• Chastity
• That sort of justice
• The weeping dog
• Of reasons
• Once Severity Availed Less than Lenience
• Garden-Wise

Chastity

Emperor Gallus hired a particularly skilful carpenter to help in building a great palace. At that time there also lived a certain knight who had a remarkably beautiful daughter. The knight noticed how unusually wise and skilful the carpenter was, and determined to give him his daughter in marriage. Calling him, therefore, he said, "Good friend, ask of me what you will, and if it is at all possible I will do it, if only you marry my daughter."

The carpenter agreed, and the marriage was celebrated. Then the knight's wife said to the carpenter, "Son, since you have become one of our family, I will give you a shirt that will neither be rent, nor worn, nor stained as long as you and your wife are faithful to each other. But if - Heaven forbid - either of you are unfaithful, it will not work like that any longer."

The carpenter, very happy about what he heard, took the shirt and thanked his mother-in-law a whole lot for the gift.

A short while afterwards the carpenter was sent to supervise the building of the emperor's palace, and took with him the valuable shirt. He was away from home till the structure was complete; and many who saw how much he worked, admired his clean-looking shirt. Even the emperor noticed it and said to him, "How is it that your shirt stays clean and tidy no matter how long you work while wearing it?"

"This is how it is," he said. "So long as my wife and I remain faithful to each other, my shirt stays white and beautiful. But if either of us forgets our wedding vows, it will sully like any other cloth."

A soldier overheard this and thought, "If I can, I will make you wash your shirt." And right away he secretly hastened to the carpenter's house and enticed his wife to dishonour. She received him politely and looked pleased, and also seemed to share his feelings. "But," she added, "in this place others may observe us. Come with me, and I will take you into a private room."

He followed her. Closing the door, she said, "Wait here for a while. I will soon return." And next day she returned and supplied him with bread and water through a tiny opening in the very solid door. The soldier saw there was nothing else for him to do but to endure this humiliation.

Before long, two other soldiers came to her from the emperor's court with the same purpose in mind, one by one. And she likewise tricked them into the chamber where they were fed with bread and water only.

That three soldiers had disappeared from the emperor's court, gave rise to many questions and investigations at the place while the carpenter, who had done what he came for, received his pay and returned home. His wife met him with joy and exclaimed as she looked on his spotless shirt, "Hurra, there is not a single stain on the shirt."

He replied, "Dear, while the building was nearly completed, three soldiers, one after another, came to ask questions about the shirt. I told about it, and since then nothing has been heard of them."

His noble wife smiled and said, "All the soldiers came here and tried to seduce me. I tricked them one by one into a remote room, and have fed them only with bread and water since."

The carpenter, delighted with this proof that his wife had been faithful to him, spared their lives and set them free, and he and his wife lived happily for the rest of their lives. [69]

The carpenter is any good husband, and the soldiers stand for pride and lust.

That sort of justice

During the reign of Caesar a law was enacted: If a man mistreated a woman and overcame her by violence, it should remain with the offended woman to decide whether the man should be put to death or married to her without a portion.

Now, a certain fellow violated two women on the same night, and one of the women wanted him put him to death, and the other to be married to him. The violator was seized and brought before the judge.

The first woman insisted on her right to have the man put to death; while the second claimed him for her husband according to the law. She said, "Because my demand is less severe and more charitable, I hope that the judge will rule in my favour."

When either side had been heard, the judge ordered that the second woman should have the man for her husband. [4]

The weeping dog

In the kingdom of a certain empress there lived a knight who was happily married to a noble, chaste, and beautiful wife. It happened that he was called upon to take a long journey.

Before he left he said to his wife, "I leave you no guard, for I believe it to be enough." He then embarked with his attendants.

After a short time, a neighbour persuaded her to appear at a festival. There, among other guests, was a youth who was taken in by the beautiful lady. But she did not want him, and that made the health of the youth decline daily.

One day he met an old woman as he walked sorrowfully towards the church. She told him: "As long as the sick man hides his malady from the physician he cannot be cured. Discover the wound, and a remedy may be found. Tell what is the matter, and I will make you healthy again."

At last he confided to her that he had fallen in love with the lady.

"Is that all?" said the old woman. "Go home again, and I will find something to help you."

She had a little dog. For two days she let it go without food, and then gave it bread made of bitter mustard flour. It made the dog's eyes water copiously for the rest of that day.

