Italian Folktales (113 page)

Simple-minded or no, the fact is that, from that night on, the princess began expecting a baby. Her anger and shame were boundless. Worried that everybody would soon know, she told the gardener. “There's nothing else for you to do,” he said, “but flee with me.”

“With you? I'd rather die!”

“All right, remain at court until everyone finds out.”

So she had to resign herself to running away with him. She tied her things up in a small bundle, took a little money, and one night they ran away on foot.

Along the way they met cowherds and shepherds, passed through fields and pastures. And she asked, “Whose flocks are these?”

“They belong to King Garnet.”

“Oh poor me!”

“Why? What's the matter?” asked the gardener.

“Poor me, for refusing his son for a husband!”

“Too bad for you!” said the gardener.

“And whose land is all this?”

“King Garnet's.”

“Oh, poor me!”

Dead tired, they came to the house of the young man, who had told her he was the son of King Garnet's steward. It was a smoke-blackened hut containing an old bed, a stove, and a fireplace, and next to it were the barn and the henhouse. “I'm hungry,” he said. “Wring a chicken's neck and cook me some chicken.” The princess obeyed. They spent the night in the hut, and in the morning the youth went out, saying he wouldn't be back before evening.

The princess stayed in that humble house by herself, and all of a sudden a knock was heard. She opened the door, and there stood King Garnet's son dressed from head to toe in royal garb. “Who are you?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I am the wife of your steward's son.”

“That may well be. But you don't look like an honest woman to me. What if you were a thief? Somebody's always sneaking up here stealing my chickens.”

And the prince called the hens and counted them. “One's missing!” he said. “How's that? They were all here yesterday at this hour.” Then he began rummaging through the house. In the stove he found the feathers of the hen which the princess had cooked the night before. “So you're the thief! I've caught you red-handed! Be thankful I was the one to catch you. I won't turn you over to the law!”

At the shouts of the prince, his mother the queen appeared. She saw the young woman in tears and said to her, “Don't worry, my son is a strange boy. You will work for me. I'm expecting a little grandson and have to get his baby clothes ready. You will help me sew.” And the queen led her off to make swaddling bands, baby gowns, jackets, and pants.

When the gardener came home in the evening, the young woman wept and told him everything, saying he was to blame and had to take her
away from there at once. But he calmed her down and persuaded her to stay there. “But what will we do?” she asked. “Our baby will come and we won't have a stitch to put on him!”

“Tomorrow,” he told her, “when the queen gives you more sewing, take a baby gown and hide it in your bosom.”

So the next day as she was leaving, the young woman waited until the queen turned her head for a minute, and slipped a baby gown down her bosom. A minute later the prince came in and said to his mother, “Mamma, just who's working here with you? That thief? You know she's capable of stealing everything!” At that, he reached out and pulled the baby gown out of her bosom. The young woman could have gone through the floor. But this time as well the queen sided with her. “These are matters that concern women,” she told her son. “What are you doing meddling in them?” She comforted the young woman, who wept as though her heart would break, and told her to come back tomorrow to string a few pearls.

The young woman returned to the hovel that night and told her husband about her latest misfortunes. “Don't give them a thought,” he said. “That king is an old skinflint. Just be sure to slip a string of pearls into your pocket tomorrow.”

The next day, when the queen wasn't looking, the young woman thrust a string of pearls into her pocket. But when the prince came in, he said, “You're giving this thief pearls? I'll just bet at least one string has already found its way into her pocket!” Rummaging in her pocket, he came up with the pearls, and the young woman fainted. Then the queen held smelling salts to her nose, reviving and consoling her.

The next day while she was working at the queen's, her labor pains began and she had to go to bed. The queen put her in the prince's bed, where she gave birth to a fine baby boy.

In walked the prince. “What, Mamma, this thief in my bed?”

“Enough of this comedy, my son,” said the queen. “Dear daughter, this son of mine is your husband, whom you refused all because of a little pomegranate seed, and who became a gardener in order to win you.” Everything was now in the open. The princess's parents were summoned, together with all the neighboring monarchs, and there were three full days of feasting and merrymaking.

 

(
Province of Trapani
)

176

It is told, ladies and gentlemen, that there was once a king who had one son. This son, eager to marry, sent painters to all the kingdoms to paint portraits of the most beautiful girls of every class. The first painter to return brought back the portrait of a washerwoman's daughter, a maiden of rare beauty indeed. When he saw it, the king's son said, “She's the one I want!” and, escorted by servants and soldiers, he left for the city where the girl lived.

The girl was on her way out to wash and carried a bundle of clothes on her head. With a slap, the prince sent the bundle sailing into the river and said, “I am marrying you, and you will be queen.” Taking her by the hand, he said, “Let's go to your father.” The girl burst into tears.

Her father was furious. “Go and joke with your own kind, and leave us poor people to our own worries!”

“On my honor,” replied the prince, “I want your daughter for my wife, and you will receive a pope's income.”

He left them a great sum of money, had the daughter outfitted like a queen, and departed. Back at the palace following the wedding, there was a whole week of gala balls, then the couple settled down in their own quarters and loved each other dearly.

Meanwhile war was declared on the prince's father by the king of Africa. The prince went to the kingdom's defense, leaving his wife in his father's safekeeping. He went to war, and in the first battle, he was the victor.

