Cap O'Rushes

Cap O'Rushes is an animated short that is adapted from the English fairy tale of the same name by Joseph Jacobs. It is an episode part of the anthology series "Animated Tales of the World".

Summary
An elderly man whose wife had passed away lives with his three daughters as the two older sisters wish to be married. Julia and Maria love their father very much as the two sisters say that they love "him as much as life and the world". The youngest of the sisters says that she loves her father "as much as meat needs salt". Misinterpreting her, the third daughter's father declared to her that she did not love him at all and that it was not enough, and she is misunderstood and banished from home. She then finds herself in a nearby marsh where she weaves a cap and gown of rushes just like the wading bird in the marsh.

One rainy night, the daughters' father tells his servant to search for the missing daughter who was mistakenly banished from home as her father is worried that he lost his daughter as a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, the daughter tries to find shelter by going inside and scrubbing the pots and pans hired by a woman. The nameless daughter begins scrubbing the pots, the pans, and the kitchen supplies as she goes to rest. The next day, the woman does not give the daughter a name, but she calls her "Cap O'Rushes". Rather than continuing to work with the woman, a young master suddenly arrives to Cap O'Rushes as she finds shelter and works in the master's home.

Meanwhile, a girl named Polly is excited with Cap O'Rushes to know if she is coming to see a ball dance in which she tells her that she doesn't have time to watch the dance. Meanwhile, all the servants went to take a look at the fine people during a ball. Cap O'Rushes then says that she was too tired, but she took off her cap and gown; then, she wore a ballroom dress and attended the ball. The ball repeated two more nights, but during the third night, the master is disappointed with Cap O'Rushes to know why she refuses to tell her name since he doesn't know her yet. However, she receives a ring from him as a token of his love. The next day, the young master searched everyone for Cap O'Rushes, but was unable to find her.

Meanwhile, Cap O'Rushes prepares some gruel (a type of porridge) for the young master upon his return. Upon serving the gruel to the master, he then discovers the ring on his gruel for Cap O'Rushes, the woman whom he truly loves. Cap O'Rushes then falls in love with the young master and everyone, including the father of Cap O'Rushes, attended the wedding feast. A course of unsalted meats is served that reminds the father of Cap O'Rushes, who thinks he lost his daughter. The father of Cap O'Rushes is sad until Cap O'Rushes eveals to him who she is. Cap O'Rushes, her father, and the young master, live happily ever after.

Voice Cast

 * Emily Woof - Cap O'Rushes


 * David Calder - The Father


 * Dominic Rowan - Young Master


 * Julie Higginson - The Cook / Julia


 * Sheridan Smith - Polly / Maria


 * Juliet Stevenson - The Narrator