You You Friends welcome back for another tea and fairy tales Now the tea is optional But I encourage you now to gather up a cup of your favorite room as we journey into myth and magic Today's story that will guide us through strawberries and cakes and a certain magic Is called Misfortune There once was a king of Spain He was a good man as was his queen and his seven beautiful daughters They lived happily until one day A neighboring kingdom came with a great army And the good king of Spain was defeated and taken prisoner The queen and the princesses had to flee to a distant village Where they lived poorly within a small cottage And the daughters earned them just a little money from doing embroidery They had scarcely enough to eat But one summer evening when the princesses were out foraging for wild strawberries The queen was alone in the cottage cooking a broth for their supper An old gypsy woman came knocking at the door Offering some small food to the princesses Offering some small pieces of lace in exchange for food or money The queen invited her in and offered her a seat beside the hearth And gave her a bowl of their thin broth for supper Here she told the old gypsy woman her tale of Misfortune The old gypsy woman said Queen,
I have the ability to look into past and future And to read the causes of things Of the good fortune and ill fortune that attend us as mortals In your family you have a daughter who is Misfortune And it is due to her that all this misery has befallen you She has an evil destiny Send that daughter away and you will win back your king and your kingdom The queen wept How could she send away one of her daughters And how could she possibly know which one had this evil destiny The old woman told her Tonight when your daughters sleep in their beds Take a candle and go from one bed to another Three of the girls will be sleeping on their right sides with their hands folded together under their chins Three will be sleeping on their left sides And one will be sleeping on her back with her hands crossed over her heart That is the one you must send away For on her lies the curse of an evil destiny And Misfortune follows her wherever she goes And as the old gypsy woman left She left the queen to ponder this Misfortune And soon enough the princesses returned We couldn't find a single strawberry,
Not a single one they cried Somebody had been in the woods before us and picked them all Oh why does everything go wrong for us,
Why oh why Never mind said the queen Perhaps she will have better luck tomorrow But the princesses replied they never have any luck at all So they ate their broth in silence And the princesses retired to bed The queen sat for some time gazing into the fire thinking of the gypsy woman's words At last she sighed Lit a candle and went into the room where the seven princesses lay in seven narrow beds All sleeping soundly Tiptoeing from bed to bed The queen looked down at her beautiful sleeping daughters Three lay on their right sides and three lay on their left sides But the seventh,
The youngest lay on her back with her arms crossed over her heart Oh my darling whispered the queen,
Must I send you away And she wept The queens tears fell on the hands of the youngest princess and she stirred in her sleep and woke Dearest mother,
Why do you weep Have we not good cause to weep little daughter I the queen and you my princesses living like peasants in a tumble down cottage But that cannot be the reason said the young princess or you would have wept long ago I think something has happened today whilst we were out Tell me what it is And the queen told her of the gypsy woman and what she had said Then the young princess threw her arms around the queens neck and kissed her many times Go to bed and sleep dear mother she said We will think about it in the morning for the morning is wiser than the evening So the queen went to bed and no sooner was the queen sleeping Then the young princess got up very quietly dressed herself Packed a small bundle of this and that and stole out of the cottage Goodbye dear mother,
Goodbye dear sisters she whispered Now I Miss Fortune take my leave that fortune may come to you again So Miss Fortune wandered on her way and in the morning came to a pleasant house set back in a garden by the side of the road She peeped in through the window and saw several ladies working Some sitting at looms and weaving,
Some spinning,
Some making lace Perhaps I might find service here she thought and she knocked at the door One of the ladies left her loom and opened the door May I take service here my ladies said the princess Oh yes we need a servant what is your name?
Miss Fortune she said Well come in Miss Fortune if you work well you will find us easy to please So Miss Fortune went in and the lady set to her work sweeping,
Cleaning and cooking She worked with a wheel and for a week all went well And then one day the lady said Miss Fortune my sisters and I are going on a short journey to visit friends We will not return until tomorrow Bolt the front and the back door on the inside We can trust you can we not Miss Fortune to see that no one gets in to steal the silk and the lace and the cloth that we have made Oh yes my lady you can trust me said Miss Fortune So the ladies went away and Miss Fortune locked the doors And she spent the day cleaning and polishing till she had everything shining bright When the night came she went to bed well satisfied with her work But at midnight she woke to hear strange sounds downstairs Muttering and breathing and the sounds of tearing cloth and the snap snap of rusty scissors Jumping out of bed and hastily lighting a candle she ran downstairs and what did she find?
