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| Reservations | Contents |
The King of LoveOnce on a time there was a man who had three daughters. He earned his living by gathering wild herbs. One day he took his youngest daughter, Rosella, with him. They came to a garden and began to gather vegetables. The daughter saw a fine radish and began to pull it up when suddenly a Turk appeared and said: "Why have you opened my master's door? You must come in now, and he will decide on your punishment." They went down into the ground, more dead than alive; and when they were seated they saw a green bird come in and bathe in a pan of milk, then dry itself, and become a handsome youth. He said to the Turk: "What do these persons want?" "Your worship, they pulled up a radish, and opened the door of the cave." "How did we know," said the father, "that this was your house? My daughter saw a fine radish; it pleased her and she pulled it up." "Well, if that's the case," said the master, "your daughter shall stay here as my wife. Take this sack of gold and go. And when you want to see your daughter, come and make yourself at home." The father took leave of his daughter and went away. When the master was alone with her, he said: "You see, Rosella, you are now mistress here," and gave her all the keys. She was very happy there. One day while the green bird was away, her sisters took it into their heads to visit her and asked her about her husband. Rosella said she did not know, for he had made her promise not to try to find out who he was. Her sisters, however, persuaded her, and when the bird returned and became a man, Rosella put on a downcast air. "What is the matter?" asked her husband. "Nothing." "You had better tell me." She let him question her a while, and at last said: "Well, then, if you want to know why I am out of sorts, it is because I wish to know your name." Her husband told her that it would be the worse for her, but she insisted on knowing his name. So he made her put the gold basins on a chair and began to bathe his feet. "Rosella, do you really want to know my name?" "Yes." The water came up to his waist, for he had become a bird after he got into the basin. Then he asked her the same question again, and again she answered yes, and the water was up to his mouth. "Rosella, do you really want to know my name?" "Yes, yes, yes!" "Then know I am called The King of Love!" And saying this he disappeared, and the basins and the palace disappeared likewise, and Rosella found herself alone out in an open plain, without a soul to help her. She called her servants, but no one answered her. Then she said: "Since my husband has disappeared, I must wander about alone and forlorn to seek him!" The poor woman, who was pregnant and expected before long to become a mother, began her wanderings. At night she arrived at another lonely plain. Then she felt her heart sink, and, not knowing what to do, she cried out: "King of Love, you did it and said it. When she had uttered these words an ogress appeared and said: "You wretch, how dare you go about seeking my nephew?". But she took pity on her miserable state and gave her shelter for the night. The next morning she gave her a piece of bread, and said: "We are seven sisters, all ogresses, but the worst of all is your mother-in-law; look out for her!" To be brief, the poor girl wandered about for six days and met all six of the ogresses, who treated her in the same way. The seventh day, in great distress, she uttered her usual lament, and the sister of the King of Love appeared and said, "Rosella, while my mother is out, come up!" and she lowered the braids of her hair, and pulled her up through the air. Then the sister gave Rosella something to eat and told her how to seize and pinch her mother until she cried out: "Let me alone for the sake of my son, the King of Love!" Rosella did as she was told, but the ogress was so angry that she wanted to eat her anyway. But her daughters threatened to abandon the ogress if she did. "Well, then, I will write a letter, and Rosella must carry it to my friend," said the old ogress. Poor Rosella was disheartened when she saw the letter, and, coming down for there, found herself in the midst of a plain. She uttered her usual complaint when the King of Love appeared, and said: "You see your untimely curiosity has brought you to this point!" Poor thing! when she saw him she began to cry, and begged his pardon for what she had done. He took pity on her, and said: "Now listen to what you must do. On your way you will come to a river of blood. You must bend down and take some of it up in your hands, and say: 'How beautiful is this crystal water! Such water as this I have never drunk!' Then you will come to another stream of turbid water, and do the same there. Then you will find yourself in a garden where there is much fruit. Pick some and eat it, saying: 'What fine pears! I have never eaten such pears as these.' Afterward, you will come to an oven that bakes bread day and night, and no one buys any. When you come there, say: 'Oh, what fine bread! bread like this I have never eaten,' and eat some. Then you will come to an entrance guarded by two hungry dogs; give them a piece of bread to eat. Then you will come to a doorway all dirty and full of cobwebs; take a broom and sweep it clean. Half-way