Fortunée
Encyclopedia
Fortunée or Felicia and the Pot of Pinks is a French literary fairy tale
, written by Madame d'Aulnoy
. Andrew Lang
included it in The Blue Fairy Book.
She went back and kicked the cabbage. It rebuked her, and then said if she would only plant it again, it would tell her what her brother had done with the pinks: hid them in his bed. She replanted it, but did not know how to retrieve the pinks. Then she went to wring the hen's neck in revenge. It told her that she was not the peasant's daughter but a princess. Her mother had already had six daughters, and her husband and father-in-law had threatened to kill her if she did not have a son. Her fairy
sister sent her own baby, a son, to replace her new daughter, but the princess had already fled to this cottage. There she met the hen, who was the labourer's wife. A lady had come, and the woman had told the princess's story, and the lady had turned
her into a hen. The same lady had returned to give the labourer the ring and the pinks, and also to turn into cabbages some of the soldiers sent for the girl. One of those cabbages had spoken to her earlier.
She went to get the pinks and found an army of rats and mice to defend it. She thought of the pitcher, and the water from it dispelled the army. The pinks spoke to her, and she fainted.
Her brother returned and threw her out. The Queen of the Woods offered to avenge her, and she refused, and then refused to claim to be a princess, when she had no evidence. A handsome young man arrived. The queen explained that when she sent her son to her sister, an enemy had taken advantage of it and turn
him into a pot of pinks. She had brought them to this cottage so that he would fall in love with her. If she married him with the ring she had been given, she would be happy.
She made her brother rich and restored the hen and the cabbages. The girl consented to marry the prince.
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...
, written by Madame d'Aulnoy
Madame d'Aulnoy
Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy , also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French writer known for her fairy tales...
. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Blue Fairy Book.
Synopsis
A poor labourer, dying, wished to divide his goods between his son and daughter. Once, a great lady had visited him, and gave him a pot of pinks and a silver ring for his daughter; he left them to her, and two stools, a straw mattress, and a hen, for her brother. Soon after he died, the brother forbad his sister to sit on his stool and ate the eggs the hen laid, giving her only the shells. She went to her own room, which she found filled with a delicious scent from the pinks. She realized they were dry and watered them at the stream. There, she saw a great lady. The queen saw and summoned her. The girl told her that she did not fear robbers because she had nothing to steal; the queen asked whether they could steal her heart; the girl said that without her heart, she would die, which she did fear. The queen fed her. Then she said she had to water her pinks, and found that her pitcher had been turned to gold. The queen told her to remember that the Queen of the Woods was her friend. The girl offered her the pinks as half of what she owned, but when she went back, she found her brother had stolen them. She returned and offered her ring instead.She went back and kicked the cabbage. It rebuked her, and then said if she would only plant it again, it would tell her what her brother had done with the pinks: hid them in his bed. She replanted it, but did not know how to retrieve the pinks. Then she went to wring the hen's neck in revenge. It told her that she was not the peasant's daughter but a princess. Her mother had already had six daughters, and her husband and father-in-law had threatened to kill her if she did not have a son. Her fairy
Fairy
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...
sister sent her own baby, a son, to replace her new daughter, but the princess had already fled to this cottage. There she met the hen, who was the labourer's wife. A lady had come, and the woman had told the princess's story, and the lady had turned
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
her into a hen. The same lady had returned to give the labourer the ring and the pinks, and also to turn into cabbages some of the soldiers sent for the girl. One of those cabbages had spoken to her earlier.
She went to get the pinks and found an army of rats and mice to defend it. She thought of the pitcher, and the water from it dispelled the army. The pinks spoke to her, and she fainted.
Her brother returned and threw her out. The Queen of the Woods offered to avenge her, and she refused, and then refused to claim to be a princess, when she had no evidence. A handsome young man arrived. The queen explained that when she sent her son to her sister, an enemy had taken advantage of it and turn
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
him into a pot of pinks. She had brought them to this cottage so that he would fall in love with her. If she married him with the ring she had been given, she would be happy.
She made her brother rich and restored the hen and the cabbages. The girl consented to marry the prince.
External links
- Felicia and the Pot of Pinks, Lang's version
- Fortunée