 1998
Lear
Which of you shall we say doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where nature doth with merit challenge. Goneril,
Our eldest-born, speak first.
Goneril
Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter,
Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty,
Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour,
As much as child e'er loved or father found;
A love that makes breath poor and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
...
Regan
I am made of that self metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short: that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys
Which the most precious square of sense possesses,
And find I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love
...
Cordelia
I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty
According to my bond; nor more nor less.
Lear
How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little,
Lest it may mar your fortunes.
Cordelia
Good my lord,
You have begot me, bred me, loved me: I
Return those duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say
They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry
Half my love with him half my care and duty:
Sure, I shall never marry like my sister,
To love my father all.
Well, there was once a very rich gentleman, and he'd three darters [daughters]. And he thought to see how fond they was of him. So he says to the first, "How much do you love me, my dear?"
"Why," says she, "as I love my life."
"That's good," says he. So he says to the second, "How much do you love me, my dear?"
"Why," says she, "better nor all the world."
"That's good," says he.
So he says to the third, "How much do you love me, my dear?"
"Why," she says, "I love you as fresh meat loves salt," says she.
Well, he were that angry. "You don't love me at all," says he, "and in my house you stay no more." So he drove her out there and then, and shut the door in her face.
Well, she went away, on and on, till she came to a fen. And there she gathered a lot of rushes, and made them into a cloak kind o', with a hood to cover her from head to foot, and to hide her fine clothes. And then she went on and on till she came to a great house.
"Do you want a maid?" says she.
"No, we don't," says they.
"I hain't nowhere to go," says she, "and I'd ask no wages, and do any sort o' work," says she.
"Well," says they, "if you like to wash the pots and scrape the saucepans, you may stay," says they.
So she stayed there, and washed the pots and scraped the saucepans, and did all the dirty work. And because she gave no name, they called her Cap o' Rushes.
Well, one day there was to be a great dance a little way off, and the servants was let go and look at the grand people. Cap o' Rushes said she was too tired to go, so she stayed at home.
But when they was gone, she offed with her cap o' rushes, and cleaned herself, and went to the dance. And no one there was so finely dressed as her.
Well, who should be there but her master's son, and what should he do but fall in love with her, the minute he set eyes on her. He wouldn't dance with anyone else.
But before the dance were done, Cap o' Rushes she stepped off, and away she went home. And when the other maids was back, she was framin' [pretending] to be asleep with her cap o' rushes on.
Well, next morning, they says to her, "You did miss a sight, Cap o' Rushes!"
"What was that?" says she.
"Why the beautifullest lady you ever see, dressed right gay and ga'. The young master, he never took his eyes off of her."
"Well, I should ha' liked to have seen her," says Cap o' Rushes.
"Well, there's to be another dance this evening, and perhaps she'll be there."
But come the evening, Cap o' Rushes said she was too tired to go with them. Howsumdever, when they was gone, she offed with her cap o' rushes, and cleaned herself, and away she went to the dance.
The master's son had been reckoning on seeing her, and he danced with no one else, and never took his eyes off of her.
But before the dance was over, she slipped off, and home she went, and when the maids came back, she framed to be asleep with her cap o' rushes on.
Next day they says to her again, "Well, Cap o' Rushes, you should ha' been there to see the lady. There she was again, gay an' ga', and the young master he never took his eyes off of her."
Well there," says she, "I should ha' liked to ha' seen her."
"Well," says they, "there's a dance again this evening, and you must go with us, for she's sure to be there."
Well, come the evening, Cap o' Rushes said she was too tired to go, and do what they would, she stayed at home. But when they was gone, she offed with her cap o' rushes, and cleaned herself, and away she went to the dance.
The master's son was rarely glad when he saw her. He danced with none but her, and never took his eyes off her. When she wouldn't tell him her name, nor where she came from, he gave her a ring, and told her if he didn't see her again he should die.
Well, afore the dance was over, off she slipped, and home she went, and when the maids came home she was framing to be asleep with her cap o' rushes on.
Well, next day they says to her, "There, Cap o' Rushes, you didn't come last night, and now you won't see the lady, for there's no more dances."
Well, I should ha' rarely liked to ha' seen her," says she.
The master's son he tried every way to find out where the lady was gone, but go where he might, and ask whom he might, he never heard nothing about her. And he got worse and worse for the love of her till he had to keep his bed.
"Make some gruel for the young master," they says to the cook. "He's dying for love of the lady."
The cook she set about making it, when Cap o' Rushes came in.
"What are you a' doin' on?" says she.
"I'm going to make some gruel for the young master," says the cook, "for he's dying for love of the lady."
"Let me make it," says Cap o' Rushes.