A hideous old hag standing beside a heap of torn lace and cut up cloth Yes all the fine work of the ladies lay in tattered heaps at the hag's feet Ha ha laughed the old hag And even as Miss Fortune sprang to steal the scissors away from her The old hag blew out a candle and disappeared Sobbing bitterly Miss Fortune lit more candles and set about gathering up the tattered cloth than scraps of cut up lace What would her ladies say when they came back?
And what did they say?
You wicked shameless girl is this our reward for taking you in and being kind to you?
They beat her and drove her from the house and she wandered on her way Not knowing where she went Wandering she came in the late afternoon to a village She found a small shop that sold bread and vegetables and wine Having eaten nothing all day she was very hungry But she had no money So as she stood looking longingly at the good things to eat in the shop window The shop woman saw her and came to the door Little one are you hungry?
Oh I am I am Then step in Things have come to a pretty pass if we can't spare a bite for a poor little soul like you So Miss Fortune went in and the shop woman gave her some bread and cheese and a glass of wine Where will you go?
Said the shop woman to Miss Fortune I don't know and it will soon be dark The shop woman said the roads were not safe If you care to sleep here at the back of the shop I can shake down a few sacks for you to lie on Miss Fortune thanked her profusely Here was a place that was safe and warm for her to rest By and by the shop woman's husband arrived Who is that sleeping on the sacks there?
He said Oh just a poor little maiden I felt pity for Well I hope she may be honest said the husband And he and his wife went to bed All quiet until midnight Then through the shop window stepped a hideous old hag The hag seized up the loaves of bread and tore them into pieces with her claw like hands And flung the pieces to the shop floor She knocked over baskets of vegetables and spilled fruit all over the shop floor Down to the wine cellar next Where she took out corks from casks and the cellar lay inches thick with pools of wine and beer And leaving the ruins behind her the old hag stepped out through the window and vanished into the darkness All this without a trace All this without a sound But when the shopkeepers woke in the morning and saw the wreckage They shook Miss Fortune awake and beat her with rage Miss Fortune did not wait to hear what they would say She ran from the shop and out of the village and away and away She ran out of one kingdom and into another Until she ran exhausted She fell by the roadside in a faint And the day passed and the sun set Miss Fortune still in her place at the side of the road But the next morning the rising sun shone on her face and she awoke and looked about her Larks were singing overhead And nearby she heard the babbling of a brook Ah,
For a drink of water She got up and climbed over the fence into a meadow Through which a bright little stream was flowing And stooping over the stream was a woman washing clothes At the sound of Miss Fortune's footsteps the woman raised her head and looked around And who should the woman be?
Ah,
Her old nurse,
Dame Francesca Who had handled and hugged Miss Fortune as a tiny child Nurse,
Nurse,
My little princess There they were,
Hugging and kissing But what has come to you,
My darling?
What are you doing here all alone and why so pale and ragged?
And the dame,
Who had brought bread and drink in a basket,
Offered it to the girl I am now a laundry woman to the prince of this country,
Said Dame Francesca You shall come home with me and live in my cottage until we see better times For better times will come,
My darling,
Yes,
They will come So now,
If you will help me finish my washing,
We shall be quicker done with it and on our way home Though to be sure,
Washing clothes is scarcely work for a princess I have done every kind of work since I last saw you,
Dear nurse,
Said Miss Fortune And she took up one of the prince's shirts to rinse it in the stream And what happened?
