The Boiling Pot

Maud Baker, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Once Cinderella and her godmother lived together, and godmother told her there was a certain room in the house that she wasn’t to enter at all. One day while godmother was out, Cinderella said she must see what was in that room. After going there, she was extra frightened to meet up a large pot boiling with blood and no fire underneath. When godmother came back, she found out that Cinderella had gone into the room. Calling her to her, she told her that she must tell her the truth now; when she went into the seventh chamber, what did she see? Cinderella replied, “Dear Godmother, I saw nothing and nothing shall I talk until my dying day!” She asked her the same question again, and Cinderella repeated the same answer. Then she was so annoyed that she took Cinderella into a deep wood about ten miles away and asked again, “Cinderella, when you went into the seventh chamber, what did you see?” The girl again repeated, “Dear Godmother, I saw nothing and nothing shall I talk until my dying day!” The godmother threatened to cut out her tongue if she wouldn’t tell her the truth, but she kept saying the same as before, so then the godmother was so annoyed she cut out her tongue and left her there weeping extra.

Well, after a day passed, there was a king travelling through the woods and he saw this lovely little girl. And she was stripped naked and still weeping. The king asked her what she was doing there and she couldn’t tell at all, only cry. And the king took his silk handkerchief, wrapped her up and took her home with him. Some time after, the girl had a boy child for the king. The godmother heard of it all right, and when the ninth night came, godmother came in and stole away the baby and put a cat in the bed. When the king got up and saw the cat, and asked what she had done with the baby, she couldn’t tell, only weep all the time. Some time after, she had a girl baby. When the nine nights went round again, the goddie went to the bed, took the baby and put a big block of rotten wood in the bed. And the king was again amazed, asked her what she had done with his baby and she couldn’t tell, only cry. Well, the king threatened to imprison her for his two babies, but seeing her so fretful and pitiful, he gave her a chance. Some time after, she had a boy baby again. After the nine days came round again, they put up soldiers to keep guard in the room and all outside and round about the yard, and at the gate soldiers with guns and bayonets. And godmother came in and took away the baby and plastered up the mother’s mouth and everywhere in the bed with blood. So when the morning awoke now, the king believed that the girl had been eating all his babies, and he advertised around the country that she was to be hung on such a day.

Well, after the day came around, all the high men gathered at the place to see her hung. After the sentence was passed and she was about to receive her death, some one called to them they must stop because some nobleman was coming. And they spied afar off one of the most beautifulest carriages glittering in the sun. So they waited until the carriage came, and it was that old godmother with the three children grown to a big size. And she came in and put the two boys on the king’s leg and the girl in the middle, and put in the girl’s tongue, and she was able to talk for herself now. Also, the godmother got a good sum of money from the king for the good care she had taken of the three children; and instead of sorrow, they had a merry day. And the king went home and married the girl and they lived very happily after that.