Italian Popular Tales Part 38

For other European versions see Kohler's notes to Gonz., No. 14; to Campbell, No. 2 (_Orient und Occident_, II. 103); to Kreutzwald-Lowe, No. 14; Hahn, I. p. 55; _Romania_, Nos. 19, p. 354, 20, p. 527; Grimm, Nos. 56, ("Sweetheart Roland"), 113 ("The Two Kings' Children"), 186 ("The True Bride"), 193 ("The Drummer;") _Basque Legends_, p. 120; Ralston, _R. F. T._ pp. 119, 131; Brueyre, p. 111; and B. Schmidt, _Griechische Marchen, Sagen und Volkslieder_, Leipzig, 1877, cited by Cosquin, _Romania_, No. 28, p. 543. See also in general, c.o.x, _Aryan Myth._ I. p. 158.

[26] The same incident is found in Gonz., No. 6, and Pitre, No. 61. See Kohler's notes to Gonz., No. 6; Grimm, No. 193 ("The Drummer"); _Romania_, No. 28, p. 527; and Hahn, No. 15.

[27] Another Venetian version is in Bernoni, No. 3. See also _Nov.

fior._ p. 290; Gradi, _Vigilia_, p. 53; _Fiabe Mant._ No. 39; and Schneller, No. 32.

For other European versions, see Grimm, No. 46 ("Fitcher's Bird"), Kohler's notes to Widter-Wolf, No. 11 (_Jahrb._ VII. 148); and Ralston, _R. F. T._ p. 97.

[28] See Pitre, No. 19, _Nuovo Saggio_, No. 4; _Nov. fior._ pp. 7, 12; and Nerucci, No. 49. Compare also Gonz., Nos. 10 and 22 (already mentioned, "The Robber who had a Witch's Head"), and Comparetti, No. 18 (Pisa).

For other references to this cla.s.s, see Grimm, No. 40 ("The Robber-Bridegroom") and _Romania_, No. 22, p. 236.

[29] See Chap. II., note 4. For other references to this cla.s.s, see Grimm, No. 3 ("Our Lady's Child"), and _Romania_, No. 28, p. 568.

[30] The seventh version is from Bologna and is ent.i.tled _La Fola del Muretein_ ("The Story of the Little Moor"), and was published by Coronedi-Berti in the _Rivista Europea_, Florence, 1873. It is briefly as follows: A queen has no children and visits a witch who gives her an apple to eat, telling her that in due time she will bear a son. One of the queen's maids eats the peel and both give birth to sons; the maid's being called the Little Moor from resembling the dark red color of the apple peel. The two children grow up together, and when the prince goes off on his travels his friend the little Moor accompanies him. They spend the night in an enchanted castle and the friend hears a voice saying that the prince will conquer in a tournament and marry the king's daughter, but on their wedding night a dragon will devour the bride, and whoever tells of it will become marble. The friend saves the princess'

life, but is thrown into prison, and when he exculpates himself becomes marble. He can only be restored to life by being anointed with the blood of a c.o.c.k belonging to a wild man (_om salvadgh_) living on a certain mountain. The prince performs the difficult feat of stealing the c.o.c.k and healing his friend.

For other European versions, see Grimm, No. 6 ("Faithful John"); Hahn, No. 29; Wolf, _Proben Port. und Cat. Volksm._ p. 52; _Lo Rondallayre_, No. 35 ("_Lo bon criat_"); _Old Deccan Days_, p. 98; and in general, Benfey, _Pant._ I. p. 417, and Kohler in _Weimarische Beitrage zur Lit.

und Kunst_, Weimar, 1865, p. 192 _et seq._

[31] See Pitre, vol. I. pp. xcix., ciii.; IV. pp. 382, 430, and Comparetti, No. 44. A version from the Abruzzi may be found in Finamore, No. 38. See also Grimm, No. 191 ("The Robber and his Sons"); _Basque Legends_, p. 4; _Dolopathos_ ed. Oesterley, pp. xxii., 65; and in general, _Orient und Occident_, II. 120, and Benfey, _Pant._ I. 295.

