At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her
desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house
from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most
beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high
wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an
enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world. One
day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the
garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful
rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed
for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased
every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she
quite pined away and looked pale and miserable. Then her husband was
alarmed, and asked, "What aileth thee, dear wife?" "Ah," she replied,
"if I can't get some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our
house, to eat, I shall die." The man, who loved her, thought, "Sooner
than let my wife die, I will bring her some of the rampion myself,
let it cost me what it will." In the twilight of evening, he clambered
down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily
clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once
made herself a salad of it and ate it with much relish. She, however,
liked it so much, so very much, that the next day she longed for it
three times as much as before, and, if he was to have any rest,
her husband must once more descend into the garden.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250