THE MAIDEN WELL GUARDED.48There lived a maiden whose mother guarded her with infinite care lest some youth should do her ill; and she was brought up in all innocence. And when she begged to go to gatherings even as other maids of her age, her mother was wont to answer her, saying:“Nay, my daughter, thou shalt not go, for there thou art like to lose thy maidenhead.”One day, nevertheless, Pierre, the maiden’s lover, who was a good lad and a quiet, came seeking to conduct her to an assembly, and both lad and maid besought the mother to let them go. In the end she consented, thinking in herself that Pierre was too honest to do her daughter ill, and she enjoined him guard her well.Behold, then, these two on their way; and as they went, the maiden said:“My mother hath strictly enjoined me to guard my maidenhead. It seemeth that at assemblies one is in case to lose it. How best preserve it?”“Hath not thy mother shown thee a method of so doing?”“Yea,” answered the maiden, “she hath enjoined me to press my thighs tightly together.”Quitting the road, they entered a wood wherein were several streamlets, which one crossed by means of planks. Even as the maid walked upon one of these planks Pierre, who marched behind her, cast a stone into the water hard by the girl.“Alas!” cried the maiden. “What will my mother say? Behold, my maidenhead hath fallen in the water and is lost!”“Fear not,” answered the lad. “‘Tis fortunate I am here. I will restore it thee. Come with me ‘neath the trees, and say naught if the business hurteth thee, for ‘tis all for thy good.”Then Pierre, in very sooth, ‘put back’ the maidenhead for her, and shortly afterward they came to the second plank. Even as the girl stood upon it, two or three frogs, slumbering at the streamside, were affrighted and hopped into the water, which spirted up ‘neath the maiden.“Ah! Pierre!” cried she. “‘Tis lost again! It seemeth that it was not firm. ‘Twas most wrong of thee not to have put it back more firmly.”“Say no more,” answered Pierre. “I will again put it back.”And when the maidenhead had been put back for the second time, they went on, reaching the assembly, where they diverted themselves as did the others.On their return journey, even as the young girl passed over a plank, Pierre cast in the water an apple which he had in his pocket.“What will my mother say?” cried the girl. “‘Tis the third time I have lost it to-day!”“Fear not,” quoth Pierre. “I am about to sewit on again.”When the maidenhead had been resewed, the girl, who was acquiring a taste for this form of embroidery, said to Pierre:“‘Tis not sewn sufficiently firm.”“Indeed it is.”“‘Tis not.”“But I have no more thread.”“Miserable deceiver!” cried the girl. “He saith he hath no more thread, yet all the while he possesseth two great balls of it!”49
THE MAIDEN WELL GUARDED.48There lived a maiden whose mother guarded her with infinite care lest some youth should do her ill; and she was brought up in all innocence. And when she begged to go to gatherings even as other maids of her age, her mother was wont to answer her, saying:“Nay, my daughter, thou shalt not go, for there thou art like to lose thy maidenhead.”One day, nevertheless, Pierre, the maiden’s lover, who was a good lad and a quiet, came seeking to conduct her to an assembly, and both lad and maid besought the mother to let them go. In the end she consented, thinking in herself that Pierre was too honest to do her daughter ill, and she enjoined him guard her well.Behold, then, these two on their way; and as they went, the maiden said:“My mother hath strictly enjoined me to guard my maidenhead. It seemeth that at assemblies one is in case to lose it. How best preserve it?”“Hath not thy mother shown thee a method of so doing?”“Yea,” answered the maiden, “she hath enjoined me to press my thighs tightly together.”Quitting the road, they entered a wood wherein were several streamlets, which one crossed by means of planks. Even as the maid walked upon one of these planks Pierre, who marched behind her, cast a stone into the water hard by the girl.“Alas!” cried the maiden. “What will my mother say? Behold, my maidenhead hath fallen in the water and is lost!”