Well, the cook wouldn't at first, but at last she said "yes," and Cap o' Rushes made the gruel. And when she had made it, she slipped the ring into it on the sly, before the cook took it upstairs.
The young man, he drank it, and saw the ring at the bottom.
"Send for the cook," says he. So up she comes.
"Who made this here gruel?" says he.
"I did," says the cook, for she were frightened, and he looked at her.
"No, you didn't," says he. "Say who did it, and you shan't be harmed."
"Well, then, 'twas Cap o' Rushes," says she.
So Cap o' Rushes came.
"Did you make the gruel?" says he."
"Yes, I did," says she.
"Where did you get this ring?" says she.
"From him as gave it me," says she.
"Who are you then?" says the young man.
"I'll show you," says she. And she offed with her cap o' rushes, and there she was in her beautiful clothes.
Well, the master's son he got well very soon, and they was to be married in a little time. It was to be a very grand wedding, and everyone was asked, far and near. And Cap o' Rushes' father was asked. But she never told nobody who she was.
But afore the wedding she went to the cook, and say she, "I want you to dress every dish without a mite o' salt."
"That will be rarely nasty," says the cook.
"That don't signify," says she.
"Very well," says the cook.
Well, the wedding day came, and they was married. And after they was married, all the company sat down to their vittles.
When they began to eat the meat, that was so tasteless they couldn't eat it. But Cap o' Rushes father, he tried first one dish and then another, and then he burst out crying.
"What's the matter?" said the master's son to him.
"Oh!" says he, "I had a daughter. And I asked her how much she loved me. And she said, 'As much as fresh meat loves salt.' And I turned her from my door, for I thought she didn't love me. And now I see she loved me best of all. And she may be dead for aught I know."
"No, father, here she is," says Cap o' Rushes.
And she goes up to him and puts her arms round him. And so they was happy ever after.
Once upon a time there was a father who had two daughters. Calling them to him one day he said to them, "What is the sweetest thing in the world?"
"Sugar," said the elder daughter.
"Salt," said the younger.
The father was angry at this last answer. But his daughter stuck to it, and so her father said to her, "I won't keep a daughter in my house who believes that salt is the sweetest thing in the world. You must leave me and seek another home."
So the younger daughter left her father's house and wandered here and there, suffering much hunger and cold, until t last she was befriended by the fairies. As she walked through a wood one day listening to the songs of the birds, a prince came hunting for deer, and when he saw her he fell in love with her at once. She agreed to marry him, and a great banquet was prepared at the prince's house. To this banquet the bride's father was bidden; but he did not know that the bride was his own daughter.
Now, at the wish of the bride, all the dishes were prepared without salt. So when the guests began to eat they found that the food was tasteless. At last one of them said, "There is no salt in the meat!"
And then all the guests said, "There is no salt in the meat!"
And the bride's father spoke the loudest of all. "Truly, salt is the sweetest thing in the world," he said, "though, for saying so, I sent my own daughter away from my house, and shall never see her face again."
Then the bride made herself known to her father, and fell on his neck and kissed him.
A king once asked his daughter how dear he was to her.
"As dear, as dear -- as salt!" she said.
The king thought that this was very little, and he was very unhappy with his child's answer.
Soon thereafter he sponsored a great feast. The daughter saw to it that every dish was brought to the table unsalted, and thus nothing tasted good to the king.
Finally the daughter explained everything to him. He then recognized how important salt was, and that his daughter had spoken very positively. Thus he loved her again as dearly as before.
Once upon a time there was a king who had three daughters. Because they were good and beautiful he loved them all sincerely. He did not know which one he should appoint as queen.
As his birthday approached he summoned his daughters and said to them, "My dear children, I love all three of you sincerely, and for a long time have not known which one of you I should name to be the heir to my throne. But I have now decided that the one of you shall become queen who brings to me a birthday present that is most necessary in human life. Go and make your plans accordingly and with utmost diligence."
The old king's birthday arrived, and the two oldest daughters brought him presents that were very necessary, but at the same time extremely expensive. However, the youngest daughter brought him nothing more than a little pile of salt in a decorated container. When the king saw her present he became very angry, and he drove his daughter out of the castle, forbidding her ever again to let herself be seen by him.
With deep sorrow the rejected daughter went out into the unknown world, comforted only by her faith in her own good sense. After walking a good while she came to an inn. There she found a female innkeeper who thoroughly understood cooking. She entered an apprenticeship with her and soon exceeded even the innkeeper in the art of cooking.
News spread far and wide of the excellent cook in this inn, and everyone who came this way and who still had a few kreuzers left in his pocket stopped to be served a roast or something even more elegant.
The king heard of the cook's reputation, and he hired her as court cook. Now it came to pass that the oldest princess was getting married, and the famous cook was assigned the preparation of the wedding feast, with no expenses to be spared.