[32] Another Sicilian version is in Gonz., No. 83. Other versions are: _Pent._ III. 7; Nerucci, p. 341; De Nino, No. 30; _Fiabe Mant._ No. 4; _Nov. fior._ p. 340 (Milan); and Widter-Wolf, No. 9 (_Jahrb._ VII. p.

134). There are other similar stories in which a person is forced by those envious of him to undertake dangerous enterprises: see Pitre, Nos.

34, 35; Comparetti, No. 16; _Tuscan Fairy Tales_, No. 8, De Nino, No.

39, etc. Strap., I. 2, also offers many points of resemblance to our story.

For other versions, see Grimm, No. 192 ("The Master-Thief"), and Kohler's notes to Widter-Wolf, No. 9.

[33] The version in _Nov. fior._ p. 574, is from Florence, the others, pp. 575 (the story in our text), 577, 578, 579, are from Milan, and closely resemble each other.

[34] Compare Pitre, No. 83, and De Nino, No. 43. Tyrolese versions are in Schneller, Nos. 53, 54. See also Widter-Wolf, No. 2 (_Jahrb._ VII.

13), and _Jahrb._ VIII. p. 246, _Italien. Marchen aus Sora_, No. 2. For additional European versions, see _Jahrb. ut supra_, and V. 7; _Romania_, Nos. 19, p. 350; 24, p. 562; 28, p. 556; and Grimm, Nos. 20 ("The Valiant Little Taylor"), and 183 ("The Giant and the Tailor") Some of the episodes mentioned in the text may be found in a Corsican story in Ortoli, p. 204, where, however, instead of a giant, a priest is outwitted by his servant.

CHAPTER II.

FAIRY TALES CONTINUED.

[1] This story is found in the _Pent._ I. 10. In Schneller, No. 29, the king falls in love with a frog (from hearing its voice without seeing it) which is transformed by the fairies into a beautiful girl. The good wishes of the fairies are found in Pitre, Nos. 61, 94. See also _Pent._ I. 3; III. 10, and Chap. I. of the present work, note 22. For gifts by the fairies, see Pitre, vol. I. p. 334, and the following note.

[2] This story is often found as an introduction to "False Bride;" see Chap. I., note 21. Sicilian versions may be found in Pitre, Nos. 62, 63; Neapolitan, _Pent._ III. 10; from the Abruzzi in Finamore, No. 48; De Nino, No. 18; Tuscan, Gradi, _Vigilia_, p. 20, De Gub., _Sto. Stefano_, No. 1, _Zool. Myth._ II. p. 62, note, _Tuscan Fairy Tales_, pp. 9, 18, Corazzini, p. 409, _Nov. tosc._ No. 8, _La Tinchina dell' alto Mare_; Venetian, Bernoni, XIX.; and Tyrolese, Schneller, Nos. 7, 8.

In several of the Tuscan versions (Gradi, _Zool. Myth., Tuscan Fairy Tales_, p. 9, and _Nov. fior._ p. 202, which is composed of "Two Sisters" and "True Bride") instead of fairies the sisters find cats who bestow the varying gifts.

Other European versions of this story will be found in Grimm, No. 24, "Old Mother Holle;" Norwegian in Asbj. & Moe, No. 15; [Dasent, _Pop.

Tales from the Norse_, p. 103, "The Two Step-Sisters"] French in Blade, _Contes agen._ p. 149, and Cosquin, _Contes pop. lorrains_, No. 48 (_Romania_, No. 32, p. 564). The Oriental versions are mentioned by Cosquin in his notes to the last named story; see also Benfey, _Pant._ I. p. 219.

[3] Other Tuscan versions are in Gradi, _Saggio di Letture varie_, p.

125, and _Nov. tosc._ No. 22; Sicilian and Roman versions may be found in Pitre, No. 64, and Busk, p. 96.

