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"Cap-o'-Rushes" is an English
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...
published by Joseph Jacobs in ''English Fairy Tales''. Jacobs gives his source as "Contributed by Mrs. Walter-Thomas to "Suffolk Notes and Queries" of the ''Ipswich Journal'', published by Mr. Lang in ''Longman's Magazine'', vol. xiii., also in ''Folk-Lore'' September, 1890". In the latter journal,
Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a folkloristics, collector of folklore, folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectur ...
notes the folktale was "discovered" in the Suffolk notes by Edward Clodd. Marian Roalfe Cox, in her pioneering study of ''
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
'', identified as one of the basic types, the
King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
decision, contrasting with ''Cinderella'' itself and ''
Catskin Catskin is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in ''More English Fairy Tales''. Marian Roalfe Cox, in her study of ''Cinderella'', identified as one of the basic types, the Unnatural Father, contrasting with ''Cinderella'' itself and ...
''.If The Shoe Fits: Folklorists' criteria for #510
It is Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index type ATU 510B, "Unnatural Love". Others of this type include '' Little Cat Skin'', '' Donkeyskin'', ''
Catskin Catskin is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in ''More English Fairy Tales''. Marian Roalfe Cox, in her study of ''Cinderella'', identified as one of the basic types, the Unnatural Father, contrasting with ''Cinderella'' itself and ...
'', ''
Allerleirauh "Allerleirauh" () is a fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Since the second edition published in 1819, it has been recorded as Tale no. 65. Andrew Lang included it in '' The Green Fairy Book''. It is Aarne–Thompson folktale type 510B, u ...
'', '' The King Who Wished to Marry His Daughter'', '' The She-Bear'', '' Mossycoat'', '' Tattercoats'', '' The Princess That Wore A Rabbit-Skin Dress'', '' The Bear'' and '' The Princess in the Suit of Leather''. It was the first story read on the BBC series
Jackanory ''Jackanory'' was a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in Reading (activity), reading. The programme was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the ...
.


Synopsis

Once upon a time a rich man had three daughters and asked each one how much they loved him. The first said, as much as life; the second, as much as the world; the third, as much as meat needs salt. Misinterpreting her, he declared to the third that she did not love him at all and that it was not enough, and hence drove her out. She made herself a garment of rushes, to wear over her fine clothing, and found a great house where she begged a job scrubbing the dishes, and because she gave them no name, they called her "Cap-o'-Rushes." One day, the servants all went to look at the fine people at a ball. Cap-o'-Rushes said she was too tired, but when they were gone, she took off her rushes and went to the ball. Her master's son fell in love with her, but she slipped off. This repeated two more nights, but the
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...
night, he gave her a ring and said he would die without her. There were no more balls, and the master's son took to his bed. They sent orders to the cook to make him some gruel, and Cap-o'-Rushes pleaded until the cook let her make it instead. She slid the ring into the gruel. The master's son sent for the cook and demanded to know who had made the gruel, and then summoned Cap-o'-Rushes, and questioned her until she admitted she was the woman and took off her rushes. They were married, and Cap-o'-Rushes ordered that the wedding feast be prepared without any salt. This left all the dishes without flavour, and her father, who was a guest, burst into tears because he finally realised what his daughter had meant, and now he feared she was dead. Cap-o'-Rushes told him that she was his daughter, and so they lived happily ever after.


Analysis


Tale type

In his 1987 guide to folktales, folklorist D. L. Ashliman classified the tale, according to the international Aarne-Thompson Index, as type AaTh 510B, "A King Tries To Marry His Daughter", thus related to French tale '' Donkeyskin'', by
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...
, and other variants, such as
Allerleirauh "Allerleirauh" () is a fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Since the second edition published in 1819, it has been recorded as Tale no. 65. Andrew Lang included it in '' The Green Fairy Book''. It is Aarne–Thompson folktale type 510B, u ...
, Mossycoat, The Bear, The She-Bear and The King who Wished to Marry his Daughter. Ashliman also classified the tale under type ATU 923, "Love Live Salt": a princess answers her father she loves him like salt, and is banished for it; later, she marries a prince and invites her father to a banquet, where the king tastes a saltless dish and finally understands what his daughter meant.


Motifs

Folklorist Joseph Jacobs noted that the beginning of the tale had the "King Lear" motif of "Love Like Salt", and that the tale was connected to ''Cinderella'' and French ''Donkeyskin''. The
King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
-like opening is unusual in type 510B, in which the daughter usually flees because her father wishes to marry her, as in ''Allerleirauh'', ''The She-Bear'', '' The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter'', or ''Donkeyskin''. It also occurs in the French variant, '' The Dirty Shepherdess''.


Variants

American folklorist Richard Chase published an American variant he titled ''Rush Cape'', based on a tale provided by an informant from Abingdon,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, and on two tales provided by tellers from
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
and
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. In this tale, an old king summons his three daughters to ask them about how much they love him. The elder two compare their love to material possessions, like gold, silver and jewelry, while the youngest says she loves him like bread loves salt. Insulted by her answer, he banishes her. The princess fashions a cape of rushes from a swamp, and hides her hair under a rush bonnet, then finds work in the King of England's castle as a kitchen maid. Some time later, a grand dance is held, and she takes off the rush garments to attend it. She goes to a second and a third ball, and the prince slips a ring on her finger before she slips away from the dance. The prince grows sick with love, and Rush Cape makes him a soup and drops the ring on it. The queen feeds her son the soup and notices the ring on the bowl of soup, then summons Rush Cape to the prince's chambers. He recognizes Rush Cape as the girl at the dance and marries her. Meanwhile, back to her father, the princess's sisters have spent all of their father's silver and gold, and banished him. Now a beggar, he arrives at the King of England's castle, and is welcome to partake of a fine meal and to be washed clean and shaved. Rush Cape sees the beggar is her father, and orders the cook to prepare the food without salt. During the meal, the old king notices the lack of salt, which reminds him of his daughter's words. Rush Cape goes to embrace him.Chase, Richard. ''American folk tales and songs, and other examples of English-American tradition as preserved in the Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere in the United States''. New York, Dover Publications, 1971. pp. 31-35.


See also

*
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
* Katie Woodencloak * The Child who came from an Egg * The Goose-Girl at the Well * The Tale of the Hoodie * Water and Salt


References


External links


"Love Like Salt"
a collection of similar tales

(en), published in the edition by Diane Wolkstein {{Donkeyskin English fairy tales Female characters in fairy tales Works originally published in Longman's Magazine King Lear ATU 500-559 ATU 850-999