Italian Folktales
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The Left-Hand Squire
Once, it is told, there was a king who had a left-hand squire and a right-hand squire. The left-hand squire was married to a beautiful, gracious, and modest lady. In all the time he had been at court, the right-hand squire had never laid eyes on such a lovely countenance, and was half angry over this.He took to telling the king, "You can't imagine what a handsome wife the left-hand squire has! A magnificent lady indeed!"
On another day, he told the king, "This morning I caught a glimpse of your squire's wife, and the sight left me speechless. There simply aren't words to tell you how lovely she is!"
And still another time. "Would you believe that the left-hand squire's lady grows lovelier all the time?"
Overnight the king was filled with desire to see this beauty for himself. He mounted his horse and rode with his knights up to the left-hand squire's palace. At that very moment the lady happened to be at the window. The king felt his heart skip several beats. He looked at her as they rode by, but that was all he could do, since it was unfitting for a king to stop and stare up at a window, or else people could gossip. He came back by the palace on his way home, but the lady, modest soul that she was, had withdrawn from the window. Unable to let matters rest, the king went home to his palace and ordered no one to leave it until his return: he had got the bright idea of calling on the lady while her husband was under orders to stay inside the royal castle.
He dressed up as a soldier and went to the left-hand squire's castle. He rang the bell, and the door was answered by the maid, who asked, "What do you wish?"
"I must speak to the lady of the house."
"What do you wish of my lady?"
"I have to talk to her."
"My lady is resting and cannot receive you."
"I shall come in anyway."
"No, you cannot." She gave him a shove and was about to shut the door in his face, when the king unbuckled his soldier-jacket and showed her the king's robe he wore underneath it.
The maid fell to her knees. "Pardon me! I did not recognize you!"
"That is all right," replied the king. "You prove that you are a faithful maidservant. Now I wish you merely to let me look on the princess's face, and I will leave."
"Of course -" and on tiptoe she led him to where her lady was resting. She was in a deep sleep. The king grew weak in the knees at the beautiful sight. He removed one of his gloves, laid it on the canopy, and reached out to caress her; but he checked himself in time.
He stood there looking her over her to his heart's content for a while. Then he turned away and departed.
When the king got home, the knights and all the court were free to leave. The left-hand squire returned to his house and went to his wife. What should meet his eye as he entered the bedchamber but the glove the king had forgotten on the canopy. From that day forward, he no longer looked at his wife.
The poor lady, innocent as a lamb, did not know what to make of this change of heart in her husband and, keeping to herself and never complaining, she grew thin and wrinkled.
Her maidservant would say, "My lady, why are you always sad and alone, while other ladies go to balls and the theatre?"
One day the right-hand squire chanced to walk by the left-hand squire's residence, and whom should he see on the balcony but the poor princess, now thin as a rail. Even this evil-hearted man was moved to pity and told the king about it. "Would you believe, the once exquisitely beautiful wife of the left-hand squire has fallen off and faded beyond recognition."
The king grew thoughtful and, after much pondering, slapped his forehead. "Oh, dear, what have I done!"
Two days later, he gave orders for a court banquet. Every knight was to bring his wife or, if unmarried, his sister or some other lady of his household. The left-hand squire had no choice but to take his wife, since he had neither sister nor anyone else he could bring. He summoned the maidservant and instructed her to tell his wife to get herself the most beautiful outfit conceivable, sparing no expense, since she was invited to the banquet at the court.
At the banquet, the lady was seated beside her husband, who sat on the king's left. The king asked his guests about their life, questioning everyone except his left-hand squire and the squire's wife. At last he turned to her. "And how have you spent your life, my lady?"
Softly, the poor lady replied in verse:
"A vine was I, a vine am I;Then the squire answered her:
He pruned me earlier, though now no more. I know not why
My master tends his vine no more."
"A vine were you, a vine are you yet;The king realized that the vine was the lady, who had been deserted by her husband upon finding the glove on the canopy. Now aware of all the harm his curiosity had wrought, he said:
I pruned you before, though now no more. The reason is the lion's threat,
And thus your master tends his vine no more."
"About this vine you speak about:When kings swear by their crown, they are taking the gravest of oaths. So when the squire heard that his wife was innocent, he was speechless.
I raised its leaves and saw the stalk,
But touched it not,
To keep my crown from blot;
I swear by it I tell the truth."
After the banquet, the king took the couple aside and told them how the glove had found its way to the lady's bed, and he thus concluded his account. "I admired the maidservant's fidelity to her lady and, even more, the integrity of this lady who never looked at any man but her husband. Forgive me for all the grief I have caused you."
[Calvino, retold. The tale is from Palermo]
Water and Salt
ONCE on a time there was a king with three daughters. When these three daughters were at table one day, their father said, "Come now, let us see which of you three loves me the most."The oldest said, "Papa, I love you as much as my eyes."
