THE GIANT GOULAFFRE

_{The golden carriage.}

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But, after a few months, the king's cheerfulness faded again, little by little.

"What will he ask me now?", Allanic said to himself, worried.

Finally, the king said to him one day:

"I will only live happily when you have brought me here, to my palace, the giant Goulaffre himself."

"Ah! Sire, can you demand the impossible, and after all I have done for you, will you not give me a moment of peace?"

"I tell you, you must bring me the giant Goulaffre, or there is only death for you."

"Yes, I see now that it is indeed my death that you desire; but at least, will you give me everything I ask of you, to attempt this impossible test?"

—"Ask whatever you want, I will refuse you nothing."

"Well! Have me build a carriage of solid gold, all furnished with sharp points inside, and whose single door will close by itself on whoever enters the carriage, without him being able to open it, regardless of its strength. I will also need twenty-four strong horses to harness them."

“You will have all that,” replied the king.

Blacksmiths and skilled workers were found, and in a short time, the carriage was built to the desired conditions of solidity and dimensions. Twenty-four magnificent horses were harnessed there. Allanic climbed into the seat, dressed as a coachman, and left.

When he arrived in the woods surrounding the castle, he saw the giant walking there.

He cried and moaned and sometimes let out wild screams. Allanic walked towards him, and asked him very respectfully:

"What, lord, is the cause of such great pain?"

"Ah! I am the most unfortunate of giants! An abortion, named Allanic, made me kill my two daughters and my wife; and what's more, he stole my seven-league boots, my half-moon, and my golden cage. Ah! if I had it! but I don't know where to find him, nor what country he lives in."

"Allanic! But I know him very well, and I also have reason to complain about him. I would be delighted to be able to take revenge for all the harm he has done to me. Enter my carriage, lord, and I will find it for you without delay.

Goulaffre, who did not recognize Allanic disguised as a coachman from a large house, entered the carriage without hesitation. Immediately the door closed on him of its own accord, with a loud noise, and the coachman whipped his horses, which set off at full gallop. The poor giant, jolted in his prison, torn by the spikes that entered his body from all sides, uttered frightening cries and made every effort to open the door and break the carriage. But it was in vain. He terrified everything in his path, men and animals, with his cries of rage.

They arrived in Paris. But once the giant was brought into the palace courtyard, they didn't know what to do with him. Everyone trembled as they heard him scream and roar in his prison. The council was assembled to deliberate on what should be done. No one knew how to give a reasonable opinion. Fear dominated everything. Then Allanic said:

"I will drive the carriage into the middle of a large plain; have fifty cartloads of oak wood and as many cartloads of fagots transported around him; then, it will be set on fire, and Goulaffre will be burned alive and reduced to ashes, in the middle of this hellish fire, without being able to harm anyone.

They followed this advice and thus freed themselves from the terrible giant Goulaffre.

Allanic then married the king's daughter, and, as he had a good heart, he appointed Fistilou his first army general, although he had tried to do him a lot of harm.

There were, for a whole month, public rejoicings and continual feasts. I, who was young then, was taken to the palace kitchen to turn the spit, and this is how I was able to learn the story of Allanic and the giant Goulaffre and tell you all the things as they happened.

Told by Barbe Tassel, from Plouaret, in 1869.

THE END

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Source: Le Géant Goulaffre from the French book Contes et légendes de Basse-Bretagne published in 1891.

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Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8

Next Tale: The Man with Two Dogs

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Hello, my name is Vincent Celier.

 

I am writing translations of folk tales that I found in public domain French books, so that people who do not understand French may enjoy them too.

 
So the king wanted to get rid of the Giant Goulaffre. He could have said that to Allanic in the beginning, then Allanic would have also gotten his half-moon and his golden cage.

Anyhow, Allanic succeeds in capturing the Giant Goulaffre and killing him.

This tale ends on a positive note: Allanic marries the king's daughter and pardons Fistilou.

 
Today, I walked to our favorite grocery store to buy jam.

On my way, I went through the parking lot of the nearby shopping center. After the big snowstorm of last week, there are big piles of snow on this parking lot.

Here is another view; in the back, you can see the restaurant where we had lunch yesterday, my daughter Roseline and I: the Cactus Club Café.

It will take several weeks for these snow piles to melt.

-- Vincent Celier