Rags and Tatters ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
A KING WHO WAS LYING ON HIS DEATHBED called his only son to come to him.
"Son," he said, "you shall be King after me. Your three sisters have no one but you to look after them. When it is time for them to marry, this is what you must do. There is no need to go about seeking great princes far away to be their husbands. You know that rose tree that grows in the palace garden and flowers all year around? Pluck a rose from it and throw it into the street. Whoever shall pick it up shall have your eldest sister for his wife. Do the same for your second sister. And the same for your third."
The son was stunned. "Father," he said, "why going about it in such a random manner? It makes no sense." It was the custom of the time for young princes and princesses to meet and see if they liked each other. If so, it was hoped they would fall in love and want to marry.
"I am still King of this land!" said his father with sudden anger. Then his head dropped down onto his pillow. "I demand that you agree." The son dare not tire out the sick man any longer, and so he gave his word.
"I am still King of this land!" said his father with sudden anger.
When it was time for the eldest sister to marry, her brother told her of their father's command. "I never heard of anything so ridiculous!" she cried. "I have to marry whoever happens to picks up a rose that's thrown on the street?" Her brother agreed it was random and hard to swallow, but what could they do? The Princess was stunned. "I would rather not marry at all." Still, she knew that it was the duty of a princess to marry.
The Prince, who had become King when the old King died, plucked a rose from the rose tree in the palace garden as instructed. He threw it into the street and told the sentry at the palace door to watch who should pick it up. Whoever it was must be sent to the royal chamber. Soon there came walking along a fine young count, splendidly dressed, with a jeweled sword by his side, and a manner brave and jolly. He saw the rose, picked it up and stuck it in his velvet cap.
"The King demands to speak with you!" said the sentry, stepping forward. The count, anxious, entered the palace, and bowed low before the King, worrying what he may have done wrong.
"The King demands to speak with you!" said the sentry, stepping forward.
Said the King: "You have been chosen as the husband of my eldest sister!" The count could not believe his luck. The Princess, on the other hand, was in despair. "A count - not a King or even a Prince?" However the Princess watched the count carefully. She thought, "It could be worse. I've met many a Prince who did not have such a pleasant, graceful manner. This young man is young and appealing. I can see where he would make me laugh. I could have fared much worse." And so she married the count.
A couple of years later, it was time for the second princess to marry. She found the whole concept as ridiculous as her elder sister. Her brother reminded her of their father's command. Besides, her older sister seemed happy with her match so who knows? she might be as lucky.
The brother plucked a rose, threw it out in the street, and asked the sentry to watch who should pick it up. By and by, a rich merchant came along, a grave, serious, solid and dignified man. He saw the rose, looked at it as if it were a pity such a pretty thing should be wasted, picked it up, dusted it off, and placed it neatly in the button-hole of his fine cloth doublet.
The brother plucked a rose, threw it out in the street, and asked the sentry to watch who should pick it up.
"The King desires to speak with you," said the sentry, stepping forward.
"A great honor, indeed!" replied the merchant. "I will attend to His Majesty without delay." He entered the palace and was astonished to hear the King's unexpected, glorious news. "How can this be?" objected the merchant. "I'm not even a nobleman. Surely the princess would marry a much greater man than I."
"This is her father's wish," said the King. And so the matter was settled.
Like her elder sister, the Princess wasn't entirely apprehensive. "He may not be of royal blood," she had to admit at last, "but he seems honest, hard-working and serious. Not a joker as so many men are, including those at court. While he's not a very young man, he's not that old either, and has a way about him that's appealing. I might have fared worse." And so the second Princess married the merchant and went to his new home to live.
At last came the turn of Julietta, the youngest princess. For her, the older brother did as for her two older sisters. He plucked a rose, threw it into the street, and told the sentry to watch who should pick it up, and send him in. Now, who should come by but a poor lame water-carrier! Such an ugly, dirty little man! He saw the rose, picked it up, and put it to his nose to draw in the sweet fragrance.
Now, who should come by but a poor lame water-carrier!
The sentry stepped forward. He said to the water-carrier, "The King desires to speak with you!"
The water-carrier sadly looked at his tattered clothes and ragged sandals. To be seen before the the King in such a state! But when the King commands... He slunk up the marble steps and entered the palace.
"You picked up the rose?" said the King, eyeing him in dismay.
"Yes, Sire! But please have mercy on me Sire, I meant no harm by it!"
"Then it is foretold that you must marry my youngest sister, the Princess Julietta."
"What?" the water-carrier called out in alarm. "No doubt Your Majesty makes a mockery of me."
"Not at all!" And the beggar was told of the old King's dying command.
"Yet how can it be? I am a poor wretch who can scarcely feed her. As you see my leg is lame -- and I'm ugly! Such a match must be impossible!"
"Such a match must be impossible!"
"If only it were," said the King. "Yet this is how things must be."
The poor man sighed. "Well, if it must be, then at least please do not send any dowry with her. It would only make it worse for her to have fine things in the poor home where she will have to live."
The grief of the poor young Julietta was heartrending. Her brother wept too, and it was a miserable wedding. It was no comfort that the two older sisters seemed contented enough. But there was nothing to be done about it, and Julietta went away with her water-carrier to his shabby hut on the hill.
On the way all the people who saw them cried, "Look! there goes the Princess with that Rags-and-Tatters!" Home she went to the miserable place, to live there with her new husband, Rags-and-Tatters, and his old crone of a mother.
