Thus When A Young Lady Refuses An Offer Of
Marriage On The Part Of Her Admirer, The Phrase Is:
Sie hat ihm den Korb
gegeben (She has given him the basket).
Hitherto I have not met with any
one who could explain to me satisfactorily the origin of so singular a
phrase; but on reading lately a volume of the Volksmaehrchen (Popular
tales) I found not only the derivation of this phrase, but also that of
the name of the city of Prague. Both are connected in the same story, and
both concern the history of Prague. The story is as follows.
Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia, had three lovers, two of whom were not
remarkably intelligent, but the third possessed a great deal of talent and
was her favorite. She was much importuned by the rival suitors. She
appeared before them one day with a basket filled with plums in her hand;
and said she would give her hand in marriage to whoever of them should
guess the following arithmetical riddle. She said: "One of you shall take
half the plums that are in this basket, and one over: another shall take
half of what remains, and one over: the third shall take half of what still
remains and three over, and then all the plums will have been taken. Now
tell me how many plums there are in the basket." Her favorite was the only
one who could guess the number of plums which was thirty. To him
therefore she gave her hand and the plums, and to the other suitors the
empty basket.
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