046. Delgadina
There was this king who had three daughters whom he loved dearly. The youngest among the three was called Delgadina and she was her father’s favorite. One day the king asked her for love and Delgadina refused [his advance] and said:
God forbid that I would be my father’s wife and my sisters’ stepmother.
In view of this, the king became enraged and ordered her to be locked up in a cell where neither the sunlight could reach during the day, nor the moonlight at night, for this cell was in the deepest part of the palace’s cellars; and he gave orders to feed her with only salty cured meat and to give her fish broth as drinks. And there he left poor Delgadina locked up in the darkness, and with that the king hoped to break her will.
After a year of being in the cell, eating only cured meat and drinking only fish broth, Delgadina could no longer resist the terrible thirst that she had and asked to see her mother to ask her to bring just a small jar of water. The queen, her mother, went to the cell dressed in a beautiful dress embroidered in gold, and she begged her:
Mother of my soul, [please] give me a small jar of water if only out of charity.
And her mother said to her:
How dare you ask me for anything, you who for a year had ruined my marriage!
The days went by, and Delgadina sent for her oldest sister and said to her:
Sister of my soul, for the sake of God I ask that you take pity on me and bring me a small jar of water.
And the sister said to her:
How can I give it to you, my wretched sister, for if I do that I’ll be looked down unfavorably.
And the next day she sent for her other sister and asked her for the same and this sister replied:
Ah, poor thing, I cannot give you anything, for my father will make my life miserable.
And now Delgadina lacked the strength to live [on] and she sent for her father and said to him:
Father, give me a small jar of water, and as soon as I drink it I’ll be your lover.
The king ordered to have her taken to the palace’s garden and also to bring wine for him and water for the girl. The water came before the wine and Delgadina drank all the water, and when she finished drinking it, a fountain of clear water began to spring up at her feet which [then] covered her completely. And since then in the palace’s garden there was a fountain which flowed all year round and which never failed to quench the thirst of all those who approached it.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Alimentarse – to feed, to eat
Apiadar – to earn the pity of, to move to pity; apiadarse – to take pity on
Atreverse – to dare
Caldo – broth, soup, stock
Cecina – cured meat, smoked meat, salted meat; beef jerky
Dejar de – to cease, to stop; dejarse de – to stop
Desgraciado – unhappy, wretch
Doublegar – to vanquish, to crush
Enfurecerse – (to become enraged) to get furious, to fly into a rage
Jarrito – little jug, pitcher
Madrastra – stepmother
Malcasar – to make someone marry against his or her own will
Manar – to pour out, to flow; (to be plentiful) to abound
Nacer – to born, to rise, to grow
No lo quiera Dios – God forbid
Requerir – (to ask for) to request; (to be necessary) to require, to need
Salar – to salt, to add salt to, to put salt on
Sótano – basement, cellar
Suplicar – to beseech, to beg, to plead
Tan sólo – only, just; (so lonesome) so lonely
Tiernamente – tenderly; dearly