A Story Of Fate

Once upon a time, there was a mighty baron in the northern county who was a great magician with the power to foresee the future. One day, when his little boy was four years old, he consulted the book of fate to see what lay ahead for his son. To his great dismay, he discovered that his son was destined to marry a lowly maid, who had just been born in a house under the shadow of York Minster. The baron knew the girl's father was very poor and already had five children. Determined to prevent this prophecy from coming true, he mounted his horse and rode into York.

In York, the baron passed by the house of the girl's father and saw him sitting by the door, looking sad and doleful. Dismounting his horse, the baron approached the man and inquired about his troubles. The man explained that he had five children already, and with the birth of a sixth, he didn't know how he would find enough bread to feed them all. The baron offered to help, promising to take the newborn girl off his hands. Grateful for the offer, the man went inside, brought out the baby girl, and handed her over to the baron, who then rode away with her.

When the baron reached the bank of the river Ouse, he cruelly threw the baby into the water, thinking he had thwarted the fate he feared. However, the baby's clothes kept her afloat, and she eventually washed ashore near a fisherman's hut. The fisherman found the baby, took pity on her, and brought her into his home. She was raised there and grew into a fine, handsome girl.

Fifteen years later, the baron went hunting along the banks of the river Ouse and stopped at the fisherman's hut for a drink. The girl came out to serve him and his companions. They were all struck by her beauty, and one of them asked the baron to predict whom she might marry. The baron dismissed the inquiry but decided to cast her horoscope. When the girl explained that she had been found by the river about fifteen years ago, the baron realized who she was. He decided to get rid of her once and for all.

The baron gave the girl a letter and instructed her to take it to his brother in Scarborough, assuring her that this would secure her future. The letter, however, contained instructions for his brother to put her to death immediately. The girl set out for Scarborough and stopped for the night at an inn. That very night, a band of robbers broke into the inn, searching for valuables. Finding the girl with no money, they opened the letter and, outraged by its contents, decided to intervene. The captain of the robbers wrote a new letter, instructing the baron's brother to marry the girl to his son immediately.

The next day, the girl arrived in Scarborough and presented the letter to the baron's brother, a noble knight. Following the instructions, he arranged for the girl to marry his nephew that very day. When the baron arrived at his brother's castle, he was shocked to find that the prophecy had come true. Not willing to accept this turn of events, he took the girl for a walk along the cliffs, intending to kill her. She pleaded for her life, promising never to see him or his son again until he desired it. The baron, in a moment of contempt, threw his gold ring into the sea and told her never to return until she could show him the ring.

The girl wandered until she found work at another noble's castle, becoming the scullery maid. One day, the baron, his brother, and his son visited the noble. To avoid being seen, the girl stayed in the kitchen, where she was tasked with cleaning a fish for dinner. To her astonishment, she found the baron's gold ring inside the fish. She prepared the fish and served it.

The guests were so impressed with the dish that they asked to see the cook. When the girl appeared with the ring on her thumb, the baron was enraged until she presented the ring to him. Realizing that fate could not be fought, the baron accepted her as his son's true wife. He took her and his son back to his castle, where they lived happily ever after.