Thus on the wedding day one elegant dish after the other was served until the table almost cracked. Everything was excellently prepared, and everyone praised the cook. Finally the king's favorite dish arrived. Quickly taking a spoon he tasted it. "This has not been salted!" he cried out angrily. "Have the cook brought before me!"
They quickly ran for the cook, who entered the hall undaunted.
"Why did you forget to salt my favorite dish, you careless girl?" snapped the king at her.
The cook answered, "You drove away your youngest daughter because she thought that salt was so necessary. Perhaps you can now see that your child was not so wrong."
When the king heard these words he recognized his daughter, begged her for forgiveness, asked her to be seated at his side, and accepted her once again as his dear child. Then the wedding became doubly joyful.
The king lived happily with his children for many years thereafter.
Ages ago there lived a king who had three good and beautiful daughters whom he loved very much and who in turn loved him dearly. He had no princes, but in his kingdom it was the custom that the succession of the throne could also pass to women and daughters. Because the king's wife was no longer alive he was free to appoint one of his daughters to the throne, and it did not need to be the oldest one.
Because this king loved all of his daughters equally the decision was very difficult for him. He came to the conclusion to select the one who demonstrated the keenest intellect. He shared this determination with his three daughters, declaring that his approaching birthday would be the day of decision. The one who would bring him "the most indispensable thing" would become queen.
Each of the princesses thought about what would be the most indispensable thing. When his birthday arrived, the oldest one approached him, carrying a fine purple robe, and said, "The Lord God had mankind come naked into the world, but then he barred them from paradise. Thus robes and clothing are indispensable."
The second daughter brought a loaf of fresh bread that she herself had baked. It was lying on top of a filled beaker made of gold. "Food and drink are the most indispensable things for mankind, born from dust, for without these they cannot live. Thus God created the fruits of the field, fruit, berries, and grapes, and taught mankind to make bread and wine, the sacred symbols of his love."
The youngest daughter brought a pile of salt on a wooden plate, saying, "My father, I consider salt and wood to be the most indispensable. Ancient peoples paid sacred homage to the trees and considered salt to be holy.
The king was very surprised with these gifts. Thinking about them, he said, "Purple is the most indispensable thing for a king, for if he has it, he has everything else. If he loses it, then he is no longer king and is as common as other humans. Because you have perceived this, my oldest and beloved daughter, after me you shall be decorated with royal purple. Come to me and receive my thanks and my blessing!"
After kissing and blessing his oldest daughter, he said to the second oldest, "Eating and drinking are not altogether necessary, my good child, and they draw us down entirely too much into commonness. They are a sign of mediocrity and of the masses. I cannot hinder you if you find pleasure therein, nor can I thank you for your poorly chosen gift, but you shall be blessed for your good will." Then the king blessed his daughter, but he did not kiss her.
Then he turned to the third princess, who was standing there pale and trembling. After what she had seen and heard, she sensed what was to come.
"My daughter, on your wooden plate you may well have some salt, but in your brain you have none," said the king. "You are still alive, and therefore salt is not indispensable. One does not need salt. With your salt you are showing the sense of a peasant, not the sense of a king. And I take no pleasure on that stiff wooden thing. Thus I can neither thank you nor bless you. Go away from me, as far as your feet will carry you. Go to the stupid and coarse people who worship old blocks of wood and tree limbs instead of the living God, and who consider common salt to be sacred."
Crying, the youngest princess then turned away from her hard father, and walked far, far away from the court and the royal city, as far as her feet would carry her.
She came to an inn and offered her services to the female innkeeper. The innkeeper was touched by her humility, innocence, youth, and beauty, and she took her in as a maid. The princess soon mastered all the household duties, and the innkeeper said, "It would be a pity if the girl did not learn a decent skill. I'll teach her to cook."
And thus the princess learned to cook. She grasped everything quickly, and soon could cook some dishes even better and more delicious than the teacher herself. Business improved at the inn because of the good cooking there, and the good cook's reputation -- who was also so young and so beautiful -- spread throughout the entire land.
Now it came to pass that this cook's father's oldest daughter was about to be married. A royal wedding was to be held, and it was recommended to bring the famous cook to the court to prepare the feast, for the lords at the royal court, the marshals, the royal wine stewards, the royal dining stewards, the masters of ceremony, the chamberlains, and other excellencies did not share the view that their most gracious lord the king had once expressed, that eating and drinking were not altogether necessary and that they draw us down to commonness. To the contrary, they praised all good food and fine wine and honored -- at least inwardly -- that old and true proverb, "Eating and drinking hold body and soul together."
The wedding meal was deliciously prepared, nor was the king's favorite dish lacking, which had been specially ordered by the royal dining steward. The meal was served. There came one dish after the other, and each was highly praised.