“Fear not,” answered the lad. “‘Tis fortunate I am here. I will restore it thee. Come with me ‘neath the trees, and say naught if the business hurteth thee, for ‘tis all for thy good.”Then Pierre, in very sooth, ‘put back’ the maidenhead for her, and shortly afterward they came to the second plank. Even as the girl stood upon it, two or three frogs, slumbering at the streamside, were affrighted and hopped into the water, which spirted up ‘neath the maiden.“Ah! Pierre!” cried she. “‘Tis lost again! It seemeth that it was not firm. ‘Twas most wrong of thee not to have put it back more firmly.”“Say no more,” answered Pierre. “I will again put it back.”And when the maidenhead had been put back for the second time, they went on, reaching the assembly, where they diverted themselves as did the others.On their return journey, even as the young girl passed over a plank, Pierre cast in the water an apple which he had in his pocket.“What will my mother say?” cried the girl. “‘Tis the third time I have lost it to-day!”“Fear not,” quoth Pierre. “I am about to sewit on again.”When the maidenhead had been resewed, the girl, who was acquiring a taste for this form of embroidery, said to Pierre:“‘Tis not sewn sufficiently firm.”“Indeed it is.”“‘Tis not.”“But I have no more thread.”“Miserable deceiver!” cried the girl. “He saith he hath no more thread, yet all the while he possesseth two great balls of it!”49
There lived a maiden whose mother guarded her with infinite care lest some youth should do her ill; and she was brought up in all innocence. And when she begged to go to gatherings even as other maids of her age, her mother was wont to answer her, saying:
“Nay, my daughter, thou shalt not go, for there thou art like to lose thy maidenhead.”
One day, nevertheless, Pierre, the maiden’s lover, who was a good lad and a quiet, came seeking to conduct her to an assembly, and both lad and maid besought the mother to let them go. In the end she consented, thinking in herself that Pierre was too honest to do her daughter ill, and she enjoined him guard her well.
Behold, then, these two on their way; and as they went, the maiden said:
“My mother hath strictly enjoined me to guard my maidenhead. It seemeth that at assemblies one is in case to lose it. How best preserve it?”
“Hath not thy mother shown thee a method of so doing?”
“Yea,” answered the maiden, “she hath enjoined me to press my thighs tightly together.”
Quitting the road, they entered a wood wherein were several streamlets, which one crossed by means of planks. Even as the maid walked upon one of these planks Pierre, who marched behind her, cast a stone into the water hard by the girl.
“Alas!” cried the maiden. “What will my mother say? Behold, my maidenhead hath fallen in the water and is lost!”
“Fear not,” answered the lad. “‘Tis fortunate I am here. I will restore it thee. Come with me ‘neath the trees, and say naught if the business hurteth thee, for ‘tis all for thy good.”
Then Pierre, in very sooth, ‘put back’ the maidenhead for her, and shortly afterward they came to the second plank. Even as the girl stood upon it, two or three frogs, slumbering at the streamside, were affrighted and hopped into the water, which spirted up ‘neath the maiden.
“Ah! Pierre!” cried she. “‘Tis lost again! It seemeth that it was not firm. ‘Twas most wrong of thee not to have put it back more firmly.”
“Say no more,” answered Pierre. “I will again put it back.”
And when the maidenhead had been put back for the second time, they went on, reaching the assembly, where they diverted themselves as did the others.
On their return journey, even as the young girl passed over a plank, Pierre cast in the water an apple which he had in his pocket.
“What will my mother say?” cried the girl. “‘Tis the third time I have lost it to-day!”
“Fear not,” quoth Pierre. “I am about to sewit on again.”
When the maidenhead had been resewed, the girl, who was acquiring a taste for this form of embroidery, said to Pierre:
“‘Tis not sewn sufficiently firm.”
“Indeed it is.”
“‘Tis not.”
“But I have no more thread.”
“Miserable deceiver!” cried the girl. “He saith he hath no more thread, yet all the while he possesseth two great balls of it!”49