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This
is the Scottish version of Cinderella.
Rashie Coat
was a king’s
daughter, and her father wanted her to be married; but she didna like
the man. Her father said she had to tak him; and she didna ken what to
do. Sae she gaed awa’ to the hen-wife to speer what she should do.
And the hen-wife said: ‘Say ye winna tak him unless they gie ye a
coat o’ the beaten gowd.’ Weel, they ga’e her a coat o’ the
beaten gowd; but she didna want to tak him for a’ that. Sae she gaed
to the hen-wife again, and the hen-wife said: ‘Say ye winna tak him
unless they gie ye a coat made o’ the feathers o’ a’ the birds o’
the air.’ Sae the king sent a man wi’ a great heap o’
corn; and the man cried to a’ the birds o’ the air: ‘Ilka bird
tak up a pea and put down a feather; ilka bird tak up a pea and put
down a feather.’ Sae ilka bird took up a pea and put down a feather
and they took a’ the feathers and made a coat o’ them, and ga’e
it to Rashiecoat; but she didna want to tak him for a’ that. Weel,
she gaed to the hen-wife again, and speered what she should do; and
the hen-wife said: ‘Say ye winna tak him unless they gie ye a coat o’
rashes and a pair o’ slippers.’ Weel, they ga’e her a coat o’
rashes and a pair o’ slippers; but she didna want to tak him for a’
that. Sae she gaed to the hen-wife again, and the hen-wife said she
couldna help her ony mair.
Weel, she left her
father’s hoose, and gaed far, and far, and farer nor I can tell; and
she cam to a king’s hoose, and she gaed in till’t. And they
speered at her what she was seeking, and she said she was seeking
service; and they ga’e her service and set her into the kitchen to
wash the dishes, and tak oot the aise, and a’ that. And whan the
Sabbath-day cam, they a’ gaed to the kirk, and left her at hame to
cook the dinner. And there was a fairy cam to her, and telt her to put
on her coat o’ the beaten gowd, and gang to the kirk. And she said
she couldna gang, for she had to cook the dinner; and the fairy telt
her to gang, and she would cook the dinner for her. And she said
'Aw peat gar anither
peat burn,
Ae spit gar anither spit turn,
Ae pat gar anither pat play,
Let Rashie-coat gang to the kirk the day.’
Sae Rashie—coat put on her coat o’
the beaten gowd, and gaed awa’ to the kirk. And the king’s son
fell in love wi’ her; but she cam hame afore the kirk scaled, and he
couldna find oot wha she was. And whan she cam hame she faund the
dinner cookit, and naebody kent she had been oot.
Weel, the niest
Sabbath-day, the fairy cam again, and telt her to put on the coat o’
feathers o’ a’ the birds o’ the air, an’ gang to the kirk, and
she would cook the dinner for her. Weel, she put on the coat o’
feathers, and gaed to the kirk. And she cam oot afore it scaled; and
when the king’s son saw her gaun oot, he gaed oot too; but he
couldna find oot wha she was. And she got hame, and took aff the coat
o’ feathers, and faund the dinner cookit, and naebody kent she had
been oot.
And the niest
Sabbath-day, the fairy cam till her again, and telt her to put on the
coat o’ rashes and the pair o’ slippers, and gang to the kirk
again. Aweel, she did it a’; and this time the king’s son sat near
the door, and when he saw Rashie-coat slippin’ oot afore the kirk
scaled, he slippit oot too and grippit her. And she got awa’ frae
him, and ran hame; but she lost ane o’ her slippers, and he took it
up. And he gared cry through a’ the country, that onybody that could
get the slipper on, he would marry them. Sae a’ the leddies o’ the
court tried to get the slipper on, and it wadna fit nane o’ them.
And the auld hen-wife cam and fush her dochter to try and get it on,
and she nippit her fit, and clippit her fit, and got it on that way.
Sae the king’s son was gaun to marry her. And he was takin’ her
awa’ to marry her, ridin’ on a horse, an’ her ahint him; and
they cam to a wood, and there was a bird sittin on a tree, and as they
gaed by, the bird said:
‘Nippit fit and
clippit fit
Ahint the king’s son rides
But bonny fit and pretty fit
Ahint the caudron hides.’
And when the king’s
son heard this, he flang aff the hen-wife’s dochter, and cam hame
again, and lookit ahint the caudron, and there he faund Rashie-coat
greetin’ for her slipper. And he tried her fit wi’ the slipper,
and it gaed on fine. Sae he married her.
AND THEY LIVED
HAPPY AND HAPPY,
AND NEVER DRANK OOT O’ A DRY CAPPY.
Click here to listen to this in Real Audio
read by Marilyn P Wright
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