To lure the Prince
It was a time of serfs, chivalry and witchcraft. The village blacksmith's eldest daughter was a tomboy. She was twenty years old. After several years of asking, her father now took her on as his apprentice. He had no sons. Mary, or Martin as she told the customers, was plain looking, slender, with pale skin. She had been choosing to have her earthy brown hair cut like a teenage boy for the last couple of years. She was also as strong as a teenage boy. Mary Martin had never had a boyfriend and was not interested in marriage. She was focused on her work.
That was until one day when The Prince, on his way back to the castle, after his usual morning horse ride, stopped at her father's forge. To have an urgent horse shoe fitted, as the royal farrier was at a funeral. When Mary Martin saw the handsome Prince, in his regal clothes, she suddenly felt light headed and had butterflies in her stomach. She was in love.
But when he momentarily glanced at her, he only saw a teenage boy. As she wore dark red trousers, a pale-yellow tunic, and had short hair. After the Prince had ridden off, Mary Martin couldn't stop thinking about him. She wanted to see him again, but where? and how could she make him notice her? By the evening she had decided to meet the Prince somewhere along the route of his daily horse ride. He rode alone without a retinue, because as he put it, he had a fast horse and a big sword.
The next day Mary Martin asked the farmers which direction he rode. They said that he always rode into the forest. Then she asked the poachers where in the forest he went. They said that he rode through the forest to the lake, which he rode around, before he rode back through the forest. That evening she thought about how to get the Prince to notice her. She decided that her only choice was by witchcraft.
The following day she persuaded her father to let her have the afternoon off. She was a good apprentice. Mary Martin went to a neighbouring village to see a witch.
"I want the Prince to notice me," she said.
"I see, and why is that my dear?" the old crone asked.
"Because I," Mary Martin hesitated, but she knew that she could not lie to a witch or else.
"Because I love him."
"I see, does he love you?"
"No, because I am ugly."
"Young woman, I am ugly, you are just plain. So, you want to be beautiful?"
"Yes, please make me look beautiful."
"Ah, but there are a dozen beautiful women at the royal court. You need to be more than just a beautiful woman, you need to be irresistible, you need to be a mermaid."
"What!" Mary Martin had not expected that. "Is that your answer?"
"Yes, my dear. If you want the Prince to notice you, you have to be the most beautiful creature in the world."
"And there is no alternative?"
"No."
"Okay, turn me into a mermaid," Mary Martin said.
"Hold your horses my dear. I have to prepare this potion, so you will have to come back next week."
"Okay, but this potion, will I be a mermaid for the rest of my life?"
"No, my dear, it only lasts for a couple of hours."
It was the following week, and Mary Martin was at the witch's cottage again. The old crone held up a small bottle.
"This is what you have to do," she began. "You have to lick a fish first, then swallow a mouthful of this potion. Oh, and take your clothes off, and sit down of course."
Mary Martin went to take the bottle but hesitated.
"What about payment, I don't have much money."
"That's alright my dear. You don't have to give me money. You just have to promise that when you and the Prince have children, you will have me as their nursemaid," the old crone explained. To Mary Martin that seemed reasonable. It was not like the witch had asked her to hand over her first-born child.
"I promise," the young woman said. And to break a promise to a witch meant that you were cursed. Mary Martin returned home all excited. That evening she went to the lake on the other side of the forest, to check it out. It was roughly circular in shape and deserted. The following morning, she negotiated with her father to have every morning off next week.