Finally came the king's favorite dish, and it was served first to him. He tried it and found it completely tasteless. His cheerful mood darkened, and he spoke to the chamberlain standing behind his golden armchair, "This dish is ruined! It is terrible! Stop the platters from being passed around, and summon the cook!"
The cook entered the magnificent hall, and the king addressed her, "You have ruined my favorite dish. You have spoiled my pleasure by not putting any salt in my favorite dish!"
Then the cook fell at the king's feet, saying with humility, "Have mercy, your majesty, my royal lord, and forgive me! How could I have dared to mix salt into your food? Did I not once hear from a lofty king's own mouth the words, " One does not need salt. Salt is not indispensable. Salt shows only the sense of a peasant, not the sense of a king!"
With shame the king recognized these words as his own and the cook as his daughter. Lifting her from the floor where she was kneeling, he drew her to his heart. He then told all the wedding guests her story and had his youngest daughter once again be seated by his side.
Then the wedding became doubly joyful, and the king was once again entirely happy with his daughter's love.
Salt is holy.
Once upon a time there was a king and three daughters. These three daughters being at table one day, their father said, "Come now, let us see which of you three loves me."
The oldest said, "Papa, I love you as much as my eyes."
The second answered, "I love you as much as my heart."
The youngest said, "I love you as much as water and salt."
The king heard her with amazement, "Do you value me like water and salt? Quick! call the executioners, for I will have her killed immediately."
The other sisters privately gave the executioners a little dog, and told them to kill it and rend one of the youngest sister's garments, but to leave her in a cave.
This they did, and brought back to the king the dog's tongue and the rent garment: "Royal majesty, here is her tongue and garment."
And his majesty gave them a reward.
The unfortunate princess was found in the forest by a magician, who took her to his house opposite the royal palace. Here the king's son saw her and fell desperately in love with her, and the match was soon agreed upon.
Then the magician came and said, "You must kill me the day before the wedding. You must invite three kings, your father the first. You must order the servants to pass water and salt to all the guests except your father."
Now let us return to the father of this young girl, who the longer he lived the more his love for her increased, and he was sick of grief. When her received the invitation he said, "And how can I go with this love for my daughter?" And he would not go. Then he thought, "But this king will be offended if I do not go, and will declare war against me some time."
He accepted and went. The day before the wedding they killed the magician and quartered him, and put a quarter in each of four rooms, and sprinkled his blood in all the rooms and on the stairway, and the blood and flesh became gold and precious stones.
When the three kings came and saw the golden stairs, they did not like to step on them. "Never mind," said the prince, "go up. This is nothing."
That evening they were married. The next day they had a banquet. The prince gave orders. "No salt and water to that king."
They sat down at table, and the young queen was near her father, but he did not eat.
His daughter said, "Royal majesty, why do you not eat. Does not the food please you?"
"What an idea! It is very fine."
"Why don't you eat then?"
"I don't feel very well."
The bride and groom helped him to some bits of meat, but the king did not want it, and chewed his food over and over again like a goat (as if he could eat it without salt!).
When they finished eating they began to tell stories, and the king told them all about his daughter. She asked him if he could still recognize her, and stepping out of the room put on the same dress she wore when he sent her away to be killed.
"You caused me to be killed because I told you I loved you as much as salt and water. Now you have seen what it is to eat without salt and water."
Her father could not say a word, but embraced her and begged her pardon. They remained happy and contented, and here we are with nothing.
There was once a king who had several daughters. To the first he said, "How do you love me?"
"I love you as sugar," said she.
To the next he said, "And how do you love me?"
"I love you as honey," said she.
To the third he said, "And how do you love me?"
"I love you as sherbet," said she.
To the last and youngest he said, "And how do you love me?"
"I love you as salt," said she.
On hearing the answer of his youngest daughter the king frowned, and, as she persisted in repeating it, he drove her out into the forest.
There, when wandering sadly along, she heard the tramping of a horse, and she hid herself in a hollow tree. But the fluttering of her dress betrayed her to the rider, who was a prince, and who instantly fell in love with her and married her.
Some time after, the king, her father, who did not know what had become of her, paid her husband a visit. When he sat down to meat, the princess took care that all the dishes presented to him should be made-up sweets, which he either passed by altogether or merely tasted. He was very hungry, and was longing sorely for something which he could eat, when the princess sent him a dish of common spinach, seasoned with salt, such as farmers eat, and the king signified his pleasure by eating it with relish.
Then the princess threw off her veil, and, revealing herself to her father, said, "Oh my father, I love you as salt. My love may be homely, but it is true, genuine and lasting, and I entreat your forgiveness."
Then the king perceived how great a mistake he had made, and there followed a full reconciliation.
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