up the stairs you will find two giants, each with a dirty piece of meat by his side; take a brush and clean it for them. When you have entered the house, you will find a razor, a pair of scissors, and a knife; take something and polish them. When you have done this, go in and deliver your letter to my mother's friend. When she wants to make you enter, snatch up a little box on the table, and run away. Take care to do all the things I have told you, or else you will never escape alive." Rosella did as she was told, and while the ogress was reading the letter Rosella seized the box and ran for her life. When the ogress had finished reading her letter, she called: "Rosella! Rosella!" When she received no answer, she perceived that she had been tricked, and cried out: "Razor, Scissors, Knife, cut her in pieces!" They answered: "As long as we have been razor, scissors, and knife, when did you ever deign to polish us? Rosella came and brightened us up." The ogress, enraged, exclaimed: "Stairs, swallow her up!" "As long as I have been stairs, when did you ever deign to sweep me? Rosella came and swept me." The ogress cried in a passion: "Giants, crush her!" "As long as we have been giants, when did you ever deign to clean our food for us? Rosella came and did it." Then the furious ogress called on the entrance to bury her alive, the dogs to devour her, the furnace to burn her, the fruit-tree to fall on her, and the rivers to drown her; but they all remembered Rosella's kindness, and refused to injure her. Meanwhile Rosella continued her way, and at last became curious to know what was in the box she was carrying. So she opened it, and a great quantity of little puppets came out; some danced, some sang, and some played on musical instruments. She amused herself some time with them; but when she was ready to go on, the little figures would not return to the box. Night approached, and she exclaimed, as she had so often before: "King of Love," and so on. Then her husband appeared and said, "Oh, your curiosity may be the death of you!" and commanded the puppets to enter the box again. Then Rosella went her way, and arrived safely at her mother-in-law's. When the ogress saw her she exclaimed: "You owe this luck to my son, the King of Love!" and was ready to eat Rosella. But her daughters said: "The poor child! She has brought you the box; why do you want to eat her?" "Well and good. You want to marry my son, the King of Love. Then take these six mattresses and go and fill them with birds' feathers!" Rosella descended and began to wander about, uttering her usual lament. When her husband appeared, Rosella told him what had happened. He whistled and the King of the Birds appeared and commanded all the birds to come and drop their feathers, fill the six mattresses and carry them back to the ogress. The ogress once again said that her son had helped Rosella. Then she made up her son's bed with the six mattresses and made him marry the daughter of the King of Portugal the same day. Afterwards she called Rosella and told her that her son had just been married, bade her kneel before the nuptial bed while holding two lighted torches. Rosella obeyed, but soon the King of Love, under the plea that Rosella was not in a condition to hold the torches any longer, persuaded his bride to change places with her. Just as the queen from Portugal took the torches in her hands, the earth opened and swallowed her up, and the king remained happy with Rosella. When the ogress heard what had happened she clasped her hands over her head, and declared that Rosella's child should not be born until she unclasped her hands. Then the King of Love had a funerary platform built, stretched himself on it as though he were dead, had all the bells tolled and made the people cry, "Why should the King of Love die?" The ogress heard it, and asked: "What is that noise?" Her daughters told her what the people cried, and that it was all her fault. When the ogress heard this she unclasped her hands, saying, "Why should my son die?" At that moment Rosella's child was born. When the ogress heard it a blood-vessel burst in her heart, and she died at once. Then the King of Love took his wife and sisters along with him and they remained happy and contented, all of them.
The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple and the Speaking BirdThere was once an herb-gatherer who had three daughters who earned their living by spinning. One day their father died and left them all alone in the world. Now the king had a habit of going about the streets at night, and listening at the doors to hear what the people said of him. One night he listened at the door of the house where the three sisters lived and heard them disputing about something. The oldest said: "If I were the wife of the royal butler, I would give the whole court to drink out of one glass of water, and there would be some water left." The second said: "If I were the wife of the keeper of the royal wardrobe, with one piece of cloth I would clothe all the attendants, and have some cloth left." The youngest said: "Were I the king's wife, I would bear him three children: two sons with apples in their hands, and a daughter with a star on her brow." The king went back to his palace, and next morning sent for the sisters and said to them: "Don't be