Italian fairy tales

Italian Folktales

The Canary Prince (Turin)

Once upon a time there was a king with a beautiful daughter, whose mother was dead, alas.  After a while he married again, but the new queen was sorely jealous of the Princess and by sheer persistence managed to have her removed from the Royal palace.

Her father agreed to this reluctantly, but stipulated that the maiden should be set up in a very nice place and be lacking in nothing.

The treacherous stepmother locked up the girl in a castle in the middle of the woods, where she was served and watched over by a group of ladies from the court, who brought her food and drink whenever she asked for it, but the poor girl was a prisoner.

From time to time the King asked his wife, “How’s my daughter?  What’s she doing?  Is there anything she needs?”

Then one day the Queen, to confirm that the girl was being taken care of, went to visit her in her carriage.  The ladies of the court, when they saw her arriving alone, said that everything was going perfectly.  Then she went up to her stepdaughter’s chamber and said, “How’s it going?  You look well.  A pretty sight!  Well, you don’t seem to be lacking in anything.  Be cheerful!  I’ll be seeing you!”

Back in the palace, she told the King that her daughter was contented.

On the contrary, the maiden felt terribly lonely locked up in that tower.  She spent all day staring out her window, her elbows on the sill, and they would have got sore if she hadn’t thought to put down a cushion for her arms.  Her view extended over the treetops, to the clouds, but she couldn’t see another living soul and the days passed slowly.

But one fine day a King’s son appeared on a trail.  He was following a wild boar’s tracks, and passing by that lonely castle, he was amazed to see signs of life:  the windows were actually open and smoke was rising from the chimney.  Then he spotted the fair maiden at the window sill and smiled at her.  The girl returned the smile and the friendly glance from the young hunter in bright yellow.

They kept smiling and trading bows and curtsies for almost an hour because they were too far apart for conversation.

The next day, the Prince pretended he was going hunting again and returned to the beautiful, lonely castle lady and the young pair gazed at each other for a good two hours!  When the time came for farewells they both put their hand on their heart and waved a handkerchief over the distance.

On the third day they traded smiles for three hours and blew kisses.

On the fourth day the Prince had just arrived when a fairy peeked out from a hollow in a chestnut tree, splitting her sides laughing.

The prince said resentfully, “What are you laughing at?”

“I’ve never seen two lovers act so silly!”

“If only I could get up there with her!” the youth sighed.

“You’re too nice, I’ll help you!” the fairy said.  She went up to the castle door and knocked.  When a maid opened the door she gave her a big old tome that was dirty, scuffed and greasy all over, saying, “Bring this book up to the Princess, it’ll help her pass the time.”

When she received the book, the maiden opened it right away and read these words: “This is a magic book:  when you read it in one direction a man becomes a bird, when you read it the other way the bird becomes a man.”

The girl carried the book to the window, started turning the pages and realized that it was true:  the youth dressed in yellow turned into a canary, took off in flight, landed on a treetop and at last there he was on the window sill, on her cushion!

The Princess took it tenderly in her hands and kissed its head.  And so she turned the book’s pages the other way and he took the form of a prince again:  his wings became arms and he took her hand tenderly.  The youth, falling on his knees, at last declared his love.  Then it got dark and the Princess turned the pages again:  he was changed back into a canary, flapped his wings and flew off on the evening breeze, landing on a low branch.  Then she turned the pages the other way, the bird became the Prince, jumped on the ground, called his hounds and went away on the trail.

And so every day the book changed the Prince into a bird, then changed him back, so he could enter her house.  The young pair had never been so happy!

After a while the Queen went to visit her stepdaughter.  She went through her room, looking around a bit suspiciously.

Through the window she saw the Prince in yellow lurking about, and thought, “If that girl wants to flirt with him, I’ll teach her to sit on the window sill!”

The Queen made the Princess bring her some water and at the same time took five pins out of her hair and stuck them into the cushion, pointing out in such a way that they couldn’t be seen.

Then she quickly said goodbye and went on her way.

As soon as the Queen’s carriage had disappeared in the thick forest, the Princess hastened to turn the book’s pages, the Prince was transformed and he flew up and landed on the cushion.

What a heart-rending peep she heard!  His soft yellow feathers were now coloured red:  the bird’s breast had been pierced by the feathers.  He tried to spread his wings, but fell to the ground.

The terrified Princess, with no idea what had happened, turned the book’s pages, hoping that when he was restored to human form his wounds would go away.

But alas, the Prince’s breast was soaked in blood and now he lay on the path, out cold, surrounded by his hounds.  Other hunters, called by the howls of the poor beasts, gave him first aid and carried him away, none of them looking up to the window where his lover stood, scared stiff.

After being brought back to his palace, however, the Prince showed no signs of recovery:  his  grievous wounds weren’t healing.  The desperate King had an edict published in every corner of his kingdom promising an immense reward to anyone who could cure the boy, but nobody came forward.

The princess meanwhile decided that the time had come to flee that tower prison:  she cut up her bedsheets, tied them into a long rope, and after night fell she used it to climb down.

