"Do not have her any more; she is a thief, and as bad as can be."
After having given her her day's wages, they send her off, and say
that they do not want her any more. [176]
This poor young girl was in the greatest distress; if she wished to
eat, she must beg. She set to work begging then, and everyone disliked
her so much that, when they saw her, they used to spit at her.
There came home from one of his voyages a ship's captain, and, while
he was amusing himself with his friends, this young girl asks for
charity. His friends tell him that she was a bad girl, and they spit
at her, and he does like the rest. Our captain goes off for another
voyage; but he was overtaken by a terrible tempest. The storm was
so violent, and the rain came down as if it would never leave off;
it made them all tremble. In the midst of his prayers the captain
made a vow that, if he escaped, he would marry the worst and most
despised girl that he could find. Immediately the weather became
fine. He makes a very successful voyage, and one which brought him
plenty of money; but, when he reached land, he forgot his vow, and
began to amuse himself as much as possible.
This same young girl asks charity, and, after his friends have told
him that she was a bad girl, they spat at her, and he did so too.
Again he goes to sea, and he is overtaken by a storm, much worse than
the former one. The wind was most violent, and the lightning terrible;
they saw nothing but that. All trembled, and were praying. The captain
again makes a vow of marrying, if he should get safe home, with the
most abandoned and the poorest girl he can find, and he regrets that
he has not kept his vow. He said to himself,
"If I had kept it, perhaps I should not have had such weather as this;
but nothing now shall make me forget my promise."
Immediately the weather becomes fine; he has immense good fortune,
and gains as much money as he wishes.
When he comes home, he sees this young girl again. His friends spit
at her, but he says to them,
"I will not spit at her--I wish to marry her."
His friends burst out into roars of laughter, "Ha! ha! ha!" The
sailor goes home to his mother, and tells her that he is going to be
married. His mother answers him,
"If you make a good and rich marriage, very well."