frightened, but tell me what you said last night." The oldest told him what she had said, and the king had a glass of water brought and commanded her to prove her words. She took the glass, and gave all the attendants to drink, and there was some water left. "Bravo!" cried the king, and summoned the butler. "This is your husband." "Now it is your turn," said the king to the next sister, and commanded a piece of cloth to be brought. The young girl at once cut out garments for all the attendants and had some cloth left. "Bravo!" cried the king again, and gave her the keeper of the wardrobe for her husband. "Now it is your turn," said the king to the youngest. "Your Majesty, I said that were I the king's wife, I would bear him three children: two sons with apples in their hands, and a daughter with a star on her brow." The king replied: "If that is true, you shall be queen; if not, you shall die," and married her straightway. Very soon the two older sisters began to be envious of the youngest. "Look," said they, "she is going to be queen, and we must be servants!" and they began to hate her. A few months before the queen's children were to be born, the king declared war, and had to leave to fight; but he left word that if the queen had three children - two sons with apples in their hands and a girl with a star on her brow - the mother was to be respected as queen. In case she did not get such triplings, he was to be informed of it and would tell his servants what to do. Then he left for the war. When the queen's children were born as she had promised, the envious sisters bribed the nurse to put little dogs in the place of the queen's children and sent word to the king that his wife had given birth to three puppies. He wrote back that she should be taken care of for two weeks, and then put into a tread-mill. Meanwhile the nurse took the little babies and carried them out of doors, saying, "I will make the dogs eat them up," and she left them alone. While the three babies were thus exposed, three fairies passed by and exclaimed: "Oh how beautiful these children are!" One of the fairies said: "What present shall we make these children?" One answered: "I will give them a deer to nurse them." "And I a purse always full of money." "And I," said the third fairy, "will give each a ring which will change colour when any misfortune happens to one of them." The deer nursed and took care of the children until they grew up. Then the fairy who had given them the deer came and said: "Now that you have grown up, how can you stay here any longer?" "Very well," said one of the brothers, "I will go to the city and hire a house." "Take care," said the deer, "that you hire one opposite the royal palace." So they all went to the city and hired a palace as directed, and furnished it as if they were royalty. When their two aunts saw the three youths, fear seized them. "They are alive!" they said. They could not be mistaken, for there were apples in the hands of the boys and a star on the girl's brow. They called the nurse and said to her: "Nurse, what does this mean? Are our nephews and niece alive?" The nurse watched at the window till she saw the two brothers go out, and then she went over as if to make a visit to the new house. She entered and said: "How do you do, girl. Are you perfectly happy? You seem to lack nothing. But do you know what is necessary to make you really happy? It is the Dancing Water. If your brothers love you, they will get it for you!" She remained a moment longer and then departed. When one of the brothers returned, his sister said to him: "Brother, if you love me, go and get me the Dancing Water." He would try, and next morning saddled a fine horse, and departed. On his way he met a hermit who asked him, "Where are you going, young man?" "I am going for the Dancing Water." "If so you are heading towards your death. But keep on till you find a hermit older than I." The youth continued his journey till he met another hermit, who asked him the same question and gave him the same direction. Finally he met a third hermit, older than the other two, with a white beard that came down to his feet, and who gave him thesedirections: "First climb the mountain over there. On top of it you will find a great plain and a house with a beautiful gate. In front of the gate you will see four giants with swords in their hands. Take heed; do not make a mistake; for if you do, that is the end of you! When the giants have their eyes closed, do not enter; when they have their eyes open, enter. Then you will come to a door. If you find it open, do not enter; if you find it shut, push it open and enter. Then you will find four lions. When they have their eyes shut, do not enter; when their eyes are open, enter - and you will see the Dancing Water." The youth thanked and took leave of the hermit too, and hastened on his way. Meanwhile the sister kept looking at the ring constantly to see whether the stone in it changed colour; but as it did not, she remained undisturbed. A few days after leaving the hermit the youth arrived at the top of the mountain, and saw the palace with the four giants before it. They had their eyes shut, and the door was open. "No," said the youth, "that won't do." And so he remained on the lookout a while. When the giants opened their eyes, and the door closed, he