“The Robber Bridegroom”
A miller planned to marry his daughter off
to some guy, even though she didn’t like him for some reason. One day the
bridegroom said that she had never been to see him, and she said she didn’t
know where he lived. He said that he lived out in the woods, and that he would
strew ashes on the path to lead her to his house and that he had invited some
friends to join them.
When she went to visit, she was very
uneasy and filled her pockets with peas and lentils. These she scattered on the
path as she went.
She eventually came to a dismal house. She
walked in, but nobody was there. A bird then cried out that she should leave
because evil things happened there.
Despite this, the girl searched the house
and found an old woman in the cellar. The old woman explained that it was a
house of cannibals who would kill her and eat her. But the old woman took pity
on the girl and hid her behind a cask.
The gang then returned with another girl,
who they wined and then killed. The murdered girl had a ring on her little
finger, and one of the men cut the finger off to get the ring. But the finger
jumped away and landed in the bride’s lap. The gang member went to look for it,
but the old woman called him to supper.
The old woman slipped some sleeping powder
into their wine, and the gang was soon asleep. The bride and the old woman then
followed the path where the peas and lentils were already growing. She made it
home and told her father everything.
On the wedding day, the bridegroom and all
his friends showed up. As they ate, everyone told a story. The bride told of a
“dream” she had, ending it by holding up the ring. The bridegroom and his gang
were then all caught and executed.
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A classic children’s tale of cannibals.
I agree, you make some good points.
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