She started walking, but the forest was so dark, and the howling wolves so frightening, that she hid inside a hollow oak, waiting for the sun to rise.

She’d just fallen asleep, being dead tired, when she heard a whistle, then a second, a third, a fourth…

She opened her eyes and saw four candles burning.  It was four fairies gathered together right below the tree!

So the Princess could see and hear something extraordinary, without being seen or heard herself.

The fairies laughed as they lit a fire and roasted four plump bats for their dinner.

After eating they swapped the latest news.

“I saw the Sultan of Turkey and the twenty wives he bought!”

“I saw the Emperor of China and his ten-foot pigtail!”

“I saw the King of the Cannibals eat his Chamberlain by mistake!”

“I saw the nearby King who’s in despair over his son’s illness for which nobody knows the cure, except me!”

“And what would that remedy be?” the other three asked together.

“In his room there’s a wobbling tile that has to be lifted.  Under it is a flask containing an ointment that will cure his wounds!”

Hearing these words, the Princess was ready to shout for joy and had a hard time getting to sleep in her eagerness for morning to come.

The following day the Princess got up and went to the city, but before entering the palace she bought a doctor’s suit and spectacles.

The palace guards wouldn’t let her in, but the King said, “He certainly can’t do my son any harm:  he couldn’t be any worse off.  Let’s try out this doctor!”

So the pretending doctor went to the Prince’s bedside and asked to be left alone with him.

The young Princess was excited enough to cover her sweetheart’s face with kisses, but she stayed strong and followed the directions she’d heard from the fairy.

She found the tile that wobbled, under which she found the flask.

She took it and bathed the Prince’s wounds with its contents.  As soon as the ointment was spread over the wounds they healed cleanly and his skin became smooth and bright!

Bursting with joy, she called the King, who couldn’t believe his eyes:  his son was resting peacefully, totally cured.

“Ask anything you want of me, doctor,” said the King.  “You’ve earned a very big reward!” “I don’t want money,” said the strange physician. “Just give me the Prince’s shield with the family crest, his flag and his yellow bloodstained jacket.”

And after obtaining her request, she left.

A few days later the Prince was hunting in the woods like before.

He passed below the Princess’ castle, but never looked up toward the window where his sweetheart had once appeared.

But the Princess, who had seen him, took the book and turned its pages, and the Prince turned into a bird again.  He flew into the maiden’s room, changed back into a man and said furiously, “Wasn’t it enough for you to run your pins through me?  Let me go, I don’t want to see you anymore!”

“But I’m the one who cured you!”

“That’s not true!” the Prince continued. “I was saved by a doctor who came from far away, who took as his reward my crest, flag and jacket!”

Then the Princess sobbed and showed him the three objects, saying, “See these?  I pretended to be a doctor because of my love for you!  The pins were the work of my cruel stepmother.”

The Prince couldn’t believe it, but saw sincerity and love in the Princess’ tearful eyes.

He fell on his knees, begging her to forgive him.

Then he returned home and told his father that he intended to marry the maiden in the woods.

But the King disagreed and argued that he should marry the daughter of a King.

But the youth insisted, “I’ll marry the woman who saved my life!”

So they prepared for the wedding and all the nearby royalty were invited.

The Princess’ father was also invited, without knowing that it would be his own daughter’s wedding.

When he saw her he was taken by surprise, but ran to embrace her and exclaimed, “My daughter!”

The host King marvelled, “What?  My son’s bride is your daughter?  Why didn’t you people tell me?”

“Because,” the girl chimed in, “I no longer considered myself the daughter of a man who let me be imprisoned by a treacherous stepmother!”

And as she said this she pointed to the Queen.

Then her father became aware of her suffering, and right away had his abhorrent wife imprisoned.

So the wedding was celebrated with great joy and contentment by everyone, except for that wicked woman, who could only kick herself.

The Story of the Cats (Puglia)

Once upon a time a woman had a daughter whom she loved dearly and a stepdaughter whom she treated like a beast of burden.  One day she ordered the girl to go gather chicory.  She went off alone to do it, but when she arrived in a field full of chicory, she saw a nice cabbage:  it was so nice that the girl took it in her hands and pulled and pulled, until she uprooted it.  But what a surprise!  Under the cabbage’s leaves a hole opened up with some steps leading down, so the girl went down and found herself in a house full of kittens, all of them very busy.

There was one cat sweeping the room, one washing clothes, one preparing lunch.  The girl was used to work, and helped them out with one thing after another, rinsing the clothes, kneading bread, scrubbing the floor.

Right at noon Mama Pussy appeared and said, “Lunch is ready!  Those who’ve worked will eat, those who haven’t will just watch!”

Then the cats said, “Mama, we’ve all been working, but this girl did twice as much as we did.”

“Well done, sit down and eat with us.”

Saying this, Mama Pussy filled her plate with macaroni, then gave her roast chicken and fresh salad.  She only gave the cats a plate of beans.  But the girl felt uncomfortable and wanted to share her food with the kittens, who watched her hungrily.

After lunch the maiden cleared the table, washed the dishes and put the kitchen in order.  Then she said, “Mrs. Pussy, now I must leave, otherwise I’ll be late and my stepmother will scold me.”

