So the wedding feast served for their marriage, since the witch-bride, seeing her power was gone, quickly fled the country and was never heard of again.

CATSKIN

Once upon a time there lived a gentleman who owned fine lands and houses, and he very much wanted to have a son to be heir to them.  So when his wife brought him a daughter, though she was bonny as bonny could be, he cared nought for her, and said: 

“Let me never see her face.”

So she grew up to be a beautiful maiden, though her father never set eyes on her till she was fifteen years old and was ready to be married.

Then her father said roughly, “She shall marry the first that comes for her.”  Now when this became known, who should come along and be first but a nasty, horrid old man!  So she didn’t know what to do, and went to the hen-wife and asked her advice.  And the hen-wife said, “Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat of silver cloth.”  Well, they gave her a coat of silver cloth, but she wouldn’t take him for all that, but went again to the hen-wife, who said, “Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat of beaten gold.”  Well, they gave her a coat of beaten gold, but still she would not take the old man, but went again to the hen-wife, who said, “Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat made of the feathers of all the birds of the air.”  So they sent out a man with a great heap of peas; and the man cried to all the birds of the air, “Each bird take a pea and put down a feather.”  So each bird took a pea and put down one of its feathers:  and they took all the feathers and made a coat of them and gave it to her; but still she would not take the nasty, horrid old man, but asked the hen-wife once again what she was to do, and the hen-wife said, “Say they must first make you a coat of catskin.”  Then they made her a coat of catskin; and she put it on, and tied up her other coats into a bundle, and when it was night-time ran away with it into the woods.

Now she went along, and went along, and went along, till at the end of the wood she saw a fine castle.  Then she hid her fine dresses by a crystal waterfall and went up to the castle gates and asked for work.  The lady of the castle saw her, and told her, “I’m sorry I have no better place, but if you like you may be our scullion.”  So down she went into the kitchen, and they called her Catskin, because of her dress.  But the cook was very cruel to her, and led her a sad life.

Well, soon after that it happened that the young lord of the castle came home, and there was to be a grand ball in honour of the occasion.  And when they were speaking about it among the servants, “Dear me, Mrs. Cook,” said Catskin, “how much I should like to go!”

“What!  You dirty, impudent slut,” said the cook, “you go among all the fine lords and ladies with your filthy catskin?  A fine figure you’d cut!” and with that she took a basin of water and dashed it into Catskin’s face.  But Catskin only shook her ears and said nothing.