Cherry from Zennor

Cherry Pretty lived in Zennor with her father and mother, brothers, and sisters. Their hut was very small, and the patch of land they had was so rocky and poor that, no matter how hard they worked, it yielded only a few potatoes and a little grain. They also had a goat, but the poor thing barely found enough grass to satisfy its hunger, and the milk it gave was barely enough to wet the bottom of a cup.

They survived on fish and shellfish they gathered from the coastal rocks. Bread was a luxury they could only afford on special occasions.

Despite such poverty, all the children grew up strong and healthy. But Cherry was the best of them—hardworking, nimble, and quick. Whenever they raced, she always came in first.

When Cherry turned sixteen, she began to feel sad. Other girls wore pretty dresses and talked about the fun they had at the fair in the neighboring town, but Cherry had never been to a fair. Her mother always promised to sew her a new dress, but there was never enough money for it.

So Cherry decided to leave her parents' home and hire herself out as a servant. She said goodbye to her father and mother, packed her few belongings into a bundle, and set off, promising to find work close to home.

She walked and walked until she reached a crossroads. She sat down on a roadside stone and began to cry bitterly, feeling lonely and sad. She was just about to turn back when, out of nowhere, a well-dressed gentleman appeared.

Cherry was very surprised: she hadn’t noticed him approaching. But she was even more surprised when he addressed her by name:

"Good morning, Cherry! Where are you headed?"

"I’m looking for work as a maid, sir."

"Well, how fortunate we’ve met, Cherry. I’m in need of a diligent and tidy girl to help around the house. My wife has passed away, and I have a young son. If you love children and know how to milk cows, the position is yours."

Cherry was overjoyed and agreed to go with the kind gentleman. She forgot all about her promise to her parents not to stray too far from home.

"Then let’s go, Cherry," said her new master, and they set off. The path seemed unfamiliar to Cherry. Fragrant flowers bloomed on either side, weeping trees provided cool shade, and at one point, a clear stream crossed their path. The master lifted her with one arm and carried her across, so Cherry didn’t even get her feet wet. Gradually, the path grew narrower and darker, and Cherry realized they were descending. At first, she was frightened, but the master took her hand, and she felt so at ease that she could have followed him to the ends of the earth.

Finally, they reached a tall fence. The master unlocked the gate and said kindly,

"Come in, dear Cherry. This is where we live."

Cherry stepped inside and stopped in amazement. She had never seen such a beautiful garden. Bright flowers filled the air with their fragrance, fruits and berries ripened on the branches, and exotic birds flitted overhead, filling the air with their cheerful songs. A little boy ran out to meet them.

"Papa! Papa!" he called.

The boy was very young, but his face was like that of an old man. An ugly old woman appeared out of nowhere and led him back into the house.

Cherry was frightened again, but the master reassured her, saying it was his mother-in-law, Prudence: once Cherry settled in, the old hag would return to wherever she came from.

They entered the house, and the rooms were so beautiful that Cherry’s fears eased a little.

They sat down to dinner, and Cherry tasted all kinds of delicacies, forgetting her fear entirely. After dinner, Prudence took the girl upstairs to her grandson’s room, showed her where she would sleep, and warned her not to open her eyes at night, lest she see something frightening. She forbade Cherry to speak to the boy and instructed her to rise early the next morning, take him to the spring, wash him with the spring water, and wipe his eyes with a potion from a crystal vial on a large stone nearby. Then she was to milk the cow and give the boy fresh milk. That was all her work.

"But mind you," the old woman added, "don’t let the potion touch your own eyes, or you’ll regret it."

Cherry listened to the old woman and wondered: there must be some secret here. She wished she could uncover it. She tried to question the boy, but he frowned and threatened to tell his grandmother.

The next morning, they went to the spring. Cherry washed the master’s son and wiped his eyes with the potion as instructed. Then she milked the cow and brought the milk back to the house.