“Wait a moment, I want to give you something.”

And she took the girl into a great closet, where there were fine silks, linen aprons, satin shoes and other clothes of cotton and wool suited to housework.

The cat invited her to take her pick.

The poor girl, who had always gone about barefoot in rags, went to the work clothes and chose a woolen dress, a pair of cowhide shoes and a simple kerchief for her neck.

“No, that isn’t right,” said the cat. “You’ve been so generous with my kittens that you deserve a nicer gift.”

And she gave her the nicest silk dress, a handsome blue scarf and silken slippers of the same color, then added, “Now go, and watch for the holes in the wall when you’re going back up:  slip your fingers into them, then stick your head out.”

The girl did what she had been told, and when she pulled her hands out of the holes she found herself bejewelled!  There were rings on her fingers with a variety of jewels in them, and when she looked up a shooting star fell in front of her.

She returned home dressed like a bride!

Her stepmother was stunned by her transformation, and the girl told her the whole story of how she had come by her clothes.

The following day the lady sent out her own daughter, telling her, “Do as your stepsister did!”

But this girl, who was spoiled and lazy, moaned about the cold and how far she had to walk; so her mother had to thrash her to make her go out!

At last, after a long walk, she found the cabbage, pulled on it, went down the stairs and found the cats’ house, but as soon as she met them she started playing pranks and annoying them:  the first cat got swung by his tail, the second got his whiskers pulled, and the one who sewed was robbed of her needle.  The poor kittens moaned hopelessly.

Right at noon, Mama Pussy told them, “Those who’ve worked will come and eat, those who haven’t will just watch!”

“Mama, we tried to work, but this mean girl got in our way!”

The girl only got hard bread with vinegar while her kittens got macaroni with tomato sauce and roast meat.

But the girl just put her hands into the other plates.

When lunch was over, instead of clearing the table, she said to Mama Pussy, “Well, now give me what you gave my sister!”

Mama Pussy took her to the closet and asked her what she would like to have.

“I want that beautiful sheer robe and those high-heeled slippers!” the girl answered.

“Here’s your ensemble,” said the cat, and gave her a filthy, greasy woolen dress and a pair of old, worn-out shoes.

She put a shabby cloth around her neck and told her, “Get out, and when you’re going back up slip your fingers in the holes in the wall, then stick your head out into the air!”

When the girl had slipped her hands into the holes, she found them covered in slimy, sticky worms, and the more she tried to remove them the more they twisted around her.  She stuck her head out and a long worm fell into her mouth!

She bit on it to make it shorter, but that just left a new worm hanging from her lip.

And the girl madly ate the worm every day, and gradually died.

While the nice hard-working sister married a fine young man.

And so they stayed happy and fair,

You’ll hear them yet if you prick up your ear.

The Story of the Little Green Bird (Florence)

Once upon a time there were three sisters so very poor that they had only one dress which they had to share so they could go out of the house one at a time.

One evening they discussed their future:

“If I could only marry the King’s baker I’d make them the finest bread in the world!” said the first.

“And if I could marry the King’s cook I’d make them exquisite dishes incomparable to anything in the world,” said the second.

“I’d like to do something even harder:  marry the King’s son and give them wonderful children, a girl with the sun and the moon in her face and a boy with a knight’s boldness,” said the third.

A servant of the King, who overheard them, casually repeated this conversation to His Majesty.   So the King decided to invite the three sisters to the palace and put them to the test.  On that day he married off all three:  the oldest to the baker, the middle to the cook and the youngest to his son.

Right away everyone in the palace realized that the first two had kept their promise.  Indeed, the bread that the oldest baked was the crunchiest and most fragrant that they had ever tasted, and the dishes cooked by the middle were the tastiest and most delicate in the whole kingdom.

But the youngest needed a bit more time:  yet the Prince was happy and affectionate and awaited the children’s birth.  One day he was forced to go off to war, and while they were far away from the palace his wife brought into the world a boy and a beautiful girl, she with the sun and moon in her face, he with a knight’s boldness.

But his mother the Queen, who hated her daughter-in-law, took the babies and ordered them thrown into a fire.  In their place she put two piglets.  Then she wrote to her son with terrible news:  his wife had only managed to give birth to two critters!

The Prince came back from the war and with fire in his hardened eyes, ordered the little pigs roasted and his wife put in chains and buried up to her neck outside the palace gate.

He also forced everyone passing by to spit in her face to punish her.

But the two babies weren’t really dead:  the basket in which they’d been laid was carried far away by a river and ended up near a mill.

The miller took pity on the tykes and took them home to his wife, who raised them with love, along with their other children.

The two children grew up happy and fair, but one day, playing with the other youngsters, they heard someone say, “Bastards!”

The boy went to the man he thought was his father and asked him, “Daddy, why do they call us bastards?”

Then the miller explained that in fact they weren’t his natural children and he’d actually happened upon them in the river.  Then the boy said, “Thank you for all you’ve done for us, but if we aren’t your children then we’ll go off and live on our own.” 

