Scotland's Storybook: stories in English (1.1 - Education Scotland

The gentleman’s wife lifted the lid and immediately understood, what her
husband meant. She put her hand into the chest and found an item of clothing
which she pulled out of the chest – a beautiful gown made from birds plumage.
‘I’ve never seen anything so...’ she began.
‘There’s more’ he said, ‘Take out more!’
And she did, and she removed from the chest, ever more beautiful
splendours. All in all she found two more dresses – one made of bog cotton and
another – stunning one − of starlight. And she discovered a golden shoe and a
silver one and an exquisite comb – of a style she’d never laid eyes on in her life –
adorned with sparkling gems.
‘Comb your hair’ her husband said ‘And she did, and suddenly, one side of
her head was golden and the other had a silver sheen.
The young daughters witnessed everything and agreed with their father that
you couldn’t possibly meet a more beautiful woman than their own mother
should you travel the length and breadth of the country. And the family were as
happy and content together as the day was long.
But then, the fine lady fell ill and as time passed she unfortunately became
more unwell until eventually she couldn’t struggle any longer and succumbed to
death’s desire. The family were devastated – the gentleman and his three
daughters; how ever were they going to survive without such a warm, kind,
beautiful wife and mother? After a good while, the father decided that he
needed a wife to look after the children, but he was determined that the woman
he married would be as close in nature to his dead wife as was possible. He gave
an oath that he would only marry the woman on whose foot the Golden Shoe
fitted comfortably.
He sent word out throughout the land that any woman who wished to marry
him should attend at the house and try on the shoe on her right foot. Many a
damsel came too, some rather attractive, but not one of them could place their
foot properly in the golden shoe. He sent word again throughout his country and
beyond to farther lands but still no woman was successful in claiming her prize
of marriage to a respectable wealthy widower. Finally there were only three
woman left who had not tried on the shoe – his own three daughters.
The oldest daughter tried the shoe on her right foot, but the tips of her toes
were too long for it. When the middle daughter tried it on, her heel was too
wide for it. But when the youngest daughter placed her right foot in the shoe,
you would have thought it had been made just for her.
But oh bhòbh, bhòbh! She was most distressed! The poor girl was in a
terrible state. She was so upset that she began to howl and took straight to bed
and she stayed there all night and for a good part of the next day, crying and
breaking her heart all the while. Then she heard a noise – a sort of light lowing
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