Marie was the most beautiful and richest girl of all the farmers near Sunday Lake. This made her so proud that, in her eyes, no young man was good enough to be her groom.
One day poor Toni, a strong and handsome young lad from Wolfestown, asked her to be his wife. The girl had no interest in marrying a penniless farmer, even though she liked him, and turned down his offer. Toni did not give up on his hopes and a few weeks later asked again for her hand. On this occasion, full of arrogance, she said to him, “I will only marry a man who brings me a bridal bouquet of Golden Bell flowers from Sunday Lake South rocky cliff!”
Toni looked at the southern rocky wall of the Sunday Lake cliff and his heart weakened as he saw the white and powerful wall, where the vultures safely placed their nests. He answered, “Nobody has been able to climb the southern wall, but if you promise me to keep your word, I will try it.”
“What I have said, stands!” answered Marie; then she turned and went back to work.
The Golden Bell of Sunday Lake, Solidago Virgaurea, is a short variety of the generalized Solidago flower. It is rare and only appears in southern Quebec and Ontario usually on rock formations.
The following Sunday morning Toni started towards Sunday Lake's southern cliff. To his right, the vultures are hovering about the cliff, to his left he can see the crystalline waters of the lake, while he is thinking of the beautiful Marie, never about the danger that he is ready to face.
It did not take long until he got to the bottom of the wall and step by step, grip by grip, he climbed through the crevasse and then onto the open wall. Down below he saw some spectators watching him, but not many, as most of the families were gathering at the local church for Sunday service. Some were called to watch Toni as this was a rare spectacle. Among them was Marie who, coldly, with a smile on her face, said, “That’s Toni! I have sent him there so that he can get a small set of Golden Bell flowers for my bridal bouquet.”
People around her were outraged and despised the girl. She started crying and felt very sorry about her blind selfishness.
The young people started moving towards the cliff to help Toni in any way possible. However, when they reached the wall, nobody was to be seen.
In the end, they found him in a small ledge where he had fallen. He was alive but had broken an ankle. In his right hand, he had a beautiful bunch of Golden Bell flowers.
Marie reached the group in no time and, upon seeing Toni, she burst into tears and knelt beside him. “Please forgive my stupid pride, Toni. You are the bravest man I know, and I will be very happy to be your wife.”
Toni smiled and kissed Marie. “I forgive you Marie, but here, don’t forget your bouquet for our wedding.” They married on the following Sunday. Toni was limping but his heart was full of joy and he became a wealthy farmer in the village. He never climbed the Sunday Lake cliff again and lived a long life with his beautiful wife Marie.
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