Collectanea. 205
J. SuNDBLAD, Gamnialdags Seder och Bruk, 2nd ed. Stock- holm, 1888. P. 214. No. 9. (Swedish.)
B Pelsarubb.i
(i) Queen dies. King wants to marry their daughter; she is more beautiful than anyone else. (2) Heroine at last assents, but first exacts in turn a silver, a gold, a star dress. (3) With these she secretly leaves home ; comes to an old woman living in underground cave in dark forest, and remains there till tired of the quiet. She then seeks situation ; is engaged as hen-girl at king's castle, and allowed to spend every Saturday till Monday morning with foster-mother, the old woman in cave. (4) First Sunday foster-mother harnesses her calf, having no horse, bids heroine don one of her shining dresses, and say, should anyone vex or touch her: "White before me! black behind me!" Calf takes her over hill and mountain ; sticks and straws are sent whizzing around them. All gaze at her in church, unheeding sermon. When they throng round her to learn whence she comes, heroine speaks spell and vanishes. On Monday she re-appears as dirty hen-girl. So everything passes for some time. Prince has had no suspicion who * Pelsa- rubb' is, and has thrown at her an old hat, his boots, and lastly, a washing-basin, when she has been sent to him with shaving water. Afterwards, when the crowd questions her at church door, she replies : " From Hat parish. Boot County," repeats spell and vanishes. (5) Prince is in love with heroine, but cannot catch her. He dreams that by assembling all servant-girls in castle he may discover heroine. Pelsarubb's turn comes. It is Monday morning, and she has had no time to change clothes, so covers them with filthy ragged gown. Prince is about to turn her out, but spies some shining thing under rags, and tears the hole larger. Heroine is discovered, and relates her story. Happy marriage. Foster-mother sits between king and queen at the feast.
E. Wahlfisk, Bidrag till Sodermanlands dldre Kulturhistorie^ VIII. Edited by Strengnas, 1895, P. 79.
B " Kraknabba-pelsen " (Crowbill-cloak).
(i) King w.nnts to marry his daughter. She demands in turn star, moon, sun dress, and lastly, a Crowbill-cloak. (2) With these she escapes, becomes menial in royal palace, and weeps because work is too hard. (3) Old woman appears, bids her say: "Knife, butcher! wisp, scour! broom, sweep!" and the tools will obey. All is now well. Heroine carries washing-water
^ In a note to this tale, Mr. Sundblad supposes it to have been derived from a penny print, and the last part of the heroine's name to have been robe. Pels-robe, i.e. Fur-robe, Fur-cloak.
