The Story of Bensurdatu

Greetings all!  Before we get started, I wanted to drop a note that I've created an official Facebook page, where I'll be posting updates about this blog, my books, appearances, and more!  You can find it here.

Today I'm continuing in my series about fairy tales without dead moms (or wicked stepmothers).  The Story of Bensurdatu is an Italian fairy tale which was included in Andrew Lang's The Grey Fairy Book.

Our story begins with a king and queen who have three beautiful daughters. They love the princesses very much, and dote upon them constantly. When the girls request a picnic, their parents are only too happy to oblige. Unfortunately, dark magic strikes during the family outing. The princesses disappear in a dark cloud, and no one in the kingdom knows where they are.

Their parents are devastated by their loss. They offer a great reward to anyone who can find their daughters and return them home. Two mighty generals set off in search of the princesses, but are unable to find them. Only when a loyal family servant named Bensurdatu teams up with the generals are they able to locate the girls.

Unfortunately, they discover that a terrifying monster holds the princesses hostage. The youngest princess aids Bensurdatu.  With her help, he is able to slay the monster and rescue the girls. The youngest falls in love with him, and swears to marry no man save Bensurdatu.

However, the generals are filled with jealousy at Bensurdatu's successful rescue. They betray him and leave him stranded in the monster's lair, with no way to escape. The girls are threatened into silence. The generals return to the king and queen, claiming credit for the rescue. The two eldest girls are married to them, while the youngest silently grieves.

Within the lair of the monster, Bensurdatu eventually finds a magical purse which grants his wishes. 

(Huzzah for convenient magical items!)

With its help he arrives in the kingdom aboard a mighty ship, bedecked in fine clothing. No one recognizes the humble servant. He is invited to dine with the king's family. During dinner, Bensurdatu declares himself in love with the youngest princess, and asks for her hand in marriage. The girl declines, saying that she is sworn to marry no man save Bensurdatu.

He reveals himself then, and the girl is overcome with joy. The king and queen listen to Bensurdatu's story. They punish the generals by banishing them from the land. Moved by the courage of their loyal servant, the king and queen let him marry the princess.

The queen in this story is shown to be a loving mother.  She dotes upon her daughters, but they are not spoiled.  She mourns when they are taken.  Along with the king, she searches for someone to rescue her girls.  She is overjoyed at their return.  And, when the mother learns that the princess is in love with a servant, she is willing to set aside tradition to allow them to marry.  All in all, she's a pretty rockin' mom.

I hope you guys enjoyed!  I've always liked The Story of Bensurdatu.  If you're interested, you can read the full version of the story here.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next week!