Why do we designate under the name of rock of the crow, a rock which dominates the coll de la Quitta (pass of the fox) in the valley of Prats? The crow is a sinister bird, and it must have left sad memories in these parts. These memories go back to the invasion of the Arabs, which caused the emigration of the Christians in the mountain.
crow's rock
Near the sources of the Tech had taken refuge a family of hardworking people: the father and mother cultivated the land; Guiselda their daughter, barely fifteen years old, went to herd the goats in the mountains. As she was very pretty, the shepherds looked for her. And little by little she became flirtatious.
Guiselda was admiring herself one day in the clear water of a fountain, adorning her hair with a crown of vines and her neck with a necklace of greenery, when she heard a voice calling her. She turned around, perhaps thinking she saw the prince charming she was dreaming of, but she only saw a crow perched high on a peak.
“Guiselda I Guiselda! seemed to shout the bird.
If animals had the gift of speech, thought the young girl, I would believe that crow was calling me. But he wouldn't have such a melodious voice.
As she approached, however, the crow said to her:
— "Beautiful Guiselda, don't be surprised to hear my voice, you will know later who I am." One day you will be the wife of a prince of the Orient. I see you queen, I see you powerful, enthroned in a magnificent palace. »
And the black raven flew away with a caw and a rustle of wings that froze the young girl in confusion. Some time later the arrival of the Arabs was announced. In front of these devastators fled the shepherds and their flocks. Guiselda also fled with her parents, but could not resist the fatigues of the march; exhausted, at the end of her strength, she collapsed in front of a grotto and commended herself to the Virgin; Suddenly the sound of a horse galloping was heard: it was a handsome horseman who was coming, soon followed by the terrible Moorish warriors.
The leader of the troop dismounted on seeing Guiselda, offered her a drink and revived her. But, vanquished by her charms, he prevailed over his rump by surrounding her with the thousand kindnesses that a lover lavishes on his beauty.
And the crow's prediction came true: loved by the Moorish leader, Guiselda was taken to Jaffa and became queen of the harem. However, she had to undergo severe trials and she would have given her royalty and her jewels to see the Vallespir and her goat Zilda again.
The Virgin of Coral, however, took pity on her and gave her the means to escape the Sultan and return to beautiful Roussillon.
The elderly parents of the deceased shepherdess no longer recognized Guiselda, so much the pain had wreaked havoc on her face, which had once been so gentle. It was no longer, alas, the beautiful peasant woman that the shepherds admired!
Yet she relives with ineffable happiness her old parents, her goat Zilda, the mountains and the flowers. She seemed to be gradually coming back to life when one day she heard a voice that made her start:
"Guiseldah!" Guiselda!
Pale Guiselda then saw the accursed raven which had once announced such a fatal prediction to her. She uttered a cry of terror and fell on her knees to implore the Virgin of Coral. At this evocation the crow disappeared noisily, while Guiselda breathed her last. And we saw, it seems, angels take away the soul of the unfortunate girl.
EN 
FR 
ES