And taking his sister by the hand, he set out.  Arriving in a fine chestnut wood, they built a hut to live in.  

As the years passed they became more expert at hunting and gathering berries.  They built a brick house, around which they planted roses, jasmine, hydrangea, daisies and lilies.  It was an enchanting garden which attracted bees, butterflies and birds!

Meanwhile the evil Queen kept thinking about her grandchildren and wondering if they were really dead.  One day she sent for the Witch of the Mountains and thus came to know that the two youngsters were alive and happy in a delightful cottage where they lacked nothing.  The Queen, green as a viper, told the Witch of the Mountains, “Go there right now and kill them!”

“Sacred Majesty, I will do the impossible for you!” said the Witch.

And after changing herself into a poor old lady, the Witch knocked on the door of the cottage in the woods.

The girl was alone and was nice to the old woman, who said, “How beautiful it is here, how nice….  Pity that something’s missing!”

“What’s missing, Granny?”

“You don’t have glowing water.”

“And where can I find it?”

“You need to go to the end of that road, where the forest ends.  Down there is a wonderful spring, all you have to take is a little water in a tiny bottle and bring it to this garden.  All you have to do is build a nice bath and pour in the phial’s water, and you’ll see a new spring of glowing water burst forth!”

That night the girl told her brother of the strange old lady and how all that was needed to make their home perfect was glowing water.

The following morning the boy went down the road.  He was almost out of the forest when he saw a friendly old man sitting on a beech trunk, who asked him, “Where are you going, laddie?”

“I’m going to find glowing water,” he answered with certainty.

“Glowing water?  Don’t bother!  Nobody’s ever come back alive from that place!”

“I want to try.”

“Then take my advice.  Along the way you’ll see frightening spectres, but ignore them, don’t act like you notice them or argue with any of the voices.  Maybe you’ll succeed in your quest.  Good luck!”

Walking on and on, to just outside the forest, the boy seemed to see a pack of ferocious dogs growling at him, but he ignored them, and the spectre disappeared.  Then he seemed to see wild bulls and horses bearing down on him.  Again he mustered his courage, and walked on as if nothing were there.

Then silence returned.  And so he reached the end of the road, where he saw a spring with water that glowed under the ground like fireworks on a clear, dark night.  He filled the phial and returned to his sister.  Then together they built a tub and poured the water in:  it really glowed all day and night!

The Witch of the Mountains was thwarted and tried to think up a new deathtrap.

She returned to the cottage, disguised as the innocent old lady, and acted delighted in the wonderful water. “How splendid the garden is now, almost perfect…”

“What’s left, granny?”

“Oh, my daughter, it doesn’t have the tree of all sounds.”

“And where can you find that?”

“You need to go along the spring road past the glowing water, then you’ll find a row of trees, and the last one is the tree of all sounds.  Just cut away one shoot from the tree, plant it in the garden, and you’ll hear delightful music and sounds!”

That night the girl told her brother everything and the boy got so curious about the wonderful tree that he couldn’t wait to go look for it.  At dawn he set out.  And again he met the old man sitting on the beech trunk, who said, “Good morning, laddie, where are you going with a hoe on your shoulder?”

“I’m going to find the tree of all sounds, old man,” the boy answered happily.

“You’d do better to turn back right away, don’t go!”

“I’m going to do it, old man!”

“Then be careful not to look back this time either,  but keep moving forward on that road, where the most terrible, monstrous beings will appear.”

And it was true:  voices, calls, shouts, howls, terrifying screams, thunder and lightning accompanied him on his way.  But they made no impression on him.

So at last he arrived at the last tree and set to work with his hoe, digging out a shoot with roots.  

Then he returned home safe and sound.  The two of them found a pretty, sunny place for the sapling, which grew quickly.  And what sweet music was in its branches whenever there was a gust of wind!

Some time later the old lady showed up again, and after admiring the garden, which was even prettier and full of harmony, said, “Now it lacks just one thing:  the Little Green Bird, who talks as well as singing.”

“Oh, tell me how we can find it, my brother will surely go get it.”

“Then you must tell your brother to continue further on that road he’s been on.  He’ll find a city with three gates, but he must be sure to be there right at midnight, because only then will they be open.  Once he’s inside, he must enter a portico where there’s a whole row of cages:  and the last one, the dirtiest of all, is the one he must take, for the Little Green Bird is inside.”

That night, toward dusk, the boy set out on the road.  He met the old man who’d been sitting alone on the beech trunk, who was now about to go home.

“And where are you going at such a fine hour, laddie?”

“I’m going to get the Little Green Bird who sings and talks.”

“Be careful, my son, and once you’re inside get it quickly, for one minute after midnight the gates close again.  Be careful never to turn around or answer anyone.  Good luck!”

And sure enough, all along the road he was followed by the same spectres, noises and screams of all kinds.

Then there he was, past the spring, then past the long row of trees.  The three gates came in sight, when all of a sudden he heard a voice calling to him by name: “Hey, Giovannino, listen.”

The boy turned around for just a moment and became stuck in that position, as stiff as a white marble statue in the moonlight.  A day passed, then another and yet another:  his sister back home started to lose hope.