The second answered, "I love you as much as my heart."
The youngest said, "I love you as much as water and salt."
The king heard her with amazement, "Do you value me like water and salt? Quick! Call the executioners, for I will have her killed immediately."
The other sisters privately gave the executioners a little dog, and told them to kill it and rend one of the youngest sister's garments, but to leave her in a cave. This they did, and brought back to the king the dog's tongue and the rent garment, saying, "Here is her tongue and garment."
The king gave them a reward.
The unfortunate princess was found in the forest by a wizard, who took her to his house opposite a king's castle. Here the king's son saw her and fell desperately in love with her, and the match was soon agreed upon. Then the wizard came and said, "Invite three kings for the wedding, your father the first. Order the servants to pass water and salt to all the guests except your father."
Now let us return to the father of this young girl: The longer he lived the more his love for her increased, and he was sick of grief. When he received the invitation he said, "And how can I go when I feel this tormenting love for the daughter I had killed?" And he would not go. Then he thought, "But this king will be offended if I do not go, and will declare war against me some time."
Therefore he accepted and went. On the the evening he arrived the prince and the princess were married, and the next day they had a banquet. The prince gave orders, "No salt and water to that king."
They sat down at table, and the young queen was near her father, but he did not eat. His daughter said, "Why don't you eat? Does not the food please you?"
"It looks very fine."
"Why don't you eat then?"
"I don't feel very well."
The bride and groom helped him to some bits of meat, but the king did not want it, and chewed his food over and over again like a goat (as if he could eat it without salt!). When they finished eating they began to tell stories, and the king told them about his daughter. She asked him if he could still recognize her, and stepping out of the room put on the same dress she wore when he sent her away to be killed. "You caused me to be killed because I told you I loved you as much as salt and water. Now you have seen what it is to eat without salt and water."
Her father could not say a word, but embraced her and begged her pardon. They remained happy and contented, and here we are with nothing.
[Crane, retold]
Catherine and Her Fate
There was once a merchant who was very rich and had greater treasures than a king. In his reception room stood three wonderfully beautiful seats. One was of silver, the second of gold, and the third of diamonds. This merchant had an only daughter. Her name was Catherine, and she was fairer than the sun.One day as Catherine was sitting in her chamber, the door suddenly opened of itself, and there entered a tall, beautiful lady, who held in her hand a wheel. "Catherine," said she, "when would you rather enjoy your life, in youth or in old age?" Catherine gazed at her in amazement, and could make no answer.
The beautiful lady again asked, "Catherine, when would you rather enjoy your life, in youth or in old age?" Then thought Catherine, "If I say in youth, I must suffer for it in old age; wherefore I will rather enjoy my life in old age, and in youth God's will be done."
So she answered, "In old age."
"Be it as you have wished," said the beautiful woman, turned her wheel once, and disappeared. Now this beautiful tall lady was Catherine's Fate.
A few days later, her father suddenly received news that some of his ships had been wrecked in a storm; a few days after, he learned that several more of his ships had foundered; and to cut the matter short, scarcely a month had passed when he was himself deprived of all his riches. He had to sell all that he had, and this, too, he lost, until at last he remained poor and wretched. From grief he fell ill and died.
So poor Catherine remained all alone in the world, without a penny, and with no one to give her shelter. She thought, "I will go to another city and seek me a place there."
So she set out and walked until she came to another city. As she was going through the streets a noble lady happened to be standing by the window, and asked her,
"Where are you going, all alone, pretty maiden?"
"Ah! noble lady, I am a poor girl, and would like to find a place to earn my bread. Can you not find use for me?"
So the noble lady received her, and Catherine served her faithfully.
Some days later the lady said one evening,
"Catherine, I must go out for a time, and will lock the house door."
"Very well," said Catherine, and after her mistress had gone she took her work and sat down and sewed. Suddenly the door opened, and her Fate entered. "So?" she cried, "are you here, Catherine? And do you think now that I am going to leave you in peace?"
With these words, her Fate ran to all the cupboards, dragged out the linen and clothes of Catherine's mistress, and tore everything into a thousand pieces. Catherine thought, "Woe is me if my mistress returns and finds everything in this condition; she will certainly kill me!" And in her anguish she opened the door and fled.
Her Fate, however, gathered up all the torn and ruined things, made them whole, and laid them away in their places. When the mistress returned she called Catherine, but Catherine was nowhere to be seen. "Can she have robbed me?" she thought; but when she looked about, nothing was gone. She was very much astonished, but Catherine did not return, but hastened on until she came to another city. As she was passing through the streets, another lady, standing by the window, asked her,
"Where are you going, all alone, pretty maiden?"