Now the old woman and her dog went to the house of the lady the young man loved, and was well received. As they sat together, the lady noticed the weeping dog and was curious to know why it was so. The old hag told her: "That little dog was my daughter - too good and excellent for this world. She was loved by a young man but not loved back, and then he perished. And my daughter, as a punishment for being so hard-hearted, was suddenly changed into the little dog here."

A few crocodile tears started into her eyes; and she went on, "Alas! My daughter wastes her life in tears!"

The lady got terrified at what she heard, and confided: "I too am loved like that without loving back."

The old woman said, "Do not disregard a young man. Be warned in time."

"Oh!" returned the credulous lady, "what would you have me do? I will not be turned into a dog."

"Send for the youth and give him what he desires, simply," said the woman.

The lady said, "O, fetch him!"

The woman got up and returned with him.

(Tale 27, retold)

Of reasons

The Emperor Heraclius was remarkable for his inflexible justice. Once a certain man accused a knight of the murder of another knight, in this form: "Two knights went out to war in company with another, but there was no battle, and only one knight returned. Therefore we think he murdered his companion."

The king seemed to be satisfied with this guesswork, and commanded the prisoner to be executed. But as they approached the place of execution, the lost knight came walking towards them, alive and well.

The judge got enraged at this interruption of the sentence, and said to the accused knight, "I order you to be put to death, because you have already been sentenced to death."

Then turning to the accusing man, "And you also, because you are the cause of his death."

"And you, too," addressing the restored knight, "because you were sent to war to kill, and did not." [140]

Once Severity Availed Less than Lenience

King Medrus had an only son, and put him up as his heir. However, the son was ungrateful to his father, and was soon disinherited. Under these circumstances the son fled to the king of the Persians, who was the rival and enemy of his parent. He said that he was ready to serve him to the death, and was ready to make war on his father too.

War was declared, and the armies fought against each other for some time with equal fortune. Then it happened that King Medrus was grievously wounded, and the blood flowed. When his son perceived this and had thought about it, he straightway hurried to his father's side and attacked the troops of the Persian king, and put them to flight.

After this, his deal with the king of Persia was made void, and he returned to his father, meekly sought forgiveness, and got it. When peace had thus been established, he was again appointed his father's heir. * [138]

Garden-Wise

Emperor Vespasian had a daughter who was loveliest to be found all around. He even proclaimed that whoever looked on her in sorrow would leave her glad. The emperor had a fine, secluded and walled garden near his palace too, and often walked around in it.

When the time came to marry her off, he made a proclamation: "Those who wish to marry my daugher should come to the palace and stay in my garden for three or four days. Afterwards the wedding ceremony will take place."

Large crowds came, for the terms seemed easy. However, after they entered the garden, they disappeared. Not one of them returned.

But a knight who lived in a distant country, also heard of the conditions and how lovely the daughter was. One day he came to the gate of the palace and demanded to be let in. When he was introduced to the emperor, he said:" I hear that whoever enters your garden and comes out of it after four days may marry your daughter. That is why I am here."

"Enter the garden, then," said the emperor; "and when you get out of it it time there will be a marriage."

"But," added the knight, " I ask one boon of your majesty: Before I enter the garden, I would talk with the lady briefly."

"I have no objection to that," said the emperor.

She was called, and the knight said to her: "Lady, many have entered the garden, but no one has come out of it. Knowit this makes me sad. If the same should happen to me, I should have sought in vain to marry you. So please give me the means to get out alive and leave you, glad for now."

"I cannot break my father's words - I know how to gladden you," said the lady and went on, "In the garden there is a huge lion. It devours every one who enters with the hope of marrying me. So arm yourself from head to foot and smear your armour with much gum. As soon as you have entered the garden the lion will rush toward you; attack it as best you can, and when you are weary, leave him. Then will he seize you at once by the arm or leg; but in so doing, the gum will stick to his teeth, and he will be unable to hurt you. As soon as this happens, use your sword and cut off its head.

"There is another danger to be overcome too. There is but one entrance, and the labyrinths are so intricate that getting out of it is nearly impossible without help. Therefore, take this ball of thread, and bind one of the ends to the gate as you enter, and go into the garden while keeping the ball and letting out thread. Beware not to lose the thread."

The knight did exactly as she told him. However, while he rejoiced over defeating the lion, he let go the thread. For three days he wandered about the garden, seeking the lost thread. Towards night he discovered it, and joyfully hastened back to the gate. A little while later he made his way to the emperor and married his daughter well, very well.

[Tale 63]