The Story of Juan del Mundo de Austria and the Princess Maria.

There was once a king who had three very beautiful daughters, Princess

Clara, Princess Catalina, and Princess Maria.

This king was sick for a long time with a dreadful disease, and

although he spent much money on medicines and doctors he was only

worse instead of better.

At last he sent word to all his people proclaiming that whoever would

cure him might have one of the princesses to marry.

After several days one of the heralds returned, saying he had met

a snake who inquired if the king would give his daughter to a snake

to wife if he were cured. The king called his daughters and asked if

they would be willing to marry a snake.

Said Princess Clara, "I will be stung by a snake till I am dead before

I give my virginity to a snake." Said Princess Catalina, "I may be

beaten to death with sticks, but I will not give my virginity to a

snake." Said Princess Maria, "Father, so you be but well, I care

not what becomes of me. If a snake can cure you, I am willing to

marry him."

So the king's message was carried to the snake, and the king was made

well. The snake and the princess were married, and set off through

the forest together. After a long journey they came to a house in the

forest, and there the snake and the beautiful Maria lived together

many days. But the snake, being very wise, saw that the princess ate

little and cried very much, and asked her why it was so. She told

him that it was hard for her to live with a snake. "Very well," said

the snake, and went into a house near by; after a little there came

out a handsome man with silken clothes, and rings on his fingers,

who told her that he was her husband, that he was known among men as

Don Juan del Mundo de Austria, and that he was king of all the beasts,

being able to take the form of any of them at will.

They passed many happy days together till the time came for the great

feast at the court of Princess Maria's father. Don Juan told her that

she might go, but that she must on no account tell his name or rank,

otherwise when she came to their trysting-place by the seashore she

would not find him. He gave her a magic ring by means of which she

might obtain anything she wanted, and left her close to her own city.

When she arrived at home her sisters were greatly surprised to see

her looking well, happy, and much more finely dressed than when she

went away, but her father was very glad to see her. The elder sisters

often asked her the secret of her husband's identity, but her answer

was always the same, "Did you not both see that I married a snake? Who

else could it be." The wicked women then determined to make her tell,

whether she wished or not, and so they asked her to walk with them

in a secluded garden.

Then they took sticks and set upon her, beating her and telling her

that she must tell who her husband was. The poor little princess

defended herself a long time, saying that if she told she would never

see him again, but finally, when she was nearly dead from beating,

she told them that her husband was Don Juan de Austria. Then she was

beaten for not telling the truth, but her tormentors finally desisted

and she went to her father and told him all.

He did not wish her to return to the forest and begged her to remain

with him, but she insisted.

When she arrived at the trysting-place, Don Juan was not there, but

she set out bravely, asking of her ring whatever she needed for food,

drink, and clothing. Wherever she went she inquired of the beasts

and birds the whereabouts of her husband, Don Juan de Austria, and,

when they knew who she was, they worshipped her and did all that

was required.

After many days of wandering she came to a place where there was a

giant, who was about to eat her, but when he knew her for Don Juan's

wife he worshipped her and sent her on her way. Soon she was found by

a young giantess who, too, was about to eat her, but when she learned

that Maria was the wife of Don Juan she carried her to her own house

and hid her, saying that she must be cared for a while until her

parents should return, for they might eat her without asking who she

was. When the old giant and his wife came back, they told her that

she must stay with them for a while, until they could find out about

the whereabouts of Don Juan, when they would help her further.

They were very good to her, for, said they, "Don Juan is not only

king of the animals but of the giants and monsters of every kind."

Then the giants took her to Don Juan's city and found her a place in

the house of an old childless couple, and there she made her home. But

Don Juan had taken another wife, the Lady Loriana, and the new wife saw

the old and desired her for a servant. So the Princess Maria became

a servant of her rival, and often sat in old rags under the stairs

at her work, while her faithless husband passed her without seeing her.

The poor girl was torn with jealousy and spent much time thinking

about how she might win her husband again. So she asked the ring for

a toy in the form of a beautiful little chick, just from the egg.

