The Nettle Spinner facts for kids

The Nettle Spinner is a captivating fairy tale that comes from both Flanders (a region in Belgium) and France. It was first written down by a collector named Charles Deulin in his book Contes du roi Cambrinus, where it was called La Fileuse d'orties. Later, a famous writer named Andrew Lang also included this story in his well-known collection, The Red Fairy Book. This tale teaches us about kindness, stubbornness, and the unexpected power of simple actions.

The Cruel Lord and the Kind Countess

Once upon a time, there lived a powerful lord who ruled over many lands. He was so unkind and harsh to the people who worked for him that everyone called him Burchard the Wolf. He treated his peasants unfairly and often took advantage of them.

However, Burchard the Wolf had a wife, the Countess, who was the complete opposite of him. She was very kind-hearted and generous. Whenever her husband did something wrong or hurt someone, she would secretly try to help those people. She was a true friend to the villagers and always looked for ways to do good.

Renelde's Refusal

One day, Burchard the Wolf saw a young peasant woman named Renelde. She was known for her beauty and her strong spirit. The lord, being very arrogant, decided he wanted her to come to his castle. He told Renelde that if she came, he would make her the Countess's personal lady-maid. This was a good offer for a peasant, but Renelde politely refused.

Renelde explained that she could not leave her home because she had to take care of her grandmother. Her grandmother was old and needed her help. Also, Renelde was already promised to marry a brave huntsman named Guilbert, whom she loved very much.

Burchard the Wolf did not give up easily. He came back to Renelde again, offering her an even better position as a lady-in-waiting, which was a higher rank in the castle. Renelde still refused. Finally, he made a shocking offer: he said he would get rid of his wife, the Countess, and marry Renelde himself!

This last offer did not tempt Renelde at all. Even if she had wanted to be a countess, she would never have agreed to such a cruel plan. The Countess had been very kind to Renelde and her grandmother, especially when her grandmother was sick. Renelde felt a strong loyalty to the Countess and would never betray her.

The Nettle Spinning Challenge

Some time later, Burchard the Wolf saw Renelde again. She was busy spinning flax, which is a plant fiber used to make linen cloth. He asked her what she was doing. Renelde told him she was making her wedding dress, also called a wedding shift, because she was finally going to marry Guilbert. She asked for his permission, as was the custom.

Burchard the Wolf was furious that Renelde still planned to marry Guilbert. He decided to punish her with a strange and impossible task. He told her, "You must spin nettles instead! You will make your wedding shift from nettles, and also my burial shroud. You will not marry until I am laid in my grave!"

Nettles are plants with stinging hairs, and spinning them into thread seemed impossible and painful. Guilbert, Renelde's fiancé, was very angry and offered to kill the cruel count. But Renelde refused. She said it would be murder, and besides, the Countess had always been kind to her.

An Unexpected Solution

Renelde's wise grandmother heard about the count's challenge. She suggested that Renelde should actually try to spin the nettles. To everyone's surprise, Renelde found that she could indeed make good, strong thread from the nettles! It was a miracle.

When Burchard the Wolf came by again, Renelde proudly showed him the beautiful shift she had made from nettle thread. She then began working on his shroud, the cloth used to wrap a body for burial. As soon as she started spinning the shroud, Burchard the Wolf began to feel very ill that evening.

The Count's Desperate Attempts

Burchard the Wolf was terrified by Renelde's progress and his own sudden illness. He believed her spinning was causing his sickness. He sent his soldiers to throw Renelde into the river, hoping to stop her. But Renelde was strong and managed to struggle to shore. She immediately went back to spinning her nettles.

Next, the soldiers tried to tie a heavy stone around her neck and throw her into the river again. But the rope magically untied itself, and Renelde once more made it safely to shore. She continued her work.

The Count was now too sick to walk, so he had himself carried to Renelde's small cottage. He tried to shoot her with a gun, but the bullet bounced off harmlessly. He then broke her spinning wheel into pieces, but the very next day, it was magically repaired and ready for use again.

He had Renelde tied up and placed guards around her, but the guards fell asleep, and her bonds untied themselves. In a final act of desperation, he ordered every single nettle plant in his lands to be pulled out of the ground. But instantly, new nettles sprouted everywhere, even inside Renelde's cottage!

The Countess Intervenes

Every day, Burchard the Wolf grew sicker and sicker. The Countess, his kind wife, eventually found out why her husband was so ill. She understood that Renelde's spinning of the shroud was causing his sickness. She went to Renelde and kindly asked her to stop spinning. Renelde, out of respect for the Countess, agreed and stopped her work.

As soon as Renelde stopped spinning, the Count began to recover. He slowly got better, but he was still stubborn. He refused to give Renelde permission to marry Guilbert.

A Long-Awaited Union

A whole year passed, and Guilbert, tired of waiting, eventually left the village. Another year went by, and Burchard the Wolf fell ill again, even though Renelde had not started spinning the nettles again. He grew worse and worse, longing for death to end his suffering, but he could not die.

Then, Burchard the Wolf suddenly realized why he couldn't die: his shroud was not yet finished! He immediately sent a message to Renelde, begging her to prepare it. As Renelde began to spin, weave, and sew the nettle shroud, the Count's pains slowly grew less. When she took the very last stitch, Burchard the Wolf finally died.

Soon after the Count's death, Guilbert returned to the village. He still loved Renelde very much. With the cruel Count gone, there was nothing stopping them. Guilbert and Renelde were finally able to marry and live happily ever after.