Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
By Good Press
()
About this ebook
The editors and sisters, Nora and Kate Smith, picked stories that have an abundance of glamor that opens a magic window in the world of Fairyland. They did not limit themselves to renowned sources only. They went far, read and analyzed many books of fairy literature, filtering all the material till they made a plentiful selection that includes the best tales ever been written.
Related to Tales of Laughter
Related ebooks
Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales of Laughter: A third fairy book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother Goose Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Tales of Mother Goose Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Tales of Mother Goose: As First Collected by Charles Perrault in 1696 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Way Through the Woods — One Hundred Classic Fairy Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrimm's Household Tales - Edited and Partly Translated Anew by Marian Edwardes - Illustrated by R. Anning Bell Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPOLISH FAIRY TALES - illustrated children's tales from Poland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Handful of Beans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Folk & Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete and Authoritative Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Greatest Short Stories For Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe World in Pictures. Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper by Charles Perrault Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe House of the Sleeping Winds and Other Stories Some Based on Cornish Folklore - Illustrated by Nannie Preston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Arthur Rackham Fairy Book - A Book of Old Favourites with New Illustrations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCinderella Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRumpelstiltskin and Other Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHousehold Tales by Brothers Grimm Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big Book of Fairy Tales - Illustrated by Charles Robinson Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Grey Fairy Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhilomville Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sleeping Beauty Picture Book: [Illustrated Edition] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Brothers Grimm: The Complete Fairy Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Grey Fairytales: 35 Traditional Stories & Fairly Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Yellow Fairy Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrimm's Complete Fairy Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Polish Fairy Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNorthen European Fairy Tales Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTHE GREY FAIRY BOOK - 35 Illustrated Fairy Tales: Andrew Lang's Coloured Fairy Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCinderella Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reference For You
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51001 First Lines Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Sign Language Book: American Sign Language Made Easy... All new photos! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bored Games: 100+ In-Person and Online Games to Keep Everyone Entertained Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Sign Language in a Hurry: Grasp the Basics of American Sign Language Quickly and Easily Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Emotion Thesaurus (Second Edition): A Writer's Guide to Character Expression Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51,001 Facts that Will Scare the S#*t Out of You: The Ultimate Bathroom Reader Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robert's Rules For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Show, Don't Tell: How to Write Vivid Descriptions, Handle Backstory, and Describe Your Characters’ Emotions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Legal Words You Should Know: Over 1,000 Essential Terms to Understand Contracts, Wills, and the Legal System Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L. James (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mythology 101: From Gods and Goddesses to Monsters and Mortals, Your Guide to Ancient Mythology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Essential Spanish Book: All You Need to Learn Spanish in No Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Useless Sexual Trivia: Tastefully Prurient Facts About Everyone's Favorite Subject Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Art 101: From Vincent van Gogh to Andy Warhol, Key People, Ideas, and Moments in the History of Art Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Tales of Laughter
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Tales of Laughter - Good Press
Various
Tales of Laughter
A third fairy book
Published by Good Press, 2022
goodpress@okpublishing.info
EAN 4057664633842
Table of Contents
The Rats and their Son-in-Law
The Mouse and the Sausage
The Three Wishes
The Fox and the Goose
If Heaven Will It
The Booby
The Months
The Stone in the Cock’s Head
The Fox and the Cat
The Straw Ox
The Cat, the Cock, and the Fox
The Fox and the Dove
The Fox and the Hedgehog
The Disappointed Bear
Young Neverfull
Hudden and Dudden and Donald O’Neary
The Tail
Jack and the King who was a Gentleman
Hans in Luck
The Family Servants
The Flail which came from the Clouds
The Sole’s Mouth
The Three Brothers
The Wren and the Bear
The Musicians of Bremen
The Fox and the Cat
The Golden Key
Doctor Know-All
The Fair Catherine and Pif-Paf Poltrie
The Wolf and the Fox
Discreet Hans
King Thrush-beard
The Three Luck-Children
The Three Sluggards
The Fisherman and his Wife
The Nose-tree
The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet
I. HOW THEY WENT TO THE HILLS TO EAT NUTS
II. THE VISIT TO MR. KORBES
III. THE DEATH OF PARTLET
The Golden Goose
The Young Giant
The Sweet Soup
Seven at one Blow
The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership
Old Sultan
The Nail
The Fox and the Horse
The Giant and the Tailor
The Spider and the Flea
The Little Shepherd Boy
The Seven Swabians
The Shreds
The Wolf and the Seven Kids
The Elves and the Shoemaker
King Wren
Why the Bear has a Stumpy Tail
Three Ways to Build a House
How to Tell a True Princess
The Five Servants
The Hare and the Fox
