[NPPF] Canto Four: Fountains And Ugly Children

[s~Z]

In the story of Melusina the cloud-maiden appears as a kind of mermaid, but
in other respects the legend resembles that of Urvasi. Raymond, Count de la
Forêt, of Poitou, having by an accident killed his patron and benefactor
during a hunting excursion, fled in terror and despair into the deep
recesses of the forest. All the afternoon and evening he wandered through
the thick dark woods, until at midnight he came upon a strange scene. All at
once "the boughs of the trees became less interlaced, and the trunks fewer;
next moment his horse, crashing through the shrubs, brought him out on a
pleasant glade, white with rime, and illumined by the new moon; in the midst
bubbled up a limpid fountain, and flowed away over a pebbly floor with a
soothing murmur. Near the fountain-head sat three maidens in glimmering
white dresses, with long waving golden hair, and faces of inexpressible
beauty." [Baring-Gould, Curious Myths, II. 207.] One of them advanced to
meet Raymond, and of course they were betrothed before daybreak. In due time
the fountain-nymph became Countess de la Forêt, but her husband was given to
understand that all her Saturdays would be passed in strictest seclusion,
upon which he must never dare to intrude, under penalty of losing her
forever. For many years all went well, save that the fair Melusina's
children were, without exception, misshapen or disfigured.

        --John Fiske