entered, waited until the lions opened their eyes, and passed in. There he found the Dancing Water, filled his bottles with it and escaped when the lions again opened their eyes. Meanwhile his aunts were delighted that he wouldnot return. But in a few days he appeared and embraced his sister. Then they had two golden basins made, and put into them the Dancing Water, which leaped from one basin to the other. When the aunts saw it they exclaimed: "Ah! how did he manage to get that water?" and called the nurse, who again waited until the sister was alone, and then visited her. "You see how beautiful the Dancing Water is!" she said. "But do you know what you want now? The Singing Apple." Then she left. When the brother who had brought the Dancing Water returned, his sister said to him: "If you love me you must get for me the Singing Apple." "Yes, sister, I will try to get it." Next morning he mounted his horse, and set out. After a time he met the first hermit, who sent him to an older one, who asked the youth where he was going, and said: "It is a difficult task to get the Singing Apple, but hear what you must do: Climb the mountain; beware of the giants, the door, and the lions as before. Then you will find a little door and a pair of shears in it. If the shears are open, enter; if closed, do not risk it." The youth continued his way, found the palace, entered, and found everything favourable. When he saw the shears open, he went in a room and saw a wonderful tree, and on top of it was an apple. He climbed up and tried to pick the apple, but the top of the tree swayed now this way, now that. He waited until it was still a moment, seized the branch, and picked the apple. Then he managed to get safely out of the palace with it. He mounted his horse and rode home, and all the time he was carrying the apple it kept making a sound. The aunts were again delighted because their nephew was away on a deadly errand. However, when they saw him return, they felt as though the house had fallen on them. Again they summoned the nurse, and again she visited the young girl, and said: "See how beautiful they are, the Dancing Water and the Singing Apple! But should you see the Speaking Bird there would be nothing left for you to see." "Very well," said the young girl; "we will see if my brother will get it for me." When her brother came she asked him for the Speaking Bird, and he promised to get it for her. As usual on his journey, he met the first hermit, who sent him to the second, who sent him on to a third one, who said to him: "Climb the mountain and enter the palace as before. You will find many statues. Then you will come to a garden. In the middle of it is a fountain, and on the basin is the Speaking Bird. If it should say anything to you, do not answer. Pick a feather from the bird's wing, dip it into a jar you will find there, and anoint all the statues. Keep your eyes open, and all will go well." The youth already knew the way well, and soon was in the palace. He found the garden and the bird. It exclaimed as soon as it saw him, "What is the matter, have you come for me? You have failed to see what has been going on. Your aunts have sent you to your death and you must remain here. And your mother has been sent to the tread-mill." "Mother in the tread-mill?" cried the youth, and scarcely were the words out of his mouth when he became a statue like all the others. When the sister looked at her ring she saw that it had changed its colour to blue. "Oh!" she exclaimed and sent her other brother after the first. Everything happened to him as to the first. He met the three hermits, received his instructions, and soon found himself in the palace. There he discovered the garden with the statues, the fountain, and the Speaking Bird. Meanwhile the aunts noted that both their nephews were missing, and were delighted. And what had happend? When the Speaking Bird saw the youth appear in the garden it said to him, "What has become of your brother? A statue. And your mother has been sent to the tread-mill." "Mother in the tread-mill?" When he had spoken these words he became a statue. The sister looked at her ring, andnow it had become black. Poor child! not having anything else to do, she dressed herself like a man and set out. Like her brothers, she met the three hermits, and received their instructions. The third ended his advice like this: "Beware, for if you answer when the bird speaks you will lose your life." She continued her way, followed exactly the hermit's directions, and reached the palace garden safety. When the bird saw her it exclaimed: "Ah! you here, too? Now you are in for the same fate as your brothers. Do you see them? One, two, and you make three. Your father is at the war. Your mother is in the tread-mill. Your aunts are rejoicing." She did not reply, but let the bird sing on. When it had nothing more to say it flew down, and the young girl caught it, pulled a feather from its wing, dipped it into the jar, anointed her brothers' nostrils, and they at once came to life again. Then she did the same with all the other statues, with the lions and the giants, until all became alive again. Then she left with her brothers, and all the noblemen, princes, barons, and kings' sons rejoiced greatly. Now when they had all come to life again the palace disappeared and the hermits