Author: Menéndez, Elvira & Álvarez Fernández, José María

Title: El gabán de don Enrique III el Doliente (2002)

Genre: short story

Age: Contemporary Age

Description: Included in the children’s anthology Leyendas de España, by SM publishing house, it is a rewrite of the legend of Enrique III’s mantle, specifically, of the piece El gabán del niño-rey. Episodio en un acto y dos cuadros originales en verso, by Francisco Tomás y Estruch (1893). The authors follow this version with a remarkable fidelity, but they manage without its “gruesome or inappropriate for children” (Menéndez and Álvarez Fernández 2002: 11). In this rewrite, an important innovation appears: after going in disguise to the banquet of one of the noblemen, the king is about to reveal his identity but, finally, he decides to wait until his legal age. This way, he returns to his castle, where he must pawn his belongings to survive until the day of prevailing over his guardians arrives. Then, he invites them, for his birthday, to a macabre banquet in which he executes his revenge

Key characters: Enrique III. Butler. Archbishop of Toledo. Noblemen.

Resources:

• • • • • • Study:
            • Gómez Alonso, Alejandra Fátima (2021), “Del gabán del rey al rey solito. Enrique III el Doliente al servicio de la infancia”.
          • Additional bibliography.
          • Media:
            • Gómez Alonso, Alejandra Fátima. Pedagogical rewritings of the legend of Henry III, 20th and 21st centuries.
          • Links:
            • Real Academia de la Historia. Enrique III.
            • RTVE. Memoria de España. La época de las tragedias (1348-1485).