The Three Heads of the Well

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The three Heads of the Well. Long before Arthur and
the Knights of the Round Table, there reigned in the
eastern part of England a king who kept his court
at Colchester. In the midst of all his glory. His
queen died, leaving behind her an only daughter about fifteen
years of age, who, for her beauty and kindness, was
the wonder of all who knew her. But the king,

(00:20):
hearing of a lady who had likewise an only daughter,
had a mind to marry her for the sake of
her riches. Though she was old, ugly, hook nosed, and humpbacked.
Her daughter was a yellow dowdye, full of envy and
ill nature, and in short was much of the same
mold as her mother. But in a few weeks the king,
attended by the nobility and gentry, brought his deformed bride

(00:40):
to the palace where the marriage rites were performed. She
had not been long in the court before she set
the king against his own beautiful daughter by false reports.
The young princess, having lost her father's love, grew weary
of the court, and one day, meeting with her father
in the garden, she begged him, with tears in her eyes,
to let her go in seecret fortune, to which the
king consented and ordered her mother in law to give

(01:02):
her what she pleased. She went to the queen, who
gave her a canvas bag of brown bread and hard
cheese with a bottle of beer. Though this was but
a pitiful dowery for a king's daughter, she took it
with thanks and proceeded on her journey, passing through groves
and woods and valleys, till at length she saw an
old man sitting on a stone at the mouth of
a cave, who said, good morrow for Biden. Whither away.

(01:24):
So first hated father says she, I am going to
seek my fortune. What have you got in your bag
and bottle? In my bag, I have got bread and cheese,
and in my bottle good small beer. Would you like
to have some? Yes, said he, with all my heart.
With that, the lady pulled out her provisions and bade
him eat and welcome. He did so, and gave her

(01:45):
many thanks, and said, there is a thick, sordiny hedge
before you which you cannot get through. But take this
wand in your hand, strike it three times and say,
pray hedge, let me come through, and it will open. Immediately.
Then a little further you will find a way well.
Sit down on the brink of it, and there will
come up three golden heads which will speak, and whatever

(02:05):
they require that do. Promising she would, she took her
leave of him, coming to the hedge and using the
old man's wand it divided and led her through. Then,
coming to the well, she had no sooner sat down
than a golden head came up, seeing wash me, and
comb me, and lay me down softly, and lay me
down on a bank to dry, that I may look
pretty when somebody passes by. Yes, said she, and taking

(02:28):
it in her lap, combed it with the silver comb,
and then placed it upon a primrose bank. Then up
came a second and a third head, saying the same
as the former. So she did the same for them, and, then,
pulling out her provisions, sat down to eat her dinner.
Then said the headstone to another, What shall I wear
it for this damsel who has used so kindly? The

(02:49):
first said, I weared her to be so beautiful that
she shall charm the most powerful prince in the world.
The second said, I weared her such a sweet voice
as shall far exceed the nightingale. The third said, my
gifts shall be none of the least, as she is
a king's daughter. I'll wearied her so fortunate that she
shall become queen to the greatest prince that reigns. She
then let them down into the well again, and so

(03:10):
went on her journey. She had not traveled long before
she saw a king hunting in the park with his nobles.
She would have avoided him, but the king, having caught
a slight of her, approached, and, what with her beauty
and sweet voice, fell desperately in love with her, and
soon induced her to marry him. This king, finding that
she was the King of Colchester's daughter, ordered some chariots
to be got ready that he might pay the king

(03:32):
his father in law, a visit. The chariot in which
the king and queen rode, was adorned with rich gems
of gold. The king her father, was at first astonished
that his daughter had been so fortunate, till the young
king let him know of all that had happened. Great
was the joy at court amongst all, with the exception
of the queen and her club footed daughter, who were
ready to burst with envy. The rejoicings, with feasting and

(03:54):
dancing continued many days, then at length they returned home
with the dowry. Her father gave her the hump backed Princess.
Perceiving that her sister had been so lucky in seeking
her fortune, wanted to do the same. So she told
her mother, and all preparations were made, and she was
furnished with rich dresses, and with sugar, almonds, and sweetmeats
in great quantities, and a large bottle of malagosac. With these,

(04:17):
she went the same road as her sister, and coming
near the cave, the old man said, young woman, wiers
so fast? What's that to you? Said? She then said
he what have you in your bag and bottle? She answered,
good things which you shall not be troubled with? Won't
you give me some? Um? Said he, No, not a bit,
nar a drop, unless it would choke you. The old

(04:39):
man frowned, saying, evil fortune to tend thee. Going on,
she came to the hedge, through which she spied a gap,
and thought to pass through it. But the hedge closed
and the thorns ran into her flesh, so that it
was with great difficulty that she got through. Being now
all over blood, she searched for water to wash herself.
And looking round, she saw the whale. She sat down
on the brink of it, and one of the heads

(05:01):
came up, saying, wash me, comb me, and lay me
down softly as before, But she banged it with her bottle,
saying take that for your washing. So the second and
third heads came up and met with no better treatment
than the first. Whereupon the heads consulted among themselves what
evils to plague her with? For such usage? The first said,
let her be struck with leprosy in her face, the second,

(05:22):
let her voice be as harsh as of corn cakes.
The third said, let her have for a husband, but
a poor country cobbler. Well on she went till she
came to a town, and it being market day, the
people looked at her, and, seeing such an ugly face,
and hearing such a squeaky voice, I'll fled. But a
poor country cobbler now, he not long before, had mended
the shoes of an old hermit, who, having no money,

(05:44):
gave him a box of ointment for the cure of
the leprosy, and a bottle of spirits for a harsh voice.
So the cobbler, having a mind to do an active charity,
was induced to go up to her and ask her
who she was. I am, said she, the King of
Polchester's daughter in law. Well, said the cobbler, if I
restore you to your natural complexion and make a sound
cure both in face and voice, will you, and reward

(06:05):
take me for a husband. Yes, friend, replied she with
all my heart. With this, the cobbler applied their remedies,
and they made her well in a few weeks, after
which they were married, and so set forward for the
court at Colchester. When the Queen found that her daughter
had married nothing but a port cobbler, she hanged herself
in wrath. The death of the queen so pleased the king,

(06:26):
who was glad to get rid of her, so soon
that he gave the cobbler a hundred pounds to quit
the court with his lady and take to a remote
part of the kingdom, where he lived many years mending shoes,
his wife spinning the thread for him. End of the
three heads of the Well