disappeared, for they were the three fairies. The day after the brothers and sister reached the city where they lived, they summoned a goldsmith, had him make a gold chain and fasten the bird with it. The next time the aunts looked out they saw in the window of the palace opposite the Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird. "Well," said they, "the real trouble is coming now!" The bird directed the brothers and sister to get a carriage finer than the king's, to get twenty-four attendants to serve them in their palace, more and better cooks and servants than the king had. The brothers did that at once. When the aunts saw these things they were ready to die of rage. At last the king returned from the war, and his subjects told him all the news of the kingdom, but the thing they talked about the least was his wife and children. One day the king looked out of the window and saw the palace opposite furnished in a magnificent way. "Who lives there?" he asked, but no one could answer him. He looked again and saw the brothers and sister, the boys with the apples in their hands, and the girl with the star on her brow. "If I had not been told that my wife had given birth to three puppies, I should say that those were my children," exclaimed the king. Another day he stood by the window and enjoyed the Dancing Water and the Singing Apple, but the bird was silent. After the king had heard all the music, the bird said: "What does your Majesty think of it?" The king was astonished at hearing the Speaking Bird, and answered: "What should I think? It is marvellous." "There is something more marvellous," said the bird; "just wait." Then the bird told his mistress to call her brothers, and said: "There is the king; let us invite him to dinner on Sunday. Shall we not?" "Yes, yes," they all said. So the king was invited and accepted, and on Sunday the bird had a grand dinner prepared and the king came. When he saw the young people, he clapped his hands and said: "I cannot persuade myself; they seem to be my children." He went over the palace and was astonished at its richness. Then they went to dinner, and while they were eating the king said: "Bird, everyone is talking; you alone are silent." "Ah! your Majesty, I am ill; but next Sunday I shall be well and able to talk, and will come and dine at your palace with this lady and these gentlemen." The next Sunday the bird directed his mistress and her brothers to put on their finest clothes, so they dressed in royal style and took the bird with them. The king showed them through his palace and treated them with the greatest courtesy, while their aunts were nearly dead with fear. When they had seated themselves at the table, the king said: "Come, bird, you promised me you would speak; have you nothing to say?" Then the bird told all that had happened from the time the king had listened at the door until his poor wife had been sent to the tread-mill, and the bird added: "These are your children, and your wife was sent to the mill, and is dying." When the king heard all this, he hastened to embrace his children, and then went to find his poor wife, who was reduced to skin and bones and was at the point of death. He knelt before her and begged her pardon, and then summoned her sisters and the nurse, and when they came he said to the bird: "Bird, you who have told me everything, now pronounce their sentence." Then the bird sentenced the nurse to be thrown out of the window, and the sisters to be cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. This was at once done. The king's wife became well again with much tender care, and the king never tired of embracing her. Then the bird left them, and the king and his wife and children lived together in peace.
The Fair AngiolaOnce on a time there were seven women, neighbours, and all of them were seized with a great longing for jujube fruits. Jujube trees grew only in one garden nearby. It ws the garden opposite the place where they all lived, but it belonged to a witch. Now this witch had a donkey that watched the garden and told the old witch when anyone entered. The seven neighbours, however, had such a desire for the jujubes that they went into the garden and threw the donkey some nice soft grass, and while he was eating it they filled their aprons with jujubes and escaped before the witch appeared. They did this several times, till at last the witch noticed that many of the jujubes were gone. She asked the donkey about it, but he had eaten nice grass and noticed nothing. Then she resolved the third day to keep watch in the garden herself. In the middle of it was a hole, and there she hid and covered herself with leaves and branches, leaving only one of her long ears sticking out. The seven neighbours once more went into the garden and began picking jujubes, when one of them noticed the witch's ear sticking out of the leaves and thought it was a mushroom and tried to pick it. The witch jumped out of the hole and ran after the women. All of them escaped but one. The witch was threatening to eat her, but the woman begged hard for pardon and promised not to enter the garden again. The witch finally forgave her if she would give her her child, yet unborn, whether a boy or girl, when it was seven years old. The poor woman promised in her distress, and the witch let her