French versions will be found in _Melusine_, pp. 113 (_conte picard_) and 241 (_conte de l' Amienois_). A j.a.panese version is given in the same periodical, p. 161. An Irish version is in Croker, _Fairy Legends_ etc. (translated in Brueyre, p. 206); and a Turkish version is given in _The Wonder World Stories_, New York, Putnam, 1877, p. 139. Other French and Oriental versions are noticed in _Melusine_, pp. 161, 241. A somewhat similar German version is in Grimm, No. 182. "The Presents of the Little Folk."

[4] This story somewhat resembles Gonz., No. 20, mentioned in Chap. I., note 29. Another Sicilian version is in Pitre, No. 86. I have been unable to find any other Italian parallels. Personification of one's Fate maybe found in Gonz., Nos. 52, 55, Pitre, No. 12; and of Fortune in Pitre, No. 29, and Comparetti, No. 50. See _Indian Fairy Tales_, p. 263.

[5] Sicilian versions are in Pitre, No. 105, and Gonz., No. 18. In the latter version the king drives his daughter from the palace and the rejected suitor disguises himself, follows her, and marries her. A Neapolitan version is in the _Pent._ IV. 10; Tuscan in Gradi, _Vigilia_, p. 97; Nerucci, p. 211; and _Jahrb._ VII. p. 394 (Knust, No. 9).

Other European versions are: Grimm No. 52, "King Thrushbeard;"

Norwegian, Asbj. & Moe, No. 45, and Grundtwig, III. [1]; French, _Romania_, No. 32, p. 552 (_Contes pop. lorrains_, No. 45); and Greek, Hahn, No. 113. See also _Tibetan Tales_, London, 1882, Ralston's notes, p. lviii.

[6] Other versions of this story are: Sicilian, Pitre, No. 67, and Gonz., No. 28; Tuscan, _Archivio_, I. pp. 41, 65, _Nov. tosc._ No. 7, Abruzzi, De Nino, No. 1. For the first part of the story, see _Nov.

fior._ pp. 332-333.

[7] I have followed in this division Imbriani, _Pomiglianesi_, p. 89.

[8] Another Sicilian version, which, however, does not contain the trait "cure by laughing," is in Pitre, No. 28. Gonz., No. 30, may be mentioned here, as it contains a part of our story. The magic gifts in it are a carpet that transports the owner wherever he wishes to go, a purse always full, and a horn that when one blows in the little end covers the sea with s.h.i.+ps, when one blows in the big end, the s.h.i.+ps disappear.

Neapolitan versions are in Imbriani, _Pomiglianesi_, pp. 62, 83; Roman in Busk, pp. 129, 136, comp. p. 146; and Tuscan in Frizzi, _Novella montanina_, Florence, A. Ciardelli e C. 1876, Nerucci, p. 471 _Archivio per le Trad. pop._ I. p. 57, and _Nov. tosc._ No. 16. De Gub., _Zool.

Myth._ I. p. 288, n. 3, gives a version from the Marches, and there is a Bolognese version in Coronedi-Berti, No. 9. Other versions may be found in Finamore, _Trad. pop. abruzzesi_, No. 30, and Bolognini, p. 21. For other European versions, see _Gesta Rom._ ed. Oesterley, cap. cxx.; Grimm, No. 122; Campbell, No. 10, "The Three Soldiers" (see Kohler's notes to this story in _Orient und Occident_, II. p. 124, and Brueyre, p. 138); Cosquin, _Contes pop. lorrains_, Nos. 11 (_Rom._ No. 19, p.

361) and 42 (_Rom._ No. 28, p. 581); and finally, Kreutzwald, _Ehstnische Marchen_, No. 23. Comp. also De Gub., _Zool. Myth._ I. p.

182, and Ralston's notes to Schiefner's _Tibetan Tales_, p. liv.

[9] I have been unable to find any European parallels to this form of the story.

[10] Another version of this story is found in the same collection, p.

