Page 64 - L'eau qui rajeunit / The Fountain of Youth: Told in Acadian French by Marcellin Hache, as collected by Pere Anselme Chiasson and then retold in English by Rosie Aucoin

ISSUE : Issue 64

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1993/8/1

water that can make your father young again. Do you know how to write?" He an? swered. "Yes." She asked, "Do you have a piece of paper and a pencil?" He replied. "Yes." She proceeded, "Write down every? thing I say. The 'water that rejuvenates' is situated on a big black mountain in Chi? na in an underground tunnel. Ask your fa? ther to give you his smallest frigate and $500.00 to go to China. When you arrive there, you'll find a steel door, all ce? mented in. Even if you hired 1000 men, they wouldn't be able to open the door. The door will open if you say the following words, 'C'zame, open up'...the door will open, 'C'zame. close'...the door will close." The youngest son wrote down what she said. He obeyed what his godmother had told him to do. approached his father and asked for his smallest frigate and $500.00. His fa? ther said, "Are you crazy? I'm going to get rid of you anyway." The youngest son left. He followed his godmother's instructions and when, he ar? rived at the steel door, he said, "C6zame, open up." the door opened and closed be? hind him. He then went down a stairway. Every 20 feet, there was a small light go? ing down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he discovered a beautiful castle, 1000 times better than his father's. He had never seen anything like it. He could hear his godmother's words, "Go to the fourth door to the left, you'll en? ter a room, there's a barrel with a leaky tap. Don't touch the tap, put your bottle under the tap and let it fill up on its own. You can then go through the entire castle without any harm coming to you." Sure enough, he put the bottle under the dripping tap and then went on to explore the castle. All of a sudden, he came upon a door which led to a bedroom where the most beautiful girl lay in a bed. He went to her and saw that she was sleeping. He tried everything he could in order to wake her up but to no avail. He said to the sleeping girl. "You don't want to wake up. well. I'm going to sleep with you anyway." He slept with the girl, then when it was time to go. he went to retrieve his bottle and went back up the staircase. "C'zame. open up."...the door opened. "C'zame PIPER'S TRAILER COURT Featuring: Fully Licensed Dining Room Laundromat Mini-Mart Ocean-Side Campsites Swimming Pool 929-2233 929-2067 Indian Brook on the Cabot Trail (Halfway between Baddeck and Ingonish) From either direction on the Cabot Trail, plan for comfort and welcome Piper's Old Manse GUEST HOUSE with Bed and Breakfast OPEN YEAR ROUND > WE'RE PROUD TO SHARE... Scottish and Acadian Festivals Hiking trails, picnic and camping parks Museums and heritage The warmest waters north of the Carolinas! Cottage crafts and works of art The Cape Breton highlands National Park Fresh and salt water fishing Horse racing, canoeing, and other sports Fine accommodations, gift shops Restaurants Wildlife The Sunset Side of Cape Breton Requests for Visitor's Guide, brochures, and general information may be made to: Inverness County Department of Recreation/Tourism P.O. Box 179. Port Hood, N.S. BOE 2W0 (902)787-2274 Centre 200 200 ADMINISTRATION 564-2200 CENTRE LINE 539-1100 VISA&'MASTERCARD Orders by Phone: Box Office595-2130 OILERS FINERY 481 George St., Sydney • 564-8171 Official Souvenir Shop for the Cape Breton Oilers OPEN MON-SAT 9-5 PM

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