The shirt gave a jump and a twist And flew out of Miss Fortune's hands and it floated down the stream and caught on the trailing stem of a bramble bush And as Miss Fortune ran to take it off the bush,
She tore a great hole in the back Yes,
I see you are indeed,
Miss Fortune,
Said Dame Francesca I think you must have an evil destiny But never mind,
My darling,
You shall live with me and I will wait on you You shall do no work at all and I shall have some thoughts about your destiny and how we may set it all right So Miss Fortune went with Dame Francesca to her cottage and lived there And as long as she put her hand to no work,
All went well But let her try to help Dame Francesca in any way If she tried to wash the crockery,
It broke under her hands If she tried to darn Dame Francesca's stockings,
The little holes in them grew bigger and bigger If she tried to sweep out the kitchen,
The dust blew back through the door Until at last Dame Francesca says,
Leave it,
Leave it all,
Out with you into the sunshine But no sooner had Miss Fortune gone out in the sunshine than great clouds gathered in the sky and down came the rain Your destiny is against us,
Said Dame Francesca,
But we'll beat her yet Now,
My destiny is a very different kind of person So one day Dame Francesca baked two sweet cakes She put the cakes into a basket and said to Miss Fortune,
Take these cakes,
Go and stand on the sea beach and call my destiny Call loud and clear,
Call three times,
Ah,
Destiny of Dame Francesca,
Ah,
Destiny of Dame Francesca,
Ah,
Destiny of Dame Francesca At the third call,
My destiny will come out of the sea to you Give her one of these cakes with my greetings and ask her very politely to tell you where your destiny can be found So Miss Fortune took the two cakes and went to stand on the beach and called three times At the third call,
A beautiful,
Shining,
Smiling lady rose out of the sea And Miss Fortune took one of the cakes in the basket and giving the cake to the beautiful,
Shining lady said Dame Francesca sends you this cake with her compliments and sweet destiny of Dame Francesca Would your ladyship do me a great kindness and direct me to the place where I may find my own destiny The beautiful,
Shining lady smiled and said,
Take that narrow track over the sand hills and through the thicket In the midst of the thicket you will find an old hag sitting under a thorn bush by a well She is your destiny,
Greet her kindly and offer her a cake She will be very rude to you and she will refuse the cake,
But lay it at her feet and come away So Miss Fortune thanked the lovely lady and went over the sand hills and through the thicket And came to where the old hag sat under a thorn bush beside a well Oh how hideous that old hag was,
Dirty and bleary eyed,
How ragged her clothes Miss Fortune trembled at the sight of her and almost ran away But she pulled herself together,
Curtsied low and said,
My little destiny,
I bring you this cake if you will be pleased to accept it Away with it,
Away with it screamed the old hag,
I want no gift of yours She spat on the ground and turned her face away So Miss Fortune laid the cake at her feet and went sadly back to tell Dame Francesca all about it Dame Francesca was folding up the prince's laundry and she listened to Miss Fortune's tale of woe and laughed Never say die,
She said,
We'll win that old hag over yet She packed the neatly folded laundry into a basket and hurried off with it to the prince's palace Dame Francesca said the prince,
You are a treasure,
Your work for me gets better every day Here is a little present for you and he gave Dame Francesca two gold coins And what did Dame Francesca do with those two gold coins?
She went into town and bought an elegant dress,
Fine underclothes,
A dainty headscarf,
A sponge,
A cake of sweet smelling soap,
A hairbrush and comb and a bottle of scent And these things she took home and gave to Miss Fortune Now my darling,
She said,
Wash her from the top of her head to the soles of her feet,
Brush,
Comb and scent her and dress her in these new clothes No doubt she will scream and hit out at you,
But be firm,
Be firm and get on with the work and take no notice of her squawking She is but an old woman and you are young and strong And when she is clean from top to toe,
Sweet scented and dressed as a lady should be dressed,
Give her this cake and say,
My little destiny,
I Miss Fortune wish you well,
Give me,
I pray you,
A new name So Miss Fortune took all these things and went over to the sand hills,
To the thicket where her destiny sat under the hazel bush by the well She pounced on the old hag,
Stripped her rags and dipped the sponge in the well and began to wash the dirty old thing from the top of her head to the soles of her feet Whilst the old hag screamed and struggled and called Miss Fortune every bad name she could think of Miss Fortune,
Having dried her and sprinkled her with scent and dressed her with fine new clothes,
The old hag stopped screaming and chuckled With every moment she became younger and fairer looking,
Until when she was completely dressed and Miss Fortune was combing her hair Her hair turned from dirty grey to shining gold and she was laughing whilst eating her cake Miss Fortune curtsied low and said,
My little destiny,
I wish you well,
Give me,
I pray you,
A new name Aha,
Chuckled destiny,
Aha,
That's what you're after,
Is it then?