359. Other Tuscan versions are found in De Gub., _Sto. Stefano_, No. 21, Gradi, _Saggio di Letture varie_, p. 181, _Nov. tosc._ No. 29, and Comparetti, No. 7 (Mugello). The other versions are as follows: Sicilian, Pitre, No. 29 (comp. No. 30), Gonz., No. 52; Neapolitan, _Pent._ I. 1 (Comp. _Pomiglianesi_, p. 116); Abruzzi, Finamore, No. 37; De Nino, No. 6; Ortoli, pp. 171, 178; Venetian, Bernoni, No. 9; the Marches, Comp., No. 12; and Tyrolese, Schneller, p. 28.

For the other European parallels, see Grimm, No. 36, "The Table, the a.s.s, and the Stick;" _Melusine_ (_conte breton_), p. 130; Cosquin, _Contes pop. lorrains_, No. 14 (_Rom._ No. 19, p. 333); De Gub., _Zool.

Myth._ II. p. 262 (Russian); Brueyre, p. 48 (B. Gould, Yorks.h.i.+re, Appendix to Henderson's _Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties of England_); Asbj. & Moe, No. 7 [Dasent, _Pop. Tales from the Norse_, p.

261, "The Lad who went to the North Wind"], and _Old Deccan Days_, No.

12.

[11] Another Sicilian version is in Gonz., No. 65, with same t.i.tle and contents. A Neapolitan version is in the _Pent._ II. 4, where the fox is replaced by a cat. This is also the case in the versions from the Abruzzi, Finamore, No. 46, De Nino, No. 53; in the Florentine versions in _Nov. fior._ p. 145, _Nov. tosc._ No. xii. var.; and in the Tyrolese given by Schneller, p. 122 ("_Il Conte Martin dalla gatta_"). In another story in Schneller, p. 124 ("_L'Anello_"), a youth possesses a magic ring and a dog and cat which recover the ring when stolen from its owner. Older and more interesting than the above versions is the one in Straparola, XI. 1. We give it here in full in order that our readers may compare with it the version in our text and Perrault's "Puss in Boots,"

which is the form in which the story has become popular all over Europe.

The following translation is from the edition of 1562 (Venice).

x.x.xIV. PUSS IN BOOTS.

SORIANA DIES AND LEAVES THREE SONS: DUSOLINO, TESIFONE, AND CONSTANTINE THE LUCKY, WHO, BY VIRTUE OF A CAT, ACQUIRES A POWERFUL KINGDOM.

There was once in Bohemia a very poor lady named Soriana, who had three sons: one was called Dusolino, the other Tesifone, and the third Constantine the Lucky. She owned nothing valuable in the world but three things: a kneading-trough, a rolling-board, and a cat. When Soriana, laden with years, came to die, she made her last testament, and left to Dusolino, her eldest son, the kneading-trough, to Tesifone the rolling-board, and to Constantine the cat. When the mother was dead and buried, the neighbors, as they had need, borrowed now the kneading-trough, now the rolling-board; and because they knew that the owners were very poor, they made them a cake, which Dusolino and Tesifone ate, giving none to Constantine, the youngest brother. And if Constantine asked them for anything, they told him to go to his cat, which would get it for him. Wherefore poor Constantine and his cat suffered greatly. Now the cat, which was enchanted, moved to compa.s.sion for Constantine, and angry at the two brothers who treated him so cruelly, said: "Constantine, do not be downcast, for I will provide for your support and my own." And leaving the house, the cat went out into the fields, and, pretending to sleep, caught a hare that pa.s.sed and killed it. Thence, going to the royal palace and seeing some of the courtiers, the cat said that she wished to speak with the king, who, when he heard that a cat wished to speak to him, had her shown into his presence, and asked her what she wished. The cat replied that her master, Constantine, had sent him a hare which he had caught. The king accepted the gift, and asked who this Constantine was. The cat replied that he was a man who had no superior in goodness, beauty, and power.

Wherefore the king treated the cat very well, giving her to eat and drink bountifully. When the cat had satisfied her hunger, she slyly filled with her paw (unseen by any one) the bag that hung at her side, and taking leave of the king, carried it to Constantine. When the brothers saw the food over which Constantine exulted, they asked him to share it with them; but he refused, rendering them t.i.t for tat. On which account there arose between them great envy, that continually gnawed their hearts. Now Constantine, although handsome in his face, nevertheless, from the privation he had suffered, was covered with scabs and scurf, which caused him great annoyance. But going with his cat to the river, she licked him carefully from head to foot, and combed his hair, and in a few days he was entirely cured.

