Bushy Bride facts for kids
Bushy Bride (which means "Buskebrura" in Norwegian) is a classic Norwegian fairy tale. It was collected by famous storytellers Asbjørnsen and Moe. This tale is known as Aarne-Thompson type 403, called "The Black and the White Bride." It was also included in Andrew Lang's popular collection, the Red Fairy Book.
The Story of Bushy Bride
This fairy tale begins with a widower who had a son and a daughter. He married a widow who also had a daughter. Sadly, the new stepmother was very unkind to her stepchildren. She treated them so badly that the boy eventually left home.
Magical Gifts and Curses
One day, the stepmother sent her own stepdaughter to a pool to fetch water. At the pool, three mysterious heads appeared from the water. Each head asked the girl to wash, brush, and then kiss it. The kind girl did exactly as they asked.
Because of her kindness, the heads spoke among themselves and gave her wonderful gifts. They declared she would become the most beautiful woman in the world. Gold would fall from her hair every time she brushed it. And whenever she spoke, gold would drop from her mouth.
When the stepsister saw these amazing gifts, she wanted them too. So, she went to the pool. But she was very rude to the three heads. Because of her unkindness, they gave her terrible curses. Her nose became four ells long, and she grew a snout three ells long. A pine-bush even grew on her forehead! Worst of all, ashes would fall from her mouth every time she spoke.
The King's Promise
Meanwhile, the stepson who had left home found work as a groom for the king. Every day, he would secretly look at a picture of his sister. He would pray for her safety and happiness. Other grooms noticed this and told the king.
The king insisted on seeing the picture. He was amazed by the sister's beauty. The king declared that no woman could be so lovely. He decided right away that he wanted to marry her.
The brother then went to fetch his sister. The stepmother and her own daughter insisted on coming along. As they traveled by sea, the brother kept calling out to his sister. The wicked stepmother convinced the sister to throw away a special casket and a dog her own mother had left her. Then, the stepmother even persuaded the sister to throw herself overboard into the sea!
The Truth Comes Out
The king was shocked when he saw the stepsister with the pine-bush and long nose. He thought this was his promised bride. Even though he was upset, he felt he had to keep his word and marry her. He was so angry that he threw the brother into a snake pit.
Later, a beautiful woman secretly came into the kitchen. She brushed her hair, and gold fell out. She sang a sad song about the wickedness of the Bushy Bride. She said she would come two more times. A kitchen maid told the king about this mysterious woman.
The next night, the Bushy Bride sang the king to sleep, so he couldn't meet the woman. On the third night, the king set two men to keep him awake. But they also fell asleep. As the beautiful woman turned to leave, saying she would never return, the men put a knife in the king's hand. They guided his hand to cut her finger. This act broke the spell and woke the king.
The king immediately rescued the brother from the snake pit. The snakes had not harmed him at all! Then, the king threw the wicked stepmother and the Bushy Bride into the snake pit instead. Finally, the king married the true, beautiful bride.