After breakfast, Prudence began her instructions again: stay in the kitchen, don’t peek into the other rooms, don’t unlock any doors—in short, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.

The next day, Robin, as the master was called, sent for Cherry to help him in the garden. Cherry was glad to escape the nagging old woman for a while. When they finished their work, the master, pleased with her diligence, kissed her, and Cherry fell in love with him with all her heart.

A few days later, the old woman called Cherry and led her down a long, dark corridor. They walked and walked until they reached a locked door. The old woman told Cherry to take off her shoes, unlocked the door, opened it, and they entered a large hall with a floor that seemed to be made of glass. Cherry looked around and saw the hall was filled with stone statues—ladies and gentlemen.

Cherry was too frightened to speak. The old woman laughed hoarsely, handed her a small box, and told her to rub it as hard as she could. Cherry began to rub, and the old woman urged her to rub harder and harder. Exhausted, Cherry dropped the box, and a terrible, unearthly ringing filled the air. The poor girl fainted.

The master heard the noise and rushed into the hall. Seeing what had happened, he was furious with the old woman and ordered her to leave his house immediately. Then he picked Cherry up, carried her to the kitchen, splashed water on her face, and she came to her senses.

The old woman left, and though Cherry became the mistress of the house, it brought her no happiness. Robin was always kind and friendly, but the locked rooms haunted her. He would shut himself in the hall with the stone people, and laughter and loud voices could be heard from within. The house was full of mysteries, and Cherry burned with curiosity.

Every morning, she wiped the master’s son’s eyes with the potion from the crystal vial. His eyes would shine wonderfully, and Cherry felt the boy could see things in the garden that were invisible to her. One day, she couldn’t resist and splashed some of the potion into her own eyes.

Instantly, everything around her blazed with dazzling light, and her eyes felt as if they were on fire. Terrified, Cherry bent over the spring to scoop up some cold water and saw tiny people running at the bottom, including a tiny version of her master. She raised her head and looked around: the garden was teeming with little elves—some peeking out of flower buds, others swinging from branches, and still others racing across the green lawns.

That evening, Robin returned home, tall and handsome as ever. After dinner, he went to the hall with the stone people, and Cherry could have sworn she heard beautiful music coming from there. She crept quietly to the locked door and peeked through the keyhole. Robin stood surrounded by beautiful ladies. One was dressed like a queen. The master approached her and kissed her. Poor Cherry almost died of grief. She rushed to her room, threw herself on the bed, and wept.

The next day, Robin called her to the garden again—there was always plenty of work to do. When Cherry approached him, he smiled and kissed her. Cherry couldn’t hold back.

"Go kiss your elves!" she shouted. Robin looked at her sadly.

"Dear Cherry," he said, "why did you break the rule? Why did you splash the magical potion into your eyes? Tomorrow, you will leave my house forever and return to your father and mother."

The next morning, he woke her before dawn and told her to pack. He gave her dresses and other gifts, as well as a lot of money.

Cherry tied up her belongings, but her heart was breaking.

They walked out the gate. Robin carried her bundle in one hand and a lantern in the other. The return journey seemed endless. They walked along dark paths through a dense, dark forest, always climbing upward. Finally, the path led them to a flat area, and Cherry recognized the familiar crossroads.

Robin was as sad as Cherry; he kissed her goodbye. Tears blurred Cherry’s vision, and she didn’t notice when he left. He disappeared as quietly and mysteriously as he had appeared a year ago. Cherry sat on the roadside stone for a long time, crying. Then she got up and slowly, dejectedly, made her way back to Zennor.

Her parents had long since mourned her, thinking she was dead. She told them her strange story, and at first, they didn’t believe her. Eventually, they did, but Cherry was never the same. The neighbors said she had lost her mind. Every moonlit night, she would go to the crossroads and wander there for hours, waiting for Robin, but he never came for her.

↑ To the top

Cherry from Zennor

More fairy tales