So when his wife
brought him a daughter, bonny as bonny could be, he cared nought for
her, and said, "Let me never see her face."
So she grew up a bonny girl, though her father never set eyes on her
till she was fifteen years old and was ready to be married. But her
father said, "Let her marry the first that comes for her." And when this
was known, who should be first but a nasty rough old man. So she didn't
know what to do, and went to the henwife and asked her advice. The
henwife said, "Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat of
silver cloth." Well, they gave her a coat of silver cloth, but she
wouldn't take him for all that, but went again to the henwife, who said,
"Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat of beaten gold."
Well, they gave her a coat of beaten gold, but still she would not take
him, but went to the henwife, who said, "Say you will not take him
unless they give you a coat made of the feathers of all the birds of
the air." So they sent a man with a great heap of pease; and the man
cried to all the birds of the air, "Each bird take a pea, and put down
a feather.
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