The cat (as we said above) continued to carry gifts to the royal palace, and thus supported her master. But after a time she wearied of running up and down so much, and feared that she would annoy the king's courtiers; so she said to her master: "Sir, if you will do what I order, I will make you rich in a short time." "How?" said her master. The cat replied: "Come with me, and do not ask any more, for I am ready to enrich you." So they went together to the stream, which was near the royal palace, and the cat stripped her master, and with his agreement threw him into the river, and then began to cry out in a loud voice: "Help! help! Messer Constantine is drowning." The king hearing this, and remembering that he had often received presents from him, sent his people at once to aid him. When Messer Constantine was taken out of the water and dressed in fine clothes, he was taken to the king, who received him cordially, and asked him why he had been thrown into the river. Constantine could not answer for grief; but the cat, which was always at his side, said: "Know, O king, that some robbers learned from spies that my master was loaded with jewels, which he was coming to present to you. They robbed him of all, and threw him into the river, thinking to kill him, but thanks to these gentlemen he has escaped from death." The king, hearing this, ordered that he should be well cared for; and seeing that he was handsome, and knowing him to be wealthy, he concluded to give him Elisetta, his daughter, for a wife, endowing her with jewels and most beautiful garments. After the wedding festivities had been ended, the king had ten mules loaded with money, and five with costly apparel, and sent his daughter to her husband's home, accompanied by a great retinue. Constantine, seeing that he had become so wealthy and honored, did not know where to lead his wife, and took counsel with his cat, which said: "Do not fear, my master, for we shall provide for everything." So they all set out gayly on horseback, and the cat ran hastily before them; and having left the company some distance behind, met some hors.e.m.e.n, to whom she said: "What are you doing here, wretched men? Depart quickly, for a large band of people are coming, and will take you prisoners. They are near by: you can hear the noise of the neighing horses." The hors.e.m.e.n said in terror: "What must we do, then?"

The cat replied: "Do this,--if you are asked whose hors.e.m.e.n you are, answer boldly, Messer Constantine's, and you will not be molested." Then the cat went on, and found a large flock of sheep, and did the same with their owners, and said the same thing to all those whom she found in the road. The people who were escorting Elisetta asked the hors.e.m.e.n: "Whose knights are you," and "whose are so many fine flocks?" and all with one accord replied: "Messer Constantine's." Then those who accompanied the bride said: "So then, Messer Constantine, we are beginning to enter your territory." And he nodded his head, and replied in like manner to all that he was asked. Wherefore the company judged him to be very wealthy.

At last the cat came to a very fine castle, and found there but few servants, to whom she said: "What are you doing, good men; do you not perceive the destruction which is impending?" "What?" asked the servants. "Before an hour pa.s.ses, a host of soldiers will come here and cut you to pieces. Do you not hear the horses neighing? Do you not see the dust in the air? If you do not wish to perish, take my advice and you will be saved. If any one asks you whose this castle is, say, Messer Constantine's." So they did; and when the n.o.ble company reached the handsome castle they asked the keepers whose it was, and all answered boldly Messer Constantine the Lucky's. Then they entered, and were honorably entertained. Now the castellan of that place was Signor Valentino, a brave soldier, who, a short time before, had left the castle to bring home the wife he had lately married; and to his misfortune, before he reached the place where his wife was he was overtaken on the way by a sudden and fatal accident, from which he straightway died, and Constantine remained master of the castle. Before long, Morando, King of Bohemia, died, and the people elected for their king Constantine the Lucky because he was the husband of Elisetta, the dead king's daughter, to whom the kingdom fell by right of succession.

And so Constantine, from being poor and a beggar, remained Lord and King, and lived a long time with his Elisetta, leaving children by her to succeed him in the kingdom.