Well,
For the good you have done me,
I will give you a new name,
Your new name shall be Fortunata And here,
Fortunata,
Is a christening present for you and she handed her a little box So happily,
So happily,
Fortunata thanked her destiny and bid her goodbye She took the little box and went home to Dame Francesca Now,
Let us see what your destiny has given you,
My pretty,
Said Dame Francesca and they opened the box And what was in it?
Just a piece of gold braid I don't call that much of a present,
Said Dame Francesca and she tossed the little box into a cupboard and bustled off to the palace to see if the Prince had any orders for her The Prince was dressed in his most splendid uniform with all his medals and decorations glittering on his coat But he was pacing up and down in a state of distraction Dame Francesca,
He said,
Fleeing out his arms,
This is disgraceful There is a piece of braid missing from my sleeve and in all the town there is no such braid to be bought Now I am due to review my troops,
But how can I face them with my coat in this condition?
I think they may not notice it,
Your highness,
Said Dame Francesca Not notice it,
Cried the Prince,
Not notice it What do I care whether they notice it or not?
I notice it How can I expect my troops to keep themselves in perfect trim when I,
Their commander,
Appear before them in this slovenly condition?
There is a remedy for most things,
Said Dame Francesca and she hurried home,
Picked up the box that Fortunata's destiny had given her and brought it to the Prince The Prince opened the box and looked inside Yes,
It was the very same braid as the braid that was missing from his sleeve My good Dame Francesca,
Said the Prince,
I will pay you in gold the weight of this little box and its contents And he called for a pair of scales He put the little box on one scale and a piece of gold on the other,
But the gold did not weigh down the little box The Prince put another piece of gold on top of the first one,
But neither did the two pieces of gold weigh down the little box He put on a third piece and a fourth and a fifth and a sixth and still the scales did not move He called for a whole bag of gold and laid it on the scale,
But the whole bag of gold did not weigh down the little box Dame Francesca,
Cried the Prince,
How is this possible?
Can you explain this mystery?
I will fetch one who can explain it,
My Prince,
Said Dame Francesca,
And off with her again to her little cottage Come,
My pretty,
Come,
She said to Fortunata,
The Prince is asking for you And holding Fortunata by the hand,
She led her to the Prince Very pretty,
Very shy,
The little Princess looked in her shabby clothes,
But she made the Prince an elegant curtsy and stood silent Who are you,
Said the Prince,
And what is your name?
I am the youngest daughter of the good King of Spain,
Your Majesty,
Said the Princess,
The King who was taken prisoner by his enemies Yesterday I was called Misfortune,
But this morning my destiny gave me a new name She said that henceforth I should be called Fortunata Lovely Fortunata,
Said the Prince,
Tell me your story,
Said the Princess,
Told him everything So the Princess told him everything,
And the Prince said,
All this shall now be put right He sent for the ladies who made lace with whom Fortunata had taken service And when they stood beside him he said,
At what price was the damage that was done to your work on that unhappy night?
They told him two hundred pieces of gold,
And the Prince paid them And said,
This poor girl whom you have beaten and driven from your door is the daughter of the King,
Think of that and be ashamed,
Now away with you So they went shame-faced away,
And the Prince sent for the shopkeeper and his wife,
And he also paid them and sent them away And then he summoned his army,
And marched off to do battle with the enemy of the King of Spain In the battle he was victorious,
He put the enemy to flight and brought the King of Spain out of prison and restored his kingdom to him And the Queen,
Fortunata's mother and Fortunata's six sisters left their tumbledown little cottage and rejoined the King in his palace And after that,
Well what after that?
Of course Fortunata married the Prince,
And everyone was happy,
Including Dame Francesca Who went to live at the palace as head nurse,
And bustled about and laughed and sang as she tended the Princess Fortunata's beautiful babies I hope you have enjoyed this fairy tale about cakes of kindness and of never giving up hope So finish your tea and rise and have a beautiful day,
I look forward to seeing you soon Thank you for watching!
Thank you for watching!
