Near the mill of Binnorie was a mansion and garden where a King and a Queen lived with their two princesses. A knight, Sir William, came there and sought the hand of the elder princess and presented her a ring. But as time passed, he grew to love her younger sister for her beauty and gentleness. This made the elder princess so angry that she decided to do away with her sister! So one morning, she asked her sister to come along and watch the boats coming in on the mill stream at Binnorie. The younger one agreed and they reached the mill stream. The younger one stood upon a boulder to see the ships better. But suddenly, her elder sister shoved her into the rushing water of the mill stream! She called out for help, but the elder one refused to reach out to her as the current swept her away!
The Harper
The miller’s daughter caught the princess as she floated down the river to the mill. But unfortunately, the princess was dead. A well-known harper happened to pass that way and saw the beautiful princess. He made a harp using her bones and golden hair. He then went to the King’s castle to entertain the King and his family. He played upon his old harp and sang many songs that everyone enjoyed. The new harp sat beside him while he sang. Then, a beautiful voice arose from the new harp. Everyone heard it singing a haunting melody. It told the story of how the young princess had loved her parents, her brother and sister, and how she went to watch the ships and died in the mill stream! Everyone wept for the princess and was horrified to learn of her sister’s treachery. Then, the harp broke and never played again!