She went along the road in search of her brother.  At the end of the forest she met the little old man, who asked her where she was going at that hour.

“I’m looking for my brother, he left three days ago in search of the Little Green Bird and hasn’t come back.”

“Your brother has come under a terrible magic spell, you’ll find him stiff as marble.  But if you do as I say, you can free him and bring him home safe and sound.  Listen carefully:  all along the road you’ll hear screams, calls, harangues, but act like you’re deaf.  When you finally reach the statue of your brother, rub this ointment over his face and he’ll be restored to flesh and blood and speak to you.  Be brave!”

The girl followed the good man’s advice and  went down the road fearlessly:  at last she saw her brother in the moonlight, ran up to him and anointed his face, and right away he said, “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing?  I waited three days and nights for you to come home, then went out to look for you.”

“Now go home while I go get the Little Green Bird.”

“I’m coming with you!”

“Oh no, you’re not!”

“Oh yes, I am!”

After a long argument they went together.  And right at midnight the three gates opened, the two of them quickly entered, found the last cage, which really was the filthiest one, hurried out and went home.

The Little Green Bird, with soft green feathers, was really extraordinary:  when he wasn’t singing he talked, and when he wasn’t talking he sang.

So the two young people passed their days happily in their garden, now a paradise on earth.

One ugly day of storms and hail, thunder and lightning, they heard a knock on the door:  it was the son of the King, now King himself, who sought shelter in the blustery downpour.

He stayed in the warm cottage and received the hospitality of the two of them, but sadly he didn’t know they were his children.

When the time came to leave he made them promise that the next day they’d come to have lunch at the royal palace.  The morning, sure enough, a magnificent golden carriage pulled by six white horses appeared in front of the cottage in the woods.

The two young people were happy to get on board, but just when they were getting out they saw a poor woman buried up to her neck:  the sight of her touched their innocent hearts.  They were starting to regret leaving their forest and finding such a miserable sight.  While they thought about this, the King’s guard told them that they’d have to spit on her.

“We won’t spit on this lady, she’s done nothing wrong!” the boy retorted.  He was about to leave with his sister when the King, who’d seen them from his window, persuaded them to come in.  They were brought into the splendid lunch room, with embroidered tablecloths, flowers, crystal goblets, gold plates and delicious fare.  Everything looked wonderful to these young people, used to the simple life of the forest.

They were a bit awkward and bashful, but the other guests encouraged them to speak.

“What can we tell you?  My sister and I live in a fragrant forest far from the town, we have a wonderful garden with glowing water, the Tree of All Sounds and the Little Green Bird who talks as well as singing.”

Everyone asked to see these extraordinary things, when suddenly they heard melodious sounds.

They ran to the window sill and there they saw the glowing water and the Tree of All Sounds.  On one of its branches, spreading his green wings, the Little Green Bird was singing.  The boy called to him and the bird sent a melodious song his way.  When the King asked him to speak, however, the bird told him the whole story about his children:  how his son had buried his wife and their children had been abandoned because of the Queen Mother’s scheming.  He told of how she’d replaced them with piglets and persecuted them.

An icy, embarrassed silence fell.  The King, red-faced with shame, fell on his knees and asked his wife to forgive him.

The lady generously forgave him and celebrations began.

The next day the Queen Mother was burned at the stake in the public square and the people passing by muttered, “Serves her right!”

Giricoccola (Bologna)

Once upon a time there was a merchant with three daughters who had to leave on business one day.  So he told his daughters, “Tell me what gifts you want me to bring you before I leave.”

And the daughters asked for gold, silver and  silk to spin.  The father bought gold, silver and silk and trusted them to behave during his absence.

After lunch they set to work:  the oldest sister spun the gold, the middle sister the silver and the youngest, who was called Giricoccola, the silk.

Everyone who passed by their window marvelled at the three pretty girls, especially Giricoccola who was prettiest of all.

Her sisters knew it and secretly envied her.  Evening came and they went to bed.  Up in the sky the Man in the Moon peeped into the window and said:

She who spins gold is fair,

She of silver fairer yet,

But she of silk takes the prize,

Good night, fair and ugly!

The two older girls were awake and heard everything.  They turned green with envy and decided to change threads.

So the next day they gave the silver to Giricoccola, the silk to the oldest sister and the gold to the middle sister.

That night, once again, the Moon came to the window and said:

She who spins silk is fair,

She of gold fairer yet,

But she of silver takes the prize,

Good night, fair and ugly!

Then the following day they started being rude to their little sister, who needed the patience of a saint to put up with them.  They changed threads again and Giricoccola got the gold this time:  they thought that they could fool the Moon by doing this.  But the Moon, watching the three girls, said:

She who spins silver is fair,

She of silk fairer yet,

But she of gold takes the prize,

Good night, fair and ugly!

The older sisters could no longer bear to look at Giricoccola and locked her up in the granary, with the sacks of flour.  The poor girl wept and wept!  But that night the Moon opened the granary’s little window with a bright ray of light and took the girl by the hand, carrying her through the stars.

