The Girl with Golden Teeth
There was a woman whose teeth were all of gold. Before she died she made her husband
promise that he would never marry again unless someone with gold teeth.
For many years he remained with his daughter. Then he wanted to marry again, and looked
everywhere for someone with gold teeth, but could not find one.
On a day he came to a house, and there he found a well-dressed gentleman and told him
what he sought. The gentleman said, "You have such an one in your own house. Go and
marry her."
When the daughter heard this she ran to her godmother, and asked her what she should
do. The godmother told her to tell her father that she would marry him if he got her a
gown covered with suns. The father did not know how to manage this, but he went to his
adviser and told him what was wanted. The gentleman said, "Oh! is that all?" and
gave him the gown. The father returned to his daughter, and gave her the frock.
The girl ran off crying to her godmother, who this time told her to ask for a gown
covered with stars. The same thing happened. The third time the godmother told her to ask
for a gown covered with rings, and the fourth time for a gown all dirty and made of flea
skins.
Her father still sought to marry her, and again she went crying to her godmother, who
this time said that the only thing left for her to do was to put on all four gowns, the
one of flea skins on top, dye her hair white, and run far away. All this she did, and at
last found herself in the middle of a thick forest. She could not find her way, and was
much frightened when large dogs rushed up, barking and threatening to bite her.
A prince also came up with the dogs, and she begged him not to let them bite. She also
asked him to give her food, as she had none. She looked like a shabby, dirty, white-haired
woman, but the prince promised that she should feed his chickens and eat the same food.
This pleased her, and she went with him and looked after the chickens.
Thus she lived for many years. The prince used to go to talk with his little old woman,
and one day he told her that he was going to a ball for three nights running. She begged
him to take her with him, and this he said he would do if she waited for him at the foot
of the stairs the next night. When he came down to go to the ball, he found the little old
woman waiting, but only laughed and gave her a kick before he went off.
Then she washed and put on her sun dress, and followed to the ball. Everybody hurried
to help her out of her beautiful carriage, but she would onIy dance with the prince. He
asked her whence she came, and she said "From Cittą dello Calcio" (City of the
Kick), but would not tell him where this was, and ran away home early.
Next day the prince told his little old woman all that had happened at the ball, and
added that he was going to the ball again that night and hoped that the beautiful lady
would be there. The old woman begged to be taken, and the prince promised to take her if
she waited for him at the foot of the stairs. She waited for him accordingly, but when he
came down he only hit her and went off to the ball. So she went away, washed, dressed in
the star gown, and went to the ball. When the prince asked whence she came, she answered
"From Cittą dello Colpo" (City of the Blow).
He could not find out where this was, and next day he asked the little old woman. She
said she could not tell him, but again begged to be taken to the ball to see the beautiful
lady. He once more told her to wait for him, but when he came down-stairs he pinched her.
That night she put on the gown covered with rings, and, when the prince asked her whence
she came, said "From Cittą dello Pizzico" (City of the Pinch). He begged her to
tell him where this was, but she only ran away to get home early.
One of the rings fell off her gown, and the prince picked it up and next day told the
old woman that he was going round the world in search of the princess. She made for him a
little cake of rye, and begged him to take it with him in case at any time he should be
hungry. At first he refused to take it, but at last, to quiet her, he took it. He took
also much food and fruit, and travelled for a year and a day. At the end of that time he
found himself in a wood, with all his food finished. He wondered what to do, and suddenly
thought of the rye cake. He got it out, broke it, and what should he find, but a ring like
that picked up at the ball!
Then he knew that the princess must be at his own home, and for a year and a day he
travelled back again, living on roots which he dug. At last he arrived at home, and asked
his mother to tell the little old woman to make him some maccaroni. The old woman said she
was too dirty to make maccaroni for a prince, but the queen ordered it to be done.
The old woman begged for a bath, washed herself and washed the dye from her hair, and
put on her sun robe. She shut the door of her hut carefully, but the robe shone so that
the sun-king even came and looked in through the window. The prince peeped through the
crack of the door. At evening, when they sent for the maccaroni, she had her old clothes
on again and said it was not ready. Next day she put on her star gown, and went on with
the maccaroni. The whole place was again lighted up, and the prince peeped at her, but in
the evening she said there was not yet enough maccaroni. The next day she washed again and
put on her ring dress. When the prince came and the maccaroni was finished, he drew out
his ring and married her with joy. When they were married they were given wine in a sieve
and bread.
Estella Canziani: Abruzzese Folklore. In: Folk-Lore: Transactions of the
Folk-Lore Society, vol. 39, Nr. 111 (September 1928), p. 236 ff. (AT 510B, Italien,
Attina)
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