"Ah! noble lady, I am a poor girl, and would like a place to earn my bread. Can you not make use of me?"
Then the lady took her in, and Catherine served her and thought now she could rest in peace. It lasted, however, but a few days. One evening, when her mistress was out, her Fate appeared again and addressed her harshly,
"So, here you are now? Do you think you can escape me?" Then the Fate tore and destroyed everything that it found, so that poor Catherine again fled, in her anguish of heart.
To cut the matter short, Catherine led this frightful life seven years, flying from one city to another, and everywhere attempting to find a place. Her Fate always appeared after a few days, and tore and destroyed her employers' things, so that the poor girl had to flee. As soon as she had left the house the Fate restored everything and put it in its place.
Finally, after seven years, her Fate seemed weary of always persecuting the unfortunate Catherine. One day Catherine came again to a city and saw a lady standing at a window, who asked her,
"Where are you going, all alone, pretty girl?"
"Ah! noble lady, I am a poor girl, and would like to find a place to earn my bread. Can you not find use for me?" The lady answered,
"I will give you a place willingly, but you must perform daily a service, and I do not know whether you have strength for it."
"Tell me what it is," said Catherine, "and if I can, I will do it."
"Do you see that high mountain over there?" asked the lady. "Every morning you must carry up there a large board covered with fresh bread, and cry with a loud voice: 'My mistress' Fate! My mistress' Fate! My mistress' Fate!' thrice. Then my Fate will appear and receive the bread."
"I will do that," said Catherine, and the lady took her into her service.
Now Catherine remained years with this lady, and every morning she took a board with fresh bread and carried it up the mountain, and when she had called three times "O my mistress' Fate!" there appeared a beautiful tall lady, who received the bread.
Catherine often wept when she thought that she, who had once been so rich, must now serve like a poor maid. One day her mistress said to her,
"Catherine, why do you weep so much?"
Then Catherine told her how ill it had fared with her, and her mistress said,
"I will tell you what, Catherine, when you take the bread to the mountain tomorrow, ask my Fate to try and persuade your Fate to leave you now in peace. Perhaps that will do some good."
This advice pleased Catherine, and the next morning, after she had taken the bread to her mistress' Fate, she disclosed her trouble to her, and said,
"My mistress' Fate, beg my Fate to persecute me no longer."
Then the Fate answered,
"Ah, poor girl, your Fate is just now covered with seven coverlets, so that she cannot hear you; but when you come tomorrow I will take you to her."
After Catherine had returned home, her mistress' Fate went to the young girl's Fate and said,
"Dear sister, why are you never weary of making poor Catherine suffer? Permit her again to see some happy days."
The Fate answered,
"Bring her to me tomorrow and I will give her something that will help her out of all her trouble."
When Catherine brought the bread the next morning, her mistress' Fate led her to her own Fate, who was covered with seven coverlets. Her Fate gave her a small skein of silk, and said,
"Preserve it carefully; it will be of use to you."
Then Catherine went home and said to her mistress,
"My Fate has given me a little skein of silk. What shall I do with it? It is not worth three grani."
"Well," said her mistress, "preserve it, for who knows of what use it may be?"
Some time after this it happened that the young king was to marry, and on that account had royal garments made for himself. As the tailor was about to sew a beautiful dress, there was no silk of the same color to be found. So the king proclaimed throughout the whole land that whoever had such silk should bring it to the court and would be well rewarded.
"Catherine," said her mistress, "your skein is of that color; take it to the king so that he may make you a handsome present."
Then Catherine put on her best clothes, and went to the court. When she appeared before the king, she was so beautiful that he could not keep his eyes from her. She said, "I have brought you a little skein of silk, of the color that could not be found."
"I will tell you what," cried one of the ministers to the king, "we will pay the maiden for the silk with its weight in gold."
The king was satisfied, and they brought a balance. In one scale the king laid the silk, in the other, a gold coin. But no matter how many gold coins the king laid in the scale, the silk was always heavier. Then the king had a larger balance brought, and threw all his treasures into the scale, but the silk still weighed the more. Then the king at last took his crown from his head and placed it with all the other treasures, and behold! the scale with gold sank and weighed exactly as much as the silk.
"Where did you get this silk?" asked the king.
Then Catherine was made to relate all that had happened to her since she was a rich maiden.
Now there lived at the court a wise lady, who said, "Catherine, you have suffered much, but you will now see happy days; and that it was not until the golden crown was put in the scale that the balance was even, is a sign that you will be a queen."
"If she is to be a queen," cried the king, "I will make her one, for Catherine and none other shall be my wife."
And so it was. The king informed his betrothed that he no longer wished her, and married the fair Catherine. And after Catherine in her youth had suffered so much, she enjoyed nothing but happiness in her old age, and was happy and contented.
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