Folk Tales for Bold Girls

by Fiona Collins

  ‘Now what shall I do?’ she asked her mum.

  ‘Well, I still need a bit longer to finish my work. Tell him you will only marry him if he brings you a pair of white silk dancing shoes – and they have to fit you perfectly! That will take him a bit of time. That will give me time to finish my work.’

  The girl went back and told the tinker.

  He said, ‘Of course, my dear, whatever you want!’ And he went away.

  But the very next day, he was back, with a beautiful pair of white silk dancing shoes. And of course, they fitted her perfectly!

  ‘Now what shall I do?’ the girl asked her mum.

  ‘My dear, you don’t have to worry about a thing!’ said her mum. ‘Because tonight I will finish making the marvellous magical something, and tomorrow you will be far away from here, seeking your fortune. Tell the tinker to come back tomorrow.’

  The next day, the tinker must have been very disappointed, because the girl was far away. That night, her mother finished the thing she was making. It was a magic wishing coat, made of golden thread and soft green moss woven together.

  She gave it to her daughter and said, ‘When you are wearing this coat, whatever you wish for will come true. Wish yourself a hundred miles away from here. In the blink of an eye you will be there, and you will see a big house on the top of a hill. Go to the front door and ask for work, because that is where you will find your fortune.’

  The girl was sad to be leaving her mum, but excited to be going to seek her fortune. She put on the magic mossy coat, and she packed the white dress, and the colourful dress, and the satin dancing shoes – because you never know when you might be invited to a party.

  Then she said goodbye to her mum and she touched the coat … and closed her eyes … and wished …

  When she opened her eyes, she was in a place she had never seen before. She saw a big house on the top of a hill. She knocked on the door and asked the lady of the house for work.

  The lady liked the polite way the girl spoke, so she gave her a job as the cook’s assistant. The lady took her to the kitchen and introduced her to the cook.

  ‘This girl is Mossycoat. I have given her a job as your assistant. Make her feel at home and give her a nice bedroom with a view of the lake.’

  The cook smiled and curtsied and said, ‘Oh, yes, Madam.’

  But as soon as the lady had gone out of the kitchen, the cook stopped smiling and started to glare at Mossycoat. ‘You aren’t having a job as my assistant,’ she said. ‘I don’t know you. I don’t like you. You can have all the dirty pots and pans to wash. And you’re not having a nice bedroom with a view of the lake. You can sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, where the boots and shoes are kept!’

  Then she took down the biggest soup spoon and hit Mossycoat on the head with it. It really hurt! But Mossycoat didn’t complain.

  When they gave her all the dirty pots and pans, she scrubbed until they were shining. She worked hard, day after day, but the cook didn’t get any kinder. Every day she hit Mossycoat on the head with the big soup spoon, and every night she pushed Mossycoat into the cupboard under the stairs. And that was where she slept.

  Things went on like this for quite a while.

  Then one day, the lady announced that her son was coming home. There was going to be a big party for him. Everyone in the kitchen was excited.

  ‘We can make our favourite recipes,’ they said. ‘We can put out the golden cups and silver plates, and we can go up to the ballroom when our work is finished, and listen to the music and watch the people dancing.’

  Then they turned to look at Mossycoat. ‘But you aren’t coming, Mossycoat. Your greasy hands will make the fine clothes all dirty. You can stay in the kitchen!’ And the cook took down the big soup spoon and hit Mossycoat on the head.

  The first night of the party came, and all the people from the kitchen went to watch the dancing. Mossycoat was left sitting in the kitchen by herself.

  The next day everyone in the kitchen was chatting about the music and the dancing and the lovely clothes. Mossycoat thought, ‘I would like to see the dancing.’

  So that night, when everyone was working, she went round the kitchen and touched them all with her magic mossy coat. She wished they would all fall asleep. Straight away, they all fell asleep, right in the middle of the work!

  So no one saw Mossycoat wish herself into the cupboard under the stairs. No one saw her wish herself clean. No one saw her change into her white silk dress and her white silk dancing shoes.