The next day the two sisters spun by themselves, in front of the window.  That night, the Moon appeared at their chamber and said:

She who spins gold is fair,

She of silver fairer yet,

But she in my house takes the prize,

Good night, fair and ugly!

The sisters in their nightdresses ran to the granary and realized that Giricoccola had disappeared!

They consulted a sorceress and asked her how to get rid of their sister forever.  The astrologer said, “Leave her to me,” and dressed up as a Gypsy woman.

In that disguise, she went before the house of the Moon, crying, “Pins for sale!  Nice pins for small change!”

Giricoccola appeared and was curious enough to let the Gypsy in.  In a considerate voice she said, “Hold this mirror, I’ll put this pin in your hair.”

Saying this, she stuck it into her head and Giricoccola turned into a statue, stiff and hard as a stone!  The Man in the Moon came home after his daily turn and was shocked to find the girl in this state.

“I told you to be careful and not let anyone in,” he scolded. “You disobeyed me!”

But he felt such tenderness toward that girl that he forgave her.  He pulled the pin out and Giricoccola was once again the same happy, sweet girl she’d always been.  She promised to be more careful.  Meanwhile her sisters returned to the sorceress to make sure that she was truly dead.  The sorceress looked into her crystal ball and saw… Giricoccola happy and contented in the house of the Moon.  The sisters looked mad with spite:  they demanded that the witch kill the little lady right away!  Then the witch disguised herself as a beggar woman and went below Giricoccola’s window, selling fancy little ivory combs.  The sweet and innocent girl couldn’t resist and opened the door:  the  beggar woman, in a quick move, put a comb in her hair and the girl turned to stone again!

As soon as the Man in the Moon came home and saw the new statue, he gave her an earful.  When he calmed down, however, he went up to the girl and his good heart made him take the comb out.

Giricoccola came to a second time.

Then he told her, “Be careful!  If this happens again, I’ll let you die!”

And Giricoccola promised that it would never happen again.

But it did happen again:  the treacherous sisters wouldn’t give up and insisted on the witch going again, this time selling embroidered blouses.  As soon as Giricoccola put on her favourite one, she became a statue again.

And the Man in the Moon lost patience!  He not only left her as a statue, but sold her to a chimney sweep for small change.  He put the splendid statue on his cart and took her from town to town.

One day a son of the King saw the statue and would do anything to buy her.  He was so charmed by her that after paying a pound of gold, he took her into his palace and passed the time in a rapture, staring at her.  When he went out, he’d lock her in his chamber.

One night, however, the Prince’s sisters used a skeleton key to get in, and seeing her splendid blouse, pulled it off her so they could make a new one just the same.  At that very moment the girl regained her flesh and blood form, started moving her eyes and head and told them her sad story.  

When the Prince came back and couldn’t find his precious statue, he was almost overcome with despair, but then he saw his sisters in friendly conversation with Giricoccola and listened with delight to the girl’s voice for the first time.

He took her as his wife and they celebrated the wonderful wedding for a whole week!

Giricococcola’s sisters also knew of it, from snooping with the crystal ball, and dropped dead, speechless with rage.

The Love of Three Pomegranates (Abruzzi)

Once upon a time a prince ate some pearly-white ricotta cheese.  He pricked his finger and a drop of blood fell on the cheese.  Then he said to his mother, “Mama, I want a wife white as milk and red as blood.”

“Son, that’ll be hard to find.  Whoever’s white can’t be red and whoever’s red can’t be white.”

The Prince set out and one day met an old man, who asked him, “Where are you going, young man?”

“Grandpa, maybe you can help me.  I’m looking for a wife who’s white as milk and red as blood.”

“My son, whoever’s white can’t be red and whoever’s red can’t be white.  I can give you these three pomegranates:  open them and see what comes out.  But be careful:  stand close to a fountain first.”

The young man found a fountain.  Then he opened one pomegranate and out jumped a splendid girl white as milk and red as blood, who said to him:

Young man so light and spry,

Quench my thirst or I will die!

The Prince put some water in the palm of his hand and gave it to her, but alas!  Too late.  The fair girl was dead.

Then he opened another pomegranate and out jumped another girl even more beautiful, who said to him:

Young man so light and spry,

Quench my thirst or I will die!

He gathered some more water, but when he gave it to her she was already dead.  He opened the third fruit and out came a girl even prettier than the first two.  The young man already had the water in his hand and he splashed it in her face!  And she lived.  But the girl was undressed except for her long hair.  The Prince covered her with his red cloak and said, “Sit in this tree, while I go find clothes for you and a carriage to bring you to my palace, where I shall marry you.  Wait for me.”

The girl stayed under the tree near the fountain.  Before long Ugly Saracina came there.  Casting a clay jug into the water, she saw in the reflection the face of the girl in the tree and said:

Must I, so fair with lips so red,

Go fetch water like a bucket maid?

And without thinking twice, she threw the jug on the ground, breaking it into a thousand pieces.  The lady of the house gave it to her both barrels and said, “Ugly Saracina!  How dare you return home without the water or the jug!” And she sent her to the fountain again.