go. Some time after the woman had a beautiful little girl and named her Angiola. When Angiola was six, her mother sent her to school to learn to sew and knit. On her way to school she had to pass the garden where the witch lived. One day, when she was almost seven, she saw the witch standing in front of her garden. She beckoned to Angiola and gave her some fine fruits and said: "You see, fair Angiola, I am your aunt. Tell your mother you have seen your aunt, and she sends her word not to forget her promise." Angiola went home and told her mother. Her mother was frightened and said to herself: "Ah! the time has come when I must give up my Angiola." Then she said to the child: "When your aunt asks you tomorrow for an answer, forget all I have told you, and then you can say you forgot." The next day she had forgotten the errand, and told the witch she had forgotten. "Very well," the witch answered, "tell her today." Thus several days passed; the witch was constantly on the watch for Angiola when she went to school and wanted to know her mother's answer, but Angiola always said that she had forgotten to ask her. One day, however, the witch became angry and said: "Since you are so forgetful, I must give you some token to remind you of your errand." Then she bit Angiola's little finger so hard that she bit a piece out. Angiola went home in tears and showed her mother her finger. "Ah!" thought her mother, "there is no help for it. I must give my poor child to the witch, or else she will eat her up in her anger." Next morning as Angiola was going to school, her mother said to her: "Tell your aunt to do with you as she thinks best." Angiola did so, and the witch said: "Very well, then come with me, for you are mine." The witch took the fair Angiola with her and led her away to a tower that had no door and but one small window. There Angiola lived with the witch, who treated her as kindly as she could. When the witch came home after her excursions, she stood under the window and cried: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your pretty tresses and pull me up!" For Angiola had beautiful long hair that she let down and pulled the witch up with. One day when Angiola had grown to be a beautiful maiden, the king's son went hunting and chanced to come where the tower was. He was astonished at seeing the house without any door, and wondered how the people got in. Just then the old witch came home, stood under the window, and called: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your beautiful tresses and pull me up." At once the beautiful tresses fell down and the witch climbed up by them. The sight of Angiola's strong, wonderful hair greatly pleased the prince, and he hid himself nearby till the witch went away again. Then he went and stood under the window and called like her: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your beautiful tresses and pull me up." Angiola let down her tresses and drew up the prince, for she believed it was the witch. When she saw the prince, she was much frightened at first, but he talked with her in friendly ways and begged her to fly with him and become his wife. She finally agreed, and in order that the witch should not know where she had gone she gave all the chairs, tables, and cupboards in the house something to eat; for they were all living beings and might betray her. The broom, however, stood behind the door, so she did not notice it, and gave it nothing to eat. Then she took from the witch's chamber three magic balls of yarn and fled with the prince. The witch had a little dog that loved the fair Angiola so dearly that it followed her. Soon after the couple and the dog had fled, the witch came back, and called: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your beautiful tresses and draw me up." But the tresses were not let down for all she called, and at last she had to get a long ladder and climb in at the window. When she could not find Angiola, she asked the tables and chairs and cupboards: "Where has she fled?" But they answered: "We do not know." The broom, however, called out from the corner: "The fair Angiola has fled with the king's son. He is going to marry her." Then the witch started in pursuit of them and nearly overtook them. But Angiola threw down behind her one of the magic balls of yarn, and there arose a great mountain of soap. When the witch tried to climb it she slipped back. But she persevered till at last she succeeded in getting over it, and hastened after the fugitives. Then Angiola threw down the second ball of yarn, and there arose a great mountain covered all over with nails, small and large. Again the witch had to struggle hard to cross it. When at last she did she was almost flayed. When Angiola saw that the witch had almost overtaken them again, she threw down the third ball, and there arose a mighty torrent. The witch tried to swim across it, but the stream kept swelling until she had at last to turn back. Then in her anger she cursed the fair Angiola, saying: "May your beautiful face be turned into the face of a dog!" At once Angiola's face became a dog's face. The prince was very sorrowful and said: "How can I take you home to my parents? They would never allow me to marry a maiden with a dog's face." So he took her to a little house; she was to live there till the