  She put her magic wishing coat back on. She touched the coat and wished herself into the ballroom. When she appeared, all the people were amazed. She was so beautiful. The lady’s son looked at her. When he looked at her, he liked her. Then his heart went ‘Ba-boom!’ and he fell in love with her.

  He went straight to her and asked her to dance with him.

  Mossycoat said, ‘I can only dance one dance tonight, and then I must go. But if I can only dance one dance, I would be glad to dance it with you.’

  She curtsied. He bowed. The band began to play. They danced all the way up the room. They danced all the way down again. When they got near to the door, Mossycoat touched her magic mossy coat and wished herself away. In the blink of an eye, she was gone!

  The young man made everyone run around to look for her. They thought they looked everywhere. But no one thought of looking in the cupboard under the stairs, where the boots and shoes were kept. That’s where she was, taking off her dancing dress and dancing shoes, putting on her dirty work clothes. Then she put on her mossy coat.

  She went round the kitchen touching everyone with her coat, to wake them up. When they realised they had been sleeping, instead of working, they said, ‘Oh, Mossycoat, please don’t tell on us. Don’t get us into trouble.’

  She said she would not. And for once, she did not get hit on the head with the big soup spoon.

  The next day, all everyone in the kitchen wanted to talk about was the lovely lady who had danced with the young master. ‘Will she come again?’ they asked.

  ‘We must all watch for her tonight,’ they said.

  Then they said, ‘But you can’t come, Mossycoat. Your greasy hands will make her fine clothes all dirty.’

  Mossycoat didn’t say anything, but she thought, ‘If I’m not there, you won’t see that lovely lady.’

  So that evening, she did it all again. She made them go to sleep with her magic mossy coat. She got all dressed up. This time, she put on her colourful dress and her dancing shoes. But she kept her mossy coat on.

  When she wished herself into the dance, everyone was excited to see her, the young master most of all. He went straight to her and asked her to dance with him.

  Mossycoat said, ‘I can only dance one dance tonight, and then I must go. But if I can only dance one dance, I would be glad to dance it with you.’

  She curtsied. He bowed. The band began to play.

  They danced all the way up the room. They danced all the way down again. When they got near to the door, Mossycoat touched her coat again, and wished herself away. But this time, the young man tried to hold on to her.

  He must have knocked her foot as she disappeared, because when he looked around, she was gone. But there on the floor was one of her white silk dancing shoes.

  He picked it up. ‘Oh, where is the lovely lady who wore this shoe?’ he asked. ‘I must find her.’

  Once again, he made everyone run around to look for her. But no one thought of looking in the cupboard under the stairs, where the boots and shoes were kept. That’s where she was, taking off her dancing dress and one dancing shoe, the one she hadn’t lost.

  Then she put on her dirty work clothes. She put on her mossy coat too. Then she went round the kitchen touching everyone with her coat, to wake them up.

  The next day, the young man was still searching for the girl who had worn the shoe. He made everyone who had been at the party try on the shoe. It didn’t fit anyone. Then he made everyone wh
o had worked at the party try on the shoe. The people from the kitchen went to try it on too.

  But the cook said, ‘Not you, Mossycoat. Your greasy clothes will make that fine shoe dirty.’

  So Mossycoat was left in the kitchen. Everyone else tried on the shoe. It didn’t fit any of them.

  The young man asked the cook, ‘Has everyone tried the shoe?’

  ‘Everyone except that dirty greasy girl Mossycoat,’ said the cook.

  ‘Well, Mossycoat must try it too,’ he said.

  So Mossycoat was sent for. When she came, she put out her foot and tried on the shoe. It fitted her perfectly!

  ‘Darling, I love you!’ said the young man.

  ‘Wait a minute,’ said Mossycoat.

  She wished herself away into the cupboard under the stairs and changed into her white silk dress. She put on her other shoe, the one she hadn’t lost, and her mossy coat. Then she wished herself back again.

  ‘You look lovely,’ he said.

