A/N: Hi everyone, I know it's been a while since I posted here, but I finally got a few things on my computer fixed, got some time to type a story out and had something to write about.
I did say I was going to be doing some song fics, and here is another. Once again, music by the wonderful Loreena Mckennitt in her rendition of the story 'The Bony Swans.' A story without the happiest of endings, but still there is some gratitude. Saying too much now. All rights to Loreena McKennitt, the lyrics are not mine. I have removed some stanzas so I am not using the full song. It is highly recommended you find it and listen to it, or at least look up the full lyrics.
I had a review. I had a review from someone who doesn't understand the definition of a retelling. Yes I know my stories are not original, and I said that in my introduction. And if you want a full answer to this negativity, you can find one there.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy my story/retelling as it took some time and effort to try and fill in a few plot holes. Believe e, they weren't as easy as I make it out.
'The Enchanted Harp' or 'The Bony Swans'
A framer lived in the North Country,
Hey hey oh with my bony oh,
He had daughters one, two, three,
The swans swim so bony oh.
Once upon a time there lived a framer in the northern end of Ireland, and while he was a widower, he had three beautiful daughters; Anne the eldest, Melissa the middle child, and Jane the youngest. The three daughters lived a very happy life together. Anne would do the chores of the house while Jane and Melissa would do work in the fields with their father or tend to the animals of the farm.
It was on one warm afternoon that Jane and Melissa were out in the fields with their sister Anne when the Prince and his hunting party came riding by, having taken a wrong turn. They saw upon their way the three women sitting and eating their lunch, and thought it best to stop and ask where he was at.
"Excuse me, fair maidens," the Prince said upon arriving. "Myself and my hunting party have lost our way, and we hoped you aught tell us where we are."
"Oh most certainly your highness," Jane said with a bow. "You aren't far from your kingdom at all. Follow the road that you shall find a short distance to the east. When you get to the road you but turn left and keep going. At the fork in the road, you will need to turn right to find your city, or turn left to head towards the forests to resume your hunt."
"Yes your highness," Anne said. "Or you could go a little beyond the road to find the river and from there you can follow that back to the castle by going upstream."
"If your majesty wishes to continue hunting," Melissa added, "You may simply head north of here, for you will follow the road at a distance and come to the forest anyway."
The prince had heard all this, but from the moment Jane had stopped speaking, he had fallen in love with her, for she was indeed the most beautiful of the three, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight and her fair complexion that to stop any man's heart. He thanked the ladys with a few coins and went on his way, but he returned every day to catch sight of his new love.
Now Prince William (for that was his name) had a brother named Hugh, and Hugh often wondered where his brother went each day, so he asked if he might come along.
"Of course my brother, for I shall not hide anything from you." William led Hugh to the farm and pointed out the three women. Hugh saw the beauty in all three, but Jane did not capture hs heart so much as she did Williams.
Soon after, the Prince approached his parents, the King and Queen, and asked if he could wed the beautiful farm girl he had seen.
"If she is whom you desire, than we shall get thing prepared at once," the King said. He then organised a small group of Page boys, maidens and his sons to go and see the three women and ask their father for permission to take the fair Jane as William's wife.
"Of course you may," the father answered at once, being overjoyed that his daughter would have captured the prince's heart. Jane, Melissa and Anne jumped for joy at the news, but Anne was secretly envious of the courtship, as she wanted William for herself.
His daughters they walked by the river's brim,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
The eldest pushed the youngest in,
The Swans swim so bony oh.
The next day, the sisters wet for a walk down to the river to talk about the engagement and what life would be like for them after the wedding. It was certain all three of them would be looked after, and their father would no longer need to farm as hard as he did.
While at the river, they stopped for lunch.
"Melissa, dear sister," said Anne, "would you be so kind as to fetch me some flowers form the field yonder? And Jane, please bring some water so I may wash the dishes before we head home." The sister's went off to do their assigned work, but while Jane was bent over the rushing water, Anne snuck up behind her and pushed her into the water.
