The legend of the lady of Montigny

The harpy and the ol' beggar

Lord Jean of Montigny went to war and let his wife alone in the castle. He was a generous and kind chap but she was a real harpy!

Months and months flew by and Jean didn’t come home. Until this day... an old beggar woman tapped on the castle's door, with her 7 kids following her.

She just begged for alms... The lady of Montigny immediately kicked her out, yelling: "Don’t have kids if you can’t afford them..."

The old lady cast a spell on her: she would give birth to several babies, just like her!

Then she ran away. And few months after, the lady gave birth... to 9 babies.

Drowned in a bag

Oh my gosh!! She had to drown all those kids, before her husband’s return! She stuck a domestic with the rotten job.

Whoosh, this one put them in a big bag and went near the river Loir. But she had not the time to discharge her bag... a shadow emerged in front of her... my gosh!!

It was Jean de Montigny in the flesh, who came back from war!

He asked her what she was doing here. The poor one muttered, then confessed everything.

Oooo, the lord was so angry! He took the kids under his wing and raised them secretly, in the village.

Swearing he would take revenge on his wife... oh, they had a son, meanwhile, by the way!

Revenge

And when the 9 kids were all 7 years old, Jean invited them in the castle on the occasion of his son’s birthday.

He dressed the 10 identically, and said to his wife: «So, which one is your son?» The 10 kids were as like as two peas, ah!

She could not choose... and burst into tears. Too late.

Jean locked her in a barrel he threw in river Loir.

A peasant heard her screams and took her out of the water, but the naughty lady died instantly...