  ‘Wait a minute,’ she said.

  She wished herself away again, and changed into her colourful dress.

  When she wished herself back, he said: ‘Darling, I don’t care what you wear! I love you. Will you marry me?’

  Well, she said she would, and when they had the wedding, her mum was invited. All the people who had been at the party were invited. Everyone had a lovely time.

  When the lady heard how mean the cook had been to Mossycoat, she sent her away, and got someone kinder to work for her instead.

  And I think that was fair, don’t you?

  A TALE FROM ENGLAND

  Once there was a girl called Mary, who worked for a farmer. The farmer used to boast about Mary, ‘She’s not afraid of anything. She would go anywhere, do anything. She’s dauntless, that one!’

  His friend the blacksmith was sure he could think of something that Mary would be too afraid to do. He said, ‘I bet Mary won’t go to the church at midnight and bring back a skull bone from the dead house there.’

  The farmer said, ‘I bet she will!’

  The bet was a golden coin. The blacksmith didn’t want to lose his bet, so he asked the man whose job was digging the graves to hide in the dead house and give Mary a fright.

  The next night, when it was nearly midnight, those two friends asked Mary, ‘Will you go to the church please, and bring us back a skull bone from the dead house? As long as you aren’t too scared …’

  She said, ‘Well, I can’t think what you want an old skull bone for, but I don’t mind going. It’s a nice night for a walk. I’ll get my coat.’

  When she came to the dead house, the gravedigger was hiding inside. Mary picked up a skull, and the gravedigger called out in a ghostly voice, ‘Don’t touch that skull bone. It’s my father’s skull bone.’

  So Mary put it down and picked up another. The ghostly voice came again. ‘Don’t touch that skull bone. It’s my mother’s skull bone.’

  Mary put that one down and picked up another. She was getting annoyed with the ghostly voice, so, before he could call out again, she said, ‘I don’t care if this skull bone belonged to your father or your mother or your sister or your brother. I must have a skull bone and I’m taking this one!’

  Off she went with the skull bone, and she slammed the door of the dead house behind her. The farmer and the blacksmith were surprised to see her come back so quickly.

  The blacksmith asked her, ‘Mary, weren’t you afraid? They say there are ghosts in the dead house.’

  Mary said, ‘Well, there was a silly old ghost, and every time I picked up a skull bone it said, “Don’t touch that skull bone.” But I told it I must have a skull bone, and I brought one home, even though it didn’t like it. I could hear that old ghost moaning and groaning even after I slammed the door and came away.’

  The blacksmith felt worried then. He wondered if the gravedigger was stuck in the dead house. He paid the farmer the golden coin and hurried away.

  Bad news! When he opened the door of the dead house, the gravedigger was flat on the floor. He had fainted in fear. Mary became quite famous after that, as the dauntless girl who wasn’t afraid of anything, even a ghost in the dead house in the middle of the night.

  A young squire who lived not far away heard about Mary. Ever since his old mother died, her ghost had been troubling him: moaning in the bedrooms and groaning in the corridors, appearing in the kitchen and even trying to sit down to dinner with him. She had frightened the servants, and they had all left. The squire had no one to cook or keep house for him.

  He came to see Mary. ‘Would you come to work for me? I’ll pay you extra, because my mother’s ghost might trouble you.’

  ‘I’m not afraid of your mother’s ghost, and your wages are better than I’m getting now. Besides, I don’t like people making bets about me. I’ll get my coat.’

  So Mary went to work in the grand house, and she liked it quite well. The ghost was always drifting around, but Mary made sure she was very polite to it. She laid a place for it at the table every meal time, and made sure that the knives and forks were not crossed, because she knew that would stop the ghost from coming near. She even offered it the dishes of vegetables when she brought them to the table.

  She would ask the ghost, ‘Would you like some pepper, madam? Can I pass you the salt?’

  Things went on like this for a while, until the young squire went away on business. Mary was sweeping the kitchen floor when the door creaked open. Some thin wispy fog squeezed through the gap, and then spread out. It was the old lady’s ghost.