Sister, pray sister, pray lend me your hand,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
And I will give you house and land,
The swans swim so bony oh.
I'll give you neither hand nor glove,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
First you give me your own true love,
The swans swim so bony oh.
Jane saw then her sister's treachery, and refused to give up her love for William. The river then tore her away from the bank and away she went down the river.
When Melissa returned, Anne said Jane had fallen in and she was unable to save her before the water took her away. The father, William and the court were much distressed, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not find Jane.
The river, in its power, took Jane's life and washed her body further and further downstream until, eventually, it slowed and her body was washed up upon a dam, and there it lay near a miller's house and mill.
In the early light of the next morning, the miller's daughter came down to the dam with her jug to get some fresh water to bake bread with.
Father, oh daddy, her swims a swan,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
Looks fairly like a gentle woman,
The swans swim so bony oh.
The father came down, and sure enough, there was the drowned girl.
"It will not do to just leave her there. Let us fish her out and let her dry, and then we can give her a burial." So the miller and his daughter placed her on the bank and let her dry, and continued about their work. During the day, a harper came by the house to buy some bread, and he saw the girl upon the banks.
"What is this here? A dead girl upon your sands?" he asked them.
"We know not who she is, only that she washed up here in the night, and we shall bury her properly with a priest come tomorrow," the miller answered.
"No, I shall use my craft to find out her story. Let me take her," the harper begged.
"If you wish," answered the miller, and he gave Jane's body to him, which he took away in his cart.
He made harp pins of her fingers fair,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
And made harp strings of her golden hair,
The swans swim so bony oh.
He made a harp of her breast bone,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
And straight it began to play alone,
The swans swim so bony oh.
After several days work, the harpist was pleased to see the spirit of the girl had come to the harp he had made from her body. Asking a priest to bury it with the name the harp gave, he travelled north with his magical harp that could play itself. From town to town he went, and people paid well to see the self-playing harp, and the harp sang the same sad song of its betrayal from its sister, but none knew who it was that the harp was.
Eventually, the harper reached the kingdom, where things had just settled down after the wedding of William and Anne. Anne had cleverly coaxed her way into William's emotions, for she looked much like her sister, but was neither as fair nor as beautiful. Word reached the castle of the harp, and they sent forth messengers to bring the harper to the castle. Sure enough, the harper was more than willing to come to the castle and present his harp. Upon his arrival, the King and Queen greeted him warmly and took him to the hall to play for the entire court.
He lay the harp upon a stone,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
And straight it began to play alone,
The swans swim so bony oh.
To everyone's amazement, the harp did indeed play of its own accord, but the harp did not sing as it had done before hand. Nor did it play its usual song, but played what it knew to be Anne's favourite song. Anne was much entertained by the harp, and asked for more.
The harp played many a tune, and only the harper knew that something was different. Then, within a moment, he worked it all out.
"And now," the harper said, addressing the hall. "The harp shall play its well-known tune for you all." Sure enough, the harp began the usual tune, but the words were changed, with only the harper expecting them so.
There does sit my father the king,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
And yonder sits my mother the queen,
The swans swim so bony oh.
There does sit my brother Hugh,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
And by him William sweet and true,
The swans swim so bony oh.
And there does sit my false sister Anne,
Hey hey ho with me bony oh,
Who drowned me for the sake of a man,
The swans swim so bony oh.
There was utter silence throughout the hall as everyone looked at Anne, who had become quite flustered and uncertain.
"Is this true?" William asked her. Anne stuttered but could give no answer.
"Guards, take her away," the king ordered. The guards dragged Anne to the dungeon where she was to await trial.
"Jane, is it really you?" William asked the harp.
"Yes, 'tis I, your beloved. This harper turned my body into a harp so that I could tell my story. And now I have returned to you." Jane played again and sang to him, and she did so every night.
Melissa, the last sister, was married to Hugh and they lived happily ever after, while Anne faced trial, then had a stone tied around her feet and was thrown into the river at the height of the floods. She was never seen again. William kept the harp that was his only love, and never married, for the one he loved was forever gone to him.