There the maid saw the splendid girl’s reflection in the water again and said:

Must I, so fair with lips so red,

Go fetch water like a bucket maid?

She broke the second jug, returned home and got a thrashing.  When she went to the fountain a third time, the girl under the tree, who’d been silent so far, started laughing.

Ugly Saracina, lifting her head, saw her and figured out that she’d been mistaken.  Trying to hide her spite and rage, she said to the girl, “Oh, so it’s you who made me break the jug!  You’re really beautiful!  Why not come down for a moment, so I can do your hair?”

After she kept insisting, the fair maid was convinced.  Ugly Saracina combed her hair sweetly and then stuck one of her pins into her right ear.

The fair maid dropped dead.  But a drop of her blood, as it hit the ground, changed into a lily-white dove, which flew up to the blue sky.

Meanwhile Ugly Saracina took the fair maid’s place in the tree and put on her red cloak.

The Prince came back and didn’t recognize her.  He actually said, “You used to be white as milk and red as blood!  How on earth did you get so dark?” And Ugly Saracina answered:

When the sun came out, in range,

My very color, it did change!

Yet the Prince was unconvinced. “But how did your voice ever come to be so low and hoarse?” And the girl said:

When the sun came out, in range,

My very voice, it did change!

The prince cried in despair, “But you were so beautiful!  Now you’ve become really ugly!”  And Ugly Saracina retorted:

And the breeze also came in range,

My whole beauty, it did change!

The Prince had had enough, and didn’t know what more to say.  He took her with him, brought her to the palace and married her.  Every morning the little white dove perched on the windowsill of the royal kitchens and asked the cook:

O cook, cook in the bad kitchen,

What’s the Prince doing with Ugly Saracina? 

And the cook always answered, “Eat, drink and sleep.”  And the dove said:

A bit of soup for me,

A golden feather for you.

The cook offered her a bowl of soup and the grateful bird shed feathers of gold.  So every morning the dove had breakfast and the cook gathered the soft feathers.

One day he decided to tell the Prince of the bird’s strange behaviour.

“When you see the dove again,” the Prince said, “grab her and bring her to me so I may talk with her.”

But Ugly Saracina, who had a black soul, was eavesdropping behind the door.  The next morning she spotted the bird landing on the windowsill before the cook did and… wham!  She ran a spit through her.  The dove fell dead.  But a drop of her blood fell in the royal palace garden, and right away a splendid pomegranate tree magically sprouted.

But this tree was special:  its fruit had the property of curing anyone on the brink of death.

There was always an incredibly long line of people asking for a pomegranate.  At last there was only one fruit remaining on the tree, the reddest and most splendid.  Ugly Saracina wanted it for herself.

One day a tearful old lady came to her, pleading, “Please, give me that miraculous pomegranate!  My husband’s dying.”

“Don’t even talk of it, the last one’s mine and I want it to decorate my dinner table!”

Then the Prince came along and gave it to her.  So the old lady went home with the beautiful fruit, but alas, she was too late:  her husband was already dead.  She put the pomegranate in the kitchen, on her table: it was truly stunning.  Every morning the old lady went to Mass.

And while she was out, a beautiful girl came out of the pomegranate and cleaned, lit the fire and cooked the soup.  Then she went back inside the pomegranate.

The widow had no idea who had done all this.  So one morning she pretended to leave but hid behind the door.  So she saw all that was happening.

She rushed back in and the girl didn’t have time to go back into the pomegranate.

“Who are you, lass?  Why are you doing all this for me?”

And the girl, in a fright, told her whole ugly story.

The widow gave her peasant clothes, the same as her own, and the next day took her to Mass.  The Prince was also in the church that day, and as soon he saw her he thought, “Oh Jesus, that peasant girl looks exactly like the girl I saw at the fountain!”

So after the service he followed the widow and buttonholed her. “Tell me where that girl comes from!”

“She comes from the pomegranate that you gave me for my husband, Your Highness.  Do you remember that?”

“Of course,” the Prince answered. “Now I remember.  So that girl came from a pomegranate too.  And how on earth did she get inside the pomegranate?” the young man asked.  The girl told her sad story.

He took her with him to the palace and made her repeat everything in front of Ugly Saracen, who became even darker and uglier.

Than the young man told the culprit, “It won’t be up to me to give you the punishment you deserve.  You choose the most fitting sentence.” And Ugly Saracina said, “Give me a shirt of tar and burn me on the pyre.” It was done.  And the Prince married the girl white as milk and red as blood.

Lady Cirimbriscola (Tuscany)

Once upon a time there was a woodcutter with a  daughter who was gay, smart and always ready with her wit, whom people playfully called Madame Cirimbriscola.

One day, going to cut wood, her father found a mortar near a great chestnut tree.  When he brought it home, he wasn’t sure what do with it, for it was truly handsome.

When his daughter saw it, she suggested, “Daddy, if I do your work you can go bring this beautiful mortar to the King.”

The woodcutter heeded his daughter, whom he trusted greatly.  But the King gave him a dirty look and asked rather brusquely, “What’s that?  What am I supposed to do with it?”