  The ghost had never spoken to anyone before, but it spoke to Mary now. ‘Mary, you’re a good girl and you treat me right. I want to show you something. Open the cellar door and come down there with me … as long as you aren’t too scared. You won’t need a light. I’ll shine for us both.’

  Mary wasn’t scared at all. She opened the cellar door and followed the gleaming ghost down the steep stone steps. ‘Move those bricks in the corner, Mary,’ said the ghost.

  Mary lifted up the bricks and saw two bags hidden underneath them.

  ‘Mary,’ said the ghost, ‘that’s my fortune, that I hid down here. I died before I could tell my son where it was. I’ve been trying to find someone to tell all this time, but you’re the only one who isn’t afraid of me. Give the big bag of gold to my son. You can keep the small one, to thank you for helping me.’

  Then the ghost disappeared. Mary had a hard time finding her way out of the cellar again, without a light to show her the way. But she was dauntless. So she did it.

  When the squire came back, Mary said to him, ‘Sir, I need to show you something. Please come with me.’

  She lit a candle and led him down into the cellar. ‘Your mother showed me this while you were away,’ she said, pointing to the two bags of gold, still lying in the corner. ‘She wants you to have the little bag and me to have the big bag.’

  The squire was a bit surprised that his mother hadn’t given the big bag to him, but he didn’t complain. He lifted up the little bag and Mary took the big bag. They carried them upstairs.

  Mary was rich now, but she liked her work, so she carried on working at the squire’s house. She didn’t want the old ghost to come back, though, and tell the squire that he should have had the big bag. So from then on, she always crossed the knives and forks on the table, to keep the old ghost away, so it couldn’t come back to tell him.

  The ghost never did come back.

  Mary lived happily for the rest of her days, and no one ever troubled her, because everyone knew that she wasn’t afraid of anything.

  A TALE FROM SPAIN

  Once upon a time, a girl and her mother lived in a little house on the edge of a small village in Spain. They were quite poor, but the girl had one treasure. It was a pretty necklace of shells that her mother had given her. She loved to wear it and always took good care of it.

  The girl helped her mother as much as she could. One of her jobs was to go every day to the well in t
he village square to fetch water. The well was deep and the girl didn’t want to lose her necklace in the water when she leaned over with her bucket. She always took it off and laid it carefully on a big stone near the well while she filled her bucket. Then she would put her necklace on again and carry the bucket home.

  On the day that the story begins, the girl was leaning over the well to fill her bucket, when she heard a strange noise. She looked up. A great big hairy monster was stomping into the square! She grabbed her bucket and ran. She ran and she ran until she was nearly home, and then she thought of something terrible!

  She put her hand to her neck. Her necklace wasn’t there! It was still on the stone beside the well.

  She put down her bucket and tried to decide what to do. But she knew there was only one thing to do. She couldn’t lose her necklace. She had to go back.

  At the corner of the square, she peeped carefully round the wall. The monster was sitting on the wall of the well, holding her necklace. When it saw her, it grinned a horrible grin, and held out the necklace.

  Slowly, slowly, she went towards it. When she was almost near enough to reach out and get the necklace, but still too far away for the monster to get her, she stopped.

  She felt very afraid, but she gathered all her courage … suddenly, she rushed forward and grabbed the necklace.

  But the monster grabbed her! Its arms were longer than she had thought. It held her up and looked at her. Its eyes were big and round, like fish eyes. It spoke to her. Its voice was gruff and slobbery. It said, ‘Now I’ve got you, and you will work for me!’

  Before the girl could say a word, the monster stuffed her into a sack and tied up the top. It put the sack on its back and lumbered away from the well. It went as far as the house on the corner and knocked on the door.

  When the door was opened, the girl heard the monster say: ‘I’ve got a singing sack. If my sack sings to you, what will you give me to eat?’

  And someone answered, ‘A singing sack? I’ve never heard of such a thing! If your sack really can sing, I’ll give you some soup.’