enchantment was removed. He himself returned to his parents, but whenever he went hunting he visited poor Angiola. She often wept bitterly over her misfortunes, till one day the little dog that had followed her from the witch's said: "Don't weep, fair Angiola. I will go to the witch and beg her to remove the enchantment." Then the little dog started off and returned to the witch and sprang up on her and caressed her. "Are you here again, you ungrateful beast?" cried the witch, and pushed the dog away. "Did you leave me to follow the ungrateful Angiola?" But the little dog caressed her until she grew friendly again and took him up on her lap. "Mother," said the little dog, "Angiola sends you greeting; she is very sad, for she cannot go to the palace with her dog's face and cannot marry the prince." "That serves her right," said the witch. "Why did she deceive me? She can keep her dog's face now!" But the dog begged her so earnestly, saying that poor Angiola had been punished enough, that at last the witch gave the dog a flask of water, and said: "Take that to her and she will become the fair Angiola again." The dog thanked her, ran off with the flask, and brought it safely to poor Angiola. As soon as she washed in the water, her dog's face disappeared and she became beautiful again, more beautiful even than she had been before. The prince, full of joy, took her to the palace, and the king and queen were so pleased with her beauty that they welcomed her, and gave her a splendid wedding, and all remained happy and contented.
The CisternThere were once three king's sons. One day two of them were going hunting and did not want to take their youngest brother with them. Their mother asked them to let him go with them, but they would not. The youngest brother, however, followed them, so they had to take him with them. They came to a beautiful plain where they found a fine very large cistern, and ate their lunch near it. After they had finished, the oldest whispered to the second brother, "Let us throw our youngest brother into the cistern and leave him, for we cannot take him with us." Then he turned around as said to his youngest brother, "Salvatore, would you like to climb down into this cistern? There could be a treasure in it." The youngest said he would, and they lowered him down. When he reached the bottom, he found three handsome rooms and an old woman who said to him: "What are you doing here?" "I am trying to find my way out again; please tell me how to do it." The old woman answered, "There are three princesses down here. They are in the power of the magician, so take care." "Never mind, tell me what to do; I am not a lot afraid." "Knock at that door." He did so and a princess appeared and asked, "What has brought you here?" "I may be able to set you free, so tell me what to do." "Take this apple and pass through that door. My sister is there, and she can give you better directions than I can." She gave him the apple as a reminder. He knocked at that door, another princess appeared. She gave him a pomegranate to remember her by and directed him to knock at a third door. It opened and the last princess appeared. "Oh, what have you come for?" she said. "I may be able to set you free. Only tell me what to do. She gave him a crown, and said, "Take this. When you are in need, say: 'I command! I command!' and the crown will obey you." She went on, "Now enter and eat, and take this bottle. The magician is about to rise now, so hide yourself behind this door. When he awakens he will ask, 'What are you here for?' You must answer: 'I have come to fight you, but you must agree to take a smaller sword than mine, since I am smaller than you.'" The princess went on telling him what to say and do and not to do: "You will see a fountain there. It will invite you to drink of it, but don't risk it, for all the statues you see there are human beings who have become statues from drinking that water. When you are thirsty drink secretly from this bottle I gave you." With these directions the youth went and knocked at the door. Just then the magician got out of bed and said: "Why are you here?" "I have come to fight with you." He added what the princess had told him. The fountain invited him to drink, but he would not. They began to fight, and at the first blow the youth cut off the magician's head. He took the head and sword, and went to the princesses and said: "Get your things together and let us leave. My brothers should be waiting for me at the mouth of the cistern." Let us now return to the brothers. After they had lowered their youngest brother into the cistern, they turned around and went back to the royal palace. The king asked: "Where is your brother?" "We lost him in a wood and could not find him." "Go and find him at once, or I will have your heads cut off," said the king. The left in a hurry. On their way found a man with a rope and a bell and took them with them. When they reached the cistern, they lowered the rope with the bell, saying among themselves: "If he is alive he will hear the bell and climb up; if he is dead, what shall we do with our father?" When they lowered the rope, Salvatore made the princesses get up one by one. As the first and oldest princess came up, the oldest brother said: "Oh, what a pretty girl! This one shall be my wife." All the princess did