“Sir, my daughter Madame Cirimbriscola sends it to you with all her respects.”

“Oh, yeah?  Then bring Madame Cirimbriscola this straw and tell her to make me the pestle for the mortar from it, otherwise it’s off with your head!”

The woodcutter went home, his teeth chattering with fear.

“Daughter,” he said in a trembling voice, “what mess have we got into?  The King is offended and wants you to make him a pestle for the mortar right now, using this straw.  How will we do it?”

But the girl wasn’t frightened at all and told her father, “Daddy, you mustn’t worry.  Take these three turnips and bring them to the King; tell him that when he draws blood from them I’ll make him the pestle with the straw.”

The good man, who would have cut himself to pieces for his daughter, returned to the palace and made the impossible proposal to the Sovereign.  Then the King, getting even angrier, gave the woodcutter three hemp strings and and told him, “You must tell your daughter to weave me a cloth with these strings, otherwise off with your head!”

The poor man went home, even more frightened. “Daughter, look what the King gave me!He says you must weave him a cloth or he’ll put me to death!”

“Why are you afraid, Daddy?  Take these three straws to the King and tell him that when he’s built a loom from them I’ll weave the cloth on it.”

To this new challenge, the King snapped, “Go tell your daughter that if she doesn’t want to be burned at the stake, she must present herself to me neither naked nor clothed, neither on foot nor on horse.  I’m giving her only twelve hours!”

The poor man returned home weeping like a fountain. “Daughter, you’ve really done it now!  The King’s beside himself with rage:  you have only twelve hours to appear before him neither naked nor clothed, neither on foot nor on horse.  What will you do now?”

The girl thought for a moment, then all of a sudden answered, “Daddy, don’t worry.  Just get me a fishing net and a goat.”

So the girl wrapped herself up in the net, so that you couldn’t say she was naked, or clothed either.

Then she sat on the little goat, so that she wasn’t on a horse, or on foot.

When the King saw her enter his presence, the anger disappeared from his face, he laughed and said, “You’re really a clever girl.  You’re the wife I’ve been looking for.  I’ll marry you, but on just one condition:  that you never interfere with my business.  Do you agree to that?”

So they celebrated the marriage, with a wedding as solemn and splendid as had ever been seen in the kingdom.

And Lady Cirimbriscola kept her promise, staying out of the King’s affairs.  But one fine fair day 

there was a furious fight between two peasants, so fierce that the King himself was called on to settle it.

It had happened this way:  one peasant had arrived at the fair with a cow, the other with an bull.  After the two men went home, a calf was born.

The bull’s master said, “He’s mine!” And the cow’s master responded, “He’s mine, he comes from my cow!” And they started fighting.

They brought the matter to the attention of the King, who passed this judgement: “Each of you move his own animal away.  We’ll see which beast the calf instinctively walks behind; and that one’s master shall own the calf too.”

The cow’s master went first, pulling her behind, but the calf wouldn’t move.  The bull’s master went next and lo and behold, the calf followed!

And so, since the King’s word was law, the peasant with the bull was awarded the calf.

The cow’s master lost heart, but Cirimbriscola, who saw everything, sent for him and said, “Don’t despair.  If you promise not to tell anyone I said this, I’ll tell you how to get your calf back.”

The peasant happily promised it.

“Do as I say:  fill your pockets with bread crumbs and tomorrow morning, at dawn, come into the King’s garden, next to the goldfish tank.  When you see the King appear at the window, throw the crumbs to the fish, then strike the side of the tank with a stick and shout at the top of your voice, “Fish come out and eat the grass.” When the King talks to you, be sure to answer to the point, don’t be silly!”

The peasant did as she’d told him.  The next morning he came near the fish tank and when he saw the King behind the window he threw the bread and yelled with all his breath, “Fish come out and eat the grass!”

The King opened his window and told him, “Hey, stupid!  Nobody’s ever seen fish eat grass!”

“So how is it, sir, that you’ve seen bulls give birth?” the peasant answered drily.

The King, red-faced with shame, said, “You’re right, go take your calf back, it’s all yours.”

The peasant’s retort got to him, however, and he realized that his wife had a hand in it.  So he said to her, “We made an agreement:  that you wouldn’t ever get involved in my business.  You reneged, so you must leave this place.  But I’ll let you take the one thing in this palace that’s most precious to you.  Goodbye!”

Madame Cirimbriscola, strange to say, said nothing.  But she secretly told the cook to put some sleeping powder in the King’s soup.  As a result, after eating lunch he fell into a deep sleep.  Madame Cirimbriscola ordered him put into a carriage and taken to the woods, where he spent some time with her father.  After joining him in the country, she delicately laid him down in her father’s room.

How astonished the King was to wake up in such a poor house, full of smoke and modestly furnished! “Where am I?  Cirimbriscola!  What kind of joke is this?”

She heard him and said with a smile, “You allowed me to take away what was dearest to me and I did, Sir!”

The King couldn’t resist laughing heartily and made peace with his wife, who promised to please him every day from then on.

Then they decided to return to the royal palace on foot.  And they lived happily ever after.