Father Roquelaure
Encyclopedia
Father Roquelaure is a French fairy tale
collected by Achille Millien.
It is a type 516 tale in the Aarne-Thompson
classification system. Others of this type are Trusty John
and The Raven
.
. Emilien confides in a trusted servant, Jean, and after Jean makes secret preparations, they set out to find the princess. They take turns keeping watch at night.
While the prince sleeps, Jean hears voices talking. One is of Father Roquelaure, who tells how Prince Emilien's task of finding the princess will be hard. He will have to rub the wheels with moss to cross a river with no bridge, which will create a bridge; he will have to offer the fairy a distaff with diamonds and then give her a sleeping potion
; when he takes the princess, his horses will refuse to go on, and he will have to refuse offers from coachmen with horses and carriages and instead dash them to pieces; when the princess becomes thirsty and vendors offer to sell her drinks, the drinks will be poison and he will have to dash them to the ground; they will come upon a drowning man, and the prince will have to push him back into the water rather than rescue him; finally, he will have to rub the wheels with moss again. And if he repeats any of the things he has just been told, Jean will turn to stone.
Throughout their journey, Jean tells Emilien to trust him and implements Father Roquelaure's words. His actions so frighten the princess that she tells Emilien that if he loved her, he would imprison Jean. After they return home and marry, Emilien demands that Jean explain his actions or be imprisoned. Jean finally explains and is turned to stone. The prince is deeply grieved. Within a year, the princess has a son, whom the prince wishes to name Jean in honor of his servant. A poor old woman comes to the christening feast, and so that no one will be unhappy there, he gives her a place and food to eat. She tells them that if they kill their baby, his blood will restore Jean. The prince kills the baby, and the blood brings Jean back to life. The old woman produces a magic wand
and revives the baby. The princess realizes that she is the fairy who had kept her in the tower, and begs her pardon. The fairy tells her to be happy.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Achille Millien.
It is a type 516 tale in the Aarne-Thompson
Aarne-Thompson classification system
The Aarne–Thompson classification system is a system for classifying folktales. First developed by Antti Aarne and published in 1910, it was translated and enlarged by Stith Thompson...
classification system. Others of this type are Trusty John
Trusty John
Trusty John, Faithful John, Faithful Johannes, or John the True is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 6, and by Joseph Jacobs in his European Folk and Fairy Tales. Andrew Lang included it in The Blue Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson type 516. Others of this type are...
and The Raven
The Raven (Italian fairy tale)
The Raven is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone. The story is a man winning a bride for his brother the king, and then having to protect the couple from perils that he can not tell anyone about, without being turned to stone.It is...
.
Synopsis
A widowed queen urges her son, Emilien, to marry, but he does not. She dies. One day, he sees a portrait of the Princess Emilienne and falls in love. The portrait painter tells him that the princess is kept confined in a tower by a fairyFairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
. Emilien confides in a trusted servant, Jean, and after Jean makes secret preparations, they set out to find the princess. They take turns keeping watch at night.
While the prince sleeps, Jean hears voices talking. One is of Father Roquelaure, who tells how Prince Emilien's task of finding the princess will be hard. He will have to rub the wheels with moss to cross a river with no bridge, which will create a bridge; he will have to offer the fairy a distaff with diamonds and then give her a sleeping potion
Potion
A potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
; when he takes the princess, his horses will refuse to go on, and he will have to refuse offers from coachmen with horses and carriages and instead dash them to pieces; when the princess becomes thirsty and vendors offer to sell her drinks, the drinks will be poison and he will have to dash them to the ground; they will come upon a drowning man, and the prince will have to push him back into the water rather than rescue him; finally, he will have to rub the wheels with moss again. And if he repeats any of the things he has just been told, Jean will turn to stone.
Throughout their journey, Jean tells Emilien to trust him and implements Father Roquelaure's words. His actions so frighten the princess that she tells Emilien that if he loved her, he would imprison Jean. After they return home and marry, Emilien demands that Jean explain his actions or be imprisoned. Jean finally explains and is turned to stone. The prince is deeply grieved. Within a year, the princess has a son, whom the prince wishes to name Jean in honor of his servant. A poor old woman comes to the christening feast, and so that no one will be unhappy there, he gives her a place and food to eat. She tells them that if they kill their baby, his blood will restore Jean. The prince kills the baby, and the blood brings Jean back to life. The old woman produces a magic wand
Wand
A wand is a thin, straight, hand-held stick of wood, stone, ivory, or metal. Generally, in modern language, wands are ceremonial and/or have associations with magic but there have been other uses, all stemming from the original meaning as a synonym of rod and virge, both of which had a similar...
and revives the baby. The princess realizes that she is the fairy who had kept her in the tower, and begs her pardon. The fairy tells her to be happy.