was to ask them to lower the rope and bell again. They did, and when the second princess came up, the other brother said: "This is mine." The youngest princess did not wish to get up, and said to Salvatore: "You go upfirst, for if you don't, your brothers may leave you down here in the dark and deep cistern." He said he would not; she said he must. Finally he prevailed, and she climbed up. When she appeared the two brothers took her with them, left Salvatore in the cistern, and returned to the palace. When they arrived there, they said to their father: "We have looked for Salvatore, but we could not find him; but we have found these three young girls, and now we wish to marry." "I," said the oldest brother, "will take this one." "And I," said the second, "take this one. The other sister we may marry to some other youth." Meanwhile Salvatore in the cistern felt in his pockets and touched the apple. "O my apple, get me and the old woman out of this place!" And at once they found themselves out of the cistern. She said, "I know my way home. It is nearby here. It was clumsy of you to trust your brothers. Don't do it again. Now, goodbye!" Salvatore went back to the city he came from, and met a silversmith who took him as an apprentice, feeding and clothing him. While he was with the silversmith, the king commanded the latter to make a crown for his oldest son, who was to be married: "Make me a royal crown for my son. Tomorrow evening you must bring it to me." Then he gave the silversmith ten ounces of gold and dismissed him. When the silversmith reached home, he was greatly disturbed, for he had such a short time to make the crown in. Salvatore said cordially: "Grandfather, why so disturbed?" The master replied: "Take these ten ounces, for now I am going to seek refuge in a church, so that the king cannot trace or harm me. There is nothing better for me to do." The apprentice replied: "I'll see if I can make this crown, so that you won't take refuge in a church for a trifle." He began to make the crown. What did he do? He took out the apple and commanded it to make a very beautiful crown. He hammered away, but the apple made the crown. When it was finished he gave it to the wife of the silversmith, who took it to her husband. When the silversmith saw that he did not have to flee to the church, he went to the king with the crown. The king was well pleased with the crown, and invited him to the marriage feast in the evening. When the silversmith told this at home, the apprentice said, "Take me to the feast." "How can I take you when you have no fit clothes to wear? I will buy you some, and when there is another feast I will take you." When it struck two o'clock, the silversmith started out for the feast. Salvatore took the apple and said: "Apple, give me clothes and carriages and footmen, for I want to see my brother married." At once he was dressed like a prince. He went to the palace. There he hid in the kitchen, saw his brother married, and then took a big stick and gave the silversmith a sound beating for not taking his helper with him as he had well deserved. When the silversmith reached home, he cried: "It hurts so bad! It hurts so bad!" "What's the matter?" asked the apprentice, and when he learned what had happened, he said, "If you had taken me with you to the feast this would not have happened, I'm sure." A few days after, the king sent for the silversmith again to make another crown within twenty-four hours. The apprentice made a crown handsomer than the first, now with the aid of the pomegranate. The smith took it to the king, but after the feast came home with his shoulders black and blue from a beating he received. After a time the king thought it fit to marry off the third sister, but she said: "Who wishes me must wait a year, a month, and a day." She had no peace wondering why Salvatore did not appear when he had the apple, the pomegranate, and the crown. But after a year, a month, and a day the wedding was arranged, and the smith had orders to make another crown more beautiful than the first two, for fair as she was, she was not to be treated worse than her sisters. Again the smith was in despair. But by the aid of his magic crown the apprentice made an even better and larger crown than the others. The king was astonished when he saw the beautiful crown, and again invited the silversmith to the feast. The smith returned home sorrowful for fear that he should again receive a good beating, but he would not take his apprentice with him. After Salvatore had seen him start off, he took his magic crown and ordered splendid clothes and carriages. When he reached the palace, he did not go to the kitchen, but right before the bride and groom before they could say "yes" during the ceremony. "Stop!" said Salvatore. He took the apple and said: "Who gave me this?" "I did," answered the wife of the oldest brother. "And this?" showing the pomegranate. "I, my brother-in-law," said the wife of the second brother. Then he took out the crown. "Who gave me that?" "I, my husband," said the young girl that they were marrying off. And at once she married Salvatore, "for he freed me from the magician," she said. The bridegroom she had nearly married, had to go away. As for the silversmith, he recognised his apprentice and fell on his knees, begging for pity and mercy. |
