Princess Alleriauh Story
There was once upon a time a king who had a wife with golden
hair, and she was so beautiful that her equal was not to be found on earth. It
came to pass that she lay ill, and as she felt that she must soon die, she
called the king and said, if you wish to marry again after my death, take no
one who is not quite as beautiful as I am, and who has not just such golden
hair as I have, this you must promise me. And after the king had promised her
this she closed her eyes and died.
For a long time the king could not be comforted, and had no
thought of taking another wife. At length
his Councillors said, this cannot go on.
The king must marry again, that we may have a queen. And now messengers were sent about far and
wide, to seek a bride who equaled the late queen in beauty. In the whole world, however, none was to be
found, and even if one had been found, still there would have been no one who
had such golden hair. So the messengers
came home as they went.
Now the king had a daughter, who was just as beautiful as
her dead mother, and had the same golden hair.
When she was grown up the king looked at her one day, and saw that in
every respect she was like his late wife, and suddenly felt a violent love for
her. Then he spoke to his Councillors, I
will marry my daughter, for she is the counterpart of my late wife, otherwise I
can find no bride who resembles her.
When the Councillors heard that, they were shocked, and said, God has
forbidden a father to marry his daughter.
No good can come from such a crime, and the kingdom will be involved in
the ruin.
