Introduction
Welcome to my corner! Last week, I shared with you the original "The Three Little Pigs" nursery rhyme. This week, I'm sharing the first part of "Riquet à la houppe" a French fairy tale. It's also known as "Riquet with the Tuft" or "Ricky of the Tuft." At the end, I'll share some of my thoughts.
Riquet with the Tuft
Charles Perrault
Once upon a time, there was a queen who bore a son so ugly and misshapen that for some time it was doubtful if he would have human form at all. But a fairy who was present at his birth promised that he should have plenty of brains, and added that by virtue of the gift which she had just bestowed upon him he would be able to impart to the person whom he should love best the same degree of intelligence which he possessed himself.
This somewhat consoled the poor queen, who was greatly disappointed at having brought into the world such a hideous brat. And indeed, no sooner did the child begin to speak than his sayings proved to be full of shrewdness, while all that he did was somehow so clever that he charmed everyone.
I forgot to mention that when he was born he had a little Tuft of hair upon his head. For this reason he was called ricky of the Tuft, Ricky being his family name.
Some seven or eight years later the queen of a neighboring kingdom gave birth to twin daughters. The first one to come into the world was more beautiful than the dawn, and the queen was so overjoyed that it was feared her great excitement might do her some harm. The same fairy who had assisted at the birth of Ricky of the Tuft was present, and in order to moderate the transports of the queen she declared that this little princess would have no sense at all, and would be as stupid as she was beautiful. The queen was deeply mortified, and a moment or two later her chagrin became greater still, for the second daughter proved to be extremely ugly.
"Do not be distressed, Madam," said the fairy. "Your daughter shall be recompensed in another way. She shall have so much good sense that her lack of beauty will scarcely be noticed."
"May Heaven grant it!" said the queen. "But is there no means by which the elder, who is so beautiful, can be endowed with some intelligence?"
"In the matter of brains I can do nothing for her, Madam," said the fairy, "but as regards beauty I can do a great deal. As there is nothing I would not do to please you, I will bestow upon her the power of making beautiful any person who shall greatly please her."
As the two princesses grew up, their perfections increased, and everywhere the beauty of the elder and the wit of the younger were the subject of common talk.
It is equally true that their defects also increased as they became older. The younger grew uglier every minute, and the elder daily became more stupid. Either she answered nothing at all when spoken to, or replied with some idiotic remark. At the same time she was so awkward that she could not set four china vases on the mantelpiece without breaking one of them, nor drink a glass of water without spilling half of it over her clothes.
Now although the elder girl possessed the great advantage which beauty always confers upon youth, she was nevertheless outshone in almost all company by her younger sister. At first everyone gathered round the beauty to see and admire her, but very soon they were all attracted by the graceful and easy conversation of the clever one. In a very shot time the elder girl would be left entirely alone, while everybody clustered round her sister.
The elder princess was not so stupid that she was not aware of this, and she would willingly have surrendered all her beauty for half her sister's cleverness. Sometimes she was ready to die of grief for the queen, though a sensible woman, could not refrain from occasionally reproaching her for her stupidity.
The princess had retired one day to a wood to bemoan her misfortune, when she saw approaching her an ugly little man, of very disagreeable appearance, but clad in magnificent attire.
This was the young prince Ricky of the Tuft. He had fallen in love with her portrait, which was everywhere to be seen, and had left his father's kingdom in order to have the pleasure of seeing and talking to her.
Delighted to meet her thus alone, he approached with every mark of respect and politeness. But while he paid her the usual compliments he noticed that he was plunged in melancholy.
"I cannot understand, madam," he said, "how anyone with your beauty can be so sad as you appear. I can boast of having seen many fair ladies, and I declare that none of them could compare in beauty with you."
"It is very kind of you to say no, sir," answered the princess; and stopped there, at a loss what to say further.
"Beauty," said Ricky, "is of such great advantage that everything else can be disregarded; and I do not see that the possessor of it can have anything much to grieve about."
To this the princess replied, "I would rather be as plain as you are and have some sense, than be as beautiful as I am and at the same stupid."
"Nothing more clearly displays good sense, madam, than a belief that one is not possessed of it. It follows, therefore, that the more one has, the more one fears it to be wanting."
"I am not sure about that," said the princess; "but I know only too well that I am very stupid, and this is the reason of the misery which is nearly killing me."
"If that is all that troubles you, madam, I can easily put an end to your suffering."
"How will you manage that?" said the princess.
"I am able, madam," said Ricky of the Tuft, "to bestow as much good sense as it is possible to possess on the person whom I love the most. You are that person, and it therefore rests with you to decide whether you will acquire so much intelligence. The only condition is that you shall consent to marry me."
The princess was dumbfounded, and remained silent.
"I can see," pursued Ricky, "that this suggestion perplexes you, and I am not surprised. But I will give you a whole year to make up your mind to it."
To start, I think I should mention that "Riquet with the Tuft" has two versions. The one I shared is the more well-known version by Charles Perrault. His version is actually the second iteration.
The first "Riquet of the Tuft" was published in 1696 by Catherine Bernard. Perrault published his version only a year later in 1697.
Despite having the same name, the stories are a bit different from each other. Perrault's is a tale of love and looking past appearances; whereas Bernard's is a tale of unhappy people who are in a sort of love triangle.
Stay tuned for part two (final) next week! I'll share more of my thoughts as well!