"This is no place for such fine clothes," sneered the old woman. She gave Julietta a rough dress to wear and wooden shoes, and made her scour and wash and bake and darn, and tend to her husband's lame leg. There was only the coarsest food to eat -- and little enough of that.
"This is no place for such fine clothes," sneered the old woman.
Poor Julietta wept and wept, and could not be comforted. Rags-and-Tatters, though he did not want so fine a wife, was full of pity for her. But what could he do?
The only time she had any joy was when she was asleep. Then she dreamed beautiful dreams. One night she dreamt she was in a grand palace, warm and light and spacious. She wore lovely clothes and jewels in her hair, and the tables were spread with delicious things to eat. She sat down at the table with friends dressed as beautifully as she. Everyone laughed and shared light conversation. When she woke up, she told her husband all about it. But Rags-and-Tatters shook his head and said, "A dream is but a dream, my wife. It must be hard for you to remember such fine memories. It's probably best if you think no more of this."
When she woke up, she told her husband all about it.
"Julietta!" snapped the old woman. "The fire won't kindle itself. Get on it!"
Some weeks later, Julietta dreamt the same dream again. She told her husband about it in the morning.
"It's best you forget these dreams," he said. "I'm afraid it only makes it harder for you here."
"Girl!" snapped the old woman, pointing to the wash tub. "Get started."
That very night, Julietta was back in the beautiful palace of her dreams, with servants to wait on her and jeweled clothes to wear. Again the banquet was rich and splendid, the flowers were rare and fragrant, the music soft and pleasant. As they were rising from the table someone looked up at the golden ceiling. There in the hole a little man was gazing downward. "Look!" cried a guest at the table. "There's Rags-and-Tatters!" She felt embarrassed that he might come to her royal court in all his rages. In the twinkling of an eye, the dream vanished and the Princess was sitting up in her bed by the hearth in the hut on the hill, clad in her old sleeping frock.
She moaned to her husband over all she had lost and left behind. In his heart he really felt very sorry for her. "I wish it were different for you here, my wife," he said softly. "But we have no choice but to make the best of things, isn't that so?"
"I wish it were different for you here, my wife," he said softly.
For weeks and weeks she wept every day. One night, she dreamt once more of the beautiful palace. As soon as Rags-and-Tatters was recognized and his name was called out, she felt the same unease and the entire dream disappeared, as before. The next night she was back in the lovely palace again, richly clad, and with servants to wait on her. The banquet was more splendid than ever. But this time, before they sat down, in her dream the Princess Julietta spoke to her assembled guests.
"Make merry, my friends," she said. "Only one thing is forbidden. Let none of you breathe the name," -- and then she whispered -- "of Rags-and-Tatters!"
They all sat down, ate, drank and made merry, and charming music sounded all about them the while. One of the guests looked up at the hole in the golden roof. There again, the little man was gazing down on them all. It was just on the tip of his tongue to cry out, "Look! There's Rags-and-Tatters!" but he caught himself just in time. The Princess herself looked up and saw the figure in the hole in the roof. At once, a sudden ray of fondness lit up her heart.
At once, a sudden ray of fondness lit up her heart.
"Poor man!" she whispered. "What a good fellow he is, and how I sadden him with my complaints! He has been more gentle and caring with me than anyone I have ever known. Why, if Rags & Tatters were down here in the midst of this feast with me I would enjoy it so much more!"
And then -- did the lights, the music, the flowers and the guests, the palace and everything, disappear as before? Not at all! At the end of the banquet hall appeared two thrones of gold. On one of them sat a fair young Prince, clad in velvet and jewels. His hair shone like the sun, and his eyes were of hyacinth blue, and his smile gladdened the heart of everyone.
While the guests stood in amazement, the Prince rose and said, "Welcome! My wife has entertained you while I have been away. You will not be less merry, I hope, now that I have come home!" He drew the Princess Julietta forward and placed her on the throne by his side. They danced and sang and were joyous till the stars faded and daylight streamed through the windows of the hall.
For Rags-and-Tatters was not Rags-and-Tatters at all, but Prince Florio, the son of the King of Portugal. A wicked enchantress had cast a spell on the young Prince because his father, the king of Portugal, had banished the witch from his land. The spell the enchantress had cast reduced the Prince to a hideous appearance, clothed only by old and dirty rags. The spell would last until a Princess would love him and in his humble rags more than the fineries of a royal court. The witch knew that would never happen and her spell was safe.
The spell the enchantress had cast reduced the Prince to a hideous appearance, clothed only by old and dirty rags.
Yet Julietta had broken the spell when she longed for Rags-and-Tatters in the midst of her splendor, with his rags and tatters and all.
And what of his old mother? Why, she was not his real mother at all, but the wicked enchantress herself! Night after night, the crone had planted dreams in the Princess of finery and lost glory. The following day, she delighted in mocking the Prince when it was obvious that the Princess had thought nothing of the Prince during her dream. For if she had, of course the spell would have been broken by morning.
Prince Florio and Princess Julietta went home in triumph to Portugal where their love only deepened as the years went by.
Discussion Questions:
Question 1: Why did Julietta's feelings toward Rags-and-Tatters change when she saw him looking down through the hole in the roof?
Question 2: Is there someone you didn't like when first you met, but the more time you spent with that person, the more you liked him or her?
Q1 – Maybe because she felt alone, she wanted to be next to him.
Q2 – Yes my classmate #######