Let's leave him at war and turn to his wife. One of the king's ministers had begun making eyes at this princess, but the first time he tried to approach her, she slapped him.

Stung to the quick, the minister went flying to the king and said, “Majesty, as Your Highness can see, your daughter-in-law is in league with the cook and certain others . . . ”

The king wrote his son, who replied, “Whatever you see fit to do with my wife, do it.”

The king showed the minister the letter and asked, “What shall her sentence be?”

“Majesty, let us select two ruffians to take her to the woods and kill her.”

Thus was it done. The princess suspected nothing; she only knew she
was to go to the country, and had put on her jewels. “But where are we going?” she asked after a certain distance.

“Keep walking and be quiet!” said one of the men, who pulled out his knife and pricked her to keep her moving. Arriving in the darkest part of the woods, they decided it was time to kill her. “Why must you kill me?” wept the poor girl. “Take my jewels in exchange for my life!”

The ruffians took the jewels and spared her life. The princess remained there, alone and bitter. A goatherd came by and, in exchange for a present of money, gave her a man's suit of clothing. She hid her own royal clothing under a mulberry tree and marked the trunk with a cross in order to be able to find it again.

She set out on the road dressed as a man, and ran into four thieves.

“Who goes there?” asked the thieves.

“A fugitive from justice,” replied the princess.

“But who are you?”

“The Great Narbone.”

“Oh, we have heard of you, we know of your prowesses . . . ” and they took her with them into a cave. Other thieves joined them, some twenty in all, and learning that this was the Great Narbone, so illustrious in valor, they made a big to-do over him and named him their chief.

“Since you confer such an honor on me,” said Narbone, “what I say from now on, goes. Let's put that in writing, each of us signing in our own blood.”

“Yessirree,” said the thieves, and they all drew blood from their arms and signed the pledge of obedience to the chief.

While they were doing that, the watch came in and reported that twelve silversmiths were going by with their cargoes. “Who will look after this robbery?” wondered the thieves.

“I'll see to it myself with two of you,” said Narbone.

Taken by surprise, the silversmiths fired their guns, but the thieves fired even more guns, so the silversmiths fled, leaving behind twelve loads of gold objects. (They got away, thanks to the Great Narbone.)

The thieves took the treasures and cried, “Long live the Great Narbone!”

The prince came back from the war, closed himself up in his room, and wept. Noblemen went and tried to console him. “Prince, why all this weeping? You'll cry your eyes out. Come to the country with us and forget everything.”

They went hunting in the country and were caught by the thieves and carried into the cave. “You are the prince, are you not?” asked the Great Narbone. “Is your father's minister still alive?”

“Very much so,” said the prince.

“Write him a letter at once,” ordered the Great Narbone, “and have him come to the cave of the Great Mountain.”

The prince wrote, and the minister had no choice but to come. The thieves were on the lookout; as soon as they saw the minister they seized him and took him to the cave. Chief Great Narbone had a fine feast prepared and invited everyone to dinner—the twenty-four thieves, plus the prince, the minister, and himself, who made twenty-seven. While dining, he said, “Now, honorable minister, explain that business about the prince's wife.”

The minister began trembling. “I know nothing about it . . . ”

“Don't tremble, tell the prince what happened. Just what designs did you have on his wife?”

When the minister refused to talk, Great Narbone pointed a pistol at him, saying, “Either you tell the whole story, or I'll blow your brains out!”

Stuttering, the minister started his tale.

“Majesty,” said the thieves' ringleader to the prince, “did you hear what really happened?” Drawing a large knife, he cut off the minister's head and stood it in the center of the table.

“That takes care of that wicked soul, Majesty! Now we can go on with our dinner! Throw the body out of the cave!” And with bloody hands, he went back to his food.

When dinner was over, he excused himself, went to the mulberry tree for the princess's clothing, and put it on. When the prince saw her come in and realized that it was his wife, he wept tenderly and asked her forgiveness.

The princess had the thieves pardoned and they all rode on horseback, with the carriage of the prince and princess in their midst, to the palace. Just imagine the celebrations! The thieves returned to their towns as rich men and committed no more robberies.

 

They lived happily ever after,

And we are here ‘midst friends and laughter.

 

(
Province of Agrigento
)

 

177

Once there was a young married man who was unable to make ends meet where he lived, so he moved to another town and entered the service of a priest. One day while working in the field, he found a large mushroom, which he carried to his employer. The priest said to him, “Go back to the very same spot tomorrow, dig where the mushroom was growing, and bring me what you find.”

The farmer dug down and found two vipers. He killed them and carried them to his master. That same day some eels had been brought to the priest, who said to his servant, “They will be for the young man's dinner. Pick out the two thinnest eels and fry them for him.” The servant made a mistake and fried the vipers, which she then served the farmer. He ate them with relish.

When dinner was over, the youth looked down and sat the cat and dog, and he heard them talking. The dog said, “I'm supposed to get more meat than you are.” The cat replied, “No, I'm supposed to get the most.”

“Since I go out with the master,” said the dog, “and you stay at home, I have to have more to eat than you do.”

“It's your duty to accompany the master when he goes out,” answered the cat, “just as it's mine to remain in the house.”