The Lady Loriana saw the pretty toy and begged for it. "No," said

Maria, "unless you grant me a little favor, that I may sleep on the

floor to-night in your room." So Loriana, suspecting no deceit, agreed.

That night Maria wished on her ring that Loriana might be overcome with

sleep, and again that her own rags might be transformed into royal

raiment and that her tiara should glitter on her forehead. Then she

went to the head of the bed and called Don Juan. At first he would

not answer, then, without turning to look at the speaker, he bade

her go away, as his wife would be angry. "But that is not your wife,

Don Juan," said Maria; "I am your true wife, Maria. Look at my dress

and the jewels on my forehead--my face, the ring on my finger." And

Don Juan saw that she was indeed the deserted wife, and after he had

heard the sad story of her wanderings he loved her afresh. The next day

at noon-time Maria was not to be found, although Dona Loriana looked

everywhere. At last she looked into Don Juan's room, and there, locked

in each other's arms fast asleep, were Don Juan and Princess Maria.

Loriana aroused them, angrily saying to Maria, "Why do you wish

to steal my husband? You must leave this house at once." But Maria

resisted saying, "No, he is not your husband but mine, and I will

not give him up." And so they quarrelled long and bitterly, but at

last agreed to be judged by the council.

There each told her story, and Maria showed Don Juan's enchanted ring,

which worked its wonders for her but would not obey the Lady Loriana.

When the matter was decided, it was the judgment of all, including

the Archbishop, that Maria was the lawful wife, but that she and Don

Juan must go away and never return.

So Don Juan and the Princess Maria went away and lived long and

happily.

The Sad Story of Juan and Maria

Juan and Maria were orphans. When Juan was about eight years old and Maria was about four their father died. The mother went into the hemp fields to earn a living for her family by stripping the fibre from the hemp, which is very hard work, so hard that she died worn out in a month or two afterward.

Juan and Maria were then taken into the family of an uncle, their mother's brother, and little Juan began to work for his little sister's and his own living, by transplanting the tender shoots of the banana. Maria often accompanied him, as the children were much attached to each other. One day when they were out in the field Maria saw a beautiful bird which seemed very tame and tried to catch it, but the bird ran into the woods, and although she could come very close to it she could not catch it. On and on she went until she was almost ready to drop, her tiny feet leaving no trace, but still she followed the bird. Just at night she saw an old man with a very kind face, who came toward her, and putting the bird under one arm and taking Maria on his shoulder, he set off toward his house, which did not seem to be very far off. Arriving there he said to his wife, "See, wife, what good fortune I have had today." Seeing the child, his wife threw up her hands in thanksgiving and cried, "Thanks be to God, we have a child at last in our old age."

Poor Juan, torn with fear, hunted the woods for days, but could not find his little sister. Convinced at last that his search was hopeless, he went home and worked hard and in a few years became a rich man. Then he began to consider where he could find a suitable wife. It was told him that there was an old couple beyond three ranges of mountains who had a beautiful daughter, and to her he determined to go.

Maria had likewise grown up, and now she was the most beautiful damsel in many days' journey. When Juan set out on his search, it was to the house of Maria's foster parents that he was bound.

Arriving there, he called to those within, "Honorable people," and the old man said, "Come in;" but Juan remained without until the third invitation. Passing within, he likewise would not sit down till he had been asked three times.

Seating himself on a bench, he told the old man that he had come to marry his daughter, and the old man told him he might if he could show that he had enough money. As Juan was rich, this did not take long to do, and after a few days Juan and Maria were married, not knowing their relationship. They lived happily together, and a daughter was born to them. This child, like her mother, was very beautiful.

One day, as the little girl was playing by the river, a crab came to the edge of the water and said,--

"Beautiful art thou,

More beautiful than any other,

But thou art the child

Of sister and brother."

Horrified, the child ran to her mother, and then the parents began to talk over the events of their childhood and found that they were indeed sister and brother.

They went to Maria's foster father to ask what they must do, and he told them they must live apart; and then they went to the archbishop, who told them that they might live lawfully together, as the sacrament of marriage was above all, but, after much thought, they decided that they must live apart, and Maria went back to her foster father.

Thus by a sinless crime were their lives saddened forever.