The Story of Zirac
Johnny-Cake
The Wee, Wee Mannie
Sir Gammer Vans
Tom Tit Tot
The Old Woman and her Pig
The Story of the Three Little Pigs
The Three Sillies
The Cat and the Mouse
Hereafterthis
Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse
The Magpie’s Nest
Scrapefoot
The Wise Men of Gotham
OF BUYING OF SHEEP
OF HEDGING A CUCKOO
OF SENDING CHEESES
OF DROWNING EELS
OF SENDING RENT
OF COUNTING
Henny-Penny
A Son of Adam
The Happy Family
The Blind Man, the Deaf Man, and the Donkey
The Alligator and the Jackal
Why the Fish Laughed
The Selfish Sparrow and the Houseless Crows
The Lambikin
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
The Greedy Cat
Well Done: Ill Paid
Reynard and Chanticleer
Father Bruin in the Corner
Why the Sea is Salt
Gudbrand on the Hillside
The Pancake
The Death of Chanticleer
Reynard Wants to Taste Horse-flesh
Bruin and Reynard Partners
Pork and Honey
How Reynard Outwitted Bruin
Nanny Who Wouldn’t Go Home to Supper
The Box With Something Pretty In It
The Farmer and the Troll
One’s Own Children Always Prettiest
The Princess Whom Nobody Could Silence
The Money-box
The Darning-Needle
Master of All Masters
Belling the Cat
The Magpie and her Children
The Cock, the Cuckoo, and the Black-cock
The Race Between Hare and Hedgehog
Bruno’s Story
The Bluebottle Who Went Courting
How Two Beetles Took Lodgings
Little Tuppen
The Story of the Four Little Children Who Went Round the World
The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY
CHAPTER II THE SEVEN FAMILIES
CHAPTER III THE HABITS OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES
CHAPTER IV THE CHILDREN OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES ARE SENT AWAY
CHAPTER V THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG PARROTS
CHAPTER VI THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG STORKS
CHAPTER VII THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG GEESE
CHAPTER VIII THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG OWLS
CHAPTER IX THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG GUINEA-PIGS
CHAPTER X THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG CATS
CHAPTER XI THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG FISHES
CHAPTER XII OF WHAT OCCURRED SUBSEQUENTLY
CHAPTER XIII OF WHAT BECAME OF THE PARENTS OF THE FORTY-NINE CHILDREN
CHAPTER XIV CONCLUSION
Wee Robin’s Yule-Song
The Giant’s Shoes
The Farmer and the Money-Lender
How the Sun, the Moon, and the Wind Went Out to Dinner
Singh Rajah and the Cunning Little Jackals
Harisarman
It Is Quite True
Manabozho and his Toe
The Most Frugal of Men
The Moon-Cake
The Ladle that Fell from the Moon
The Young Head of the Family
A Dreadful Boar
The Old Man and the Devils
The Wonderful Tea-Kettle
The Wonderful Mallet
The Tongue-Cut Sparrow
Battle of the Monkey and the Crab
The Cub’s Triumph
The Silly Jelly-Fish
Chin-Chin Kobakama
The Old Woman who Lost her Dumplings
The Three Goats
The Fox Turned Shepherd
The Seven Boys and the Monster
The Story of Little Black Mingo
The Cock and the Crested Hen
The Old Woman and the Fish
The Lad and the Fox
The Old Woman and the Tramp
The Rats and their Son-in-Law
Table of Contents
There once lived in Japan a rat and his wife, folk of noble race, who had one beautiful daughter. They were exceedingly proud of her charms, and dreamed, as parents will, of the grand marriage she was sure to make in time. Proud of his pure rodent blood, the father saw no son-in-law more to be desired than a young rat of ancient lineage, whose attentions to his daughter were very marked. This match, however, brilliant as it was, seemed not to the mother’s taste. Like many people who think themselves made out of special clay, she had a very poor opinion of her own kind, and was ambitious for an alliance with the highest circles. Ad astra! (To the stars!) was her motto, she always said, and really, when one has a daughter of incomparable beauty, one may well hope for an equally incomparable son-in-law.
Address yourself to the sun at once, then,
cried the impatient father one day; there is nothing above him, surely.
Quite so; I had already thought of it,
she answered, and since you, too, are in sympathy with the idea, we will make our call to-morrow.
So, on the following morning the proud father and the haughty mother-rat went together to present their lovely daughter to the orb of day.
Lord Sun,
said the mother, let me present our only daughter, who is so beautiful that there is nothing like her in the whole world. Naturally we desire a son-in-law as wonderful as she, and, as you see, we have come to you first of all.
Really,
said the sun, I am extremely flattered by your proposal, but you do me too much honor; there is some one greater than I; it is the cloud. Look, if you do not believe.
... And at that moment the cloud arrived, and with one waft of his folds extinguished the sun with all his golden rays.
Very well; let us speak to the cloud, then,
said the mother-rat, not in the least disconcerted.
Immensely honored, I am sure,
replied the cloud in his turn, but you are again mistaken; there is some one greater than I; it is the wind. You shall see.
At the same moment along came the wind, and with one blow swept the cloud out of sight, after which, overturning father, mother, and daughter, he tumbled with them, pell-mell, at the foot of an old wall.
Quick, quick,
cried the mother-rat, struggling to her feet, and let us repeat our compliments to the wind.
You’d better address yourself to the wall,
growled the wind roughly. You see very well he is greater than I, for he stops me and makes me draw back.
No sooner had she heard these words than mother-rat faced about and presented her daughter to the wall. Ah, but now the fair rat-maiden imitated the wind; she drew back also. He whom she really adored in her heart of hearts was the fascinating young rat who had paid his court to her so well. However, to please her mother, she had consented to wed the sun, in spite of his blinding rays, or the cloud, in spite of his sulky look, even the wind, in spite of his brusque manner; but an old, broken wall!... No! death would be better a thousand times.
Fortunately the wall excused himself, like all the rest. Certainly,
he said, I can stop the wind, who can sweep away the cloud, who can cover up the sun, but there is some one greater than I: it is the rat, who can pass through my body, and can even, if he chooses, reduce me to powder with his teeth. Believe me, you need seek no better son-in-law; greater than the rat, there is nothing in the world.
Do you hear that, wife, do you hear it?
cried father-rat in triumph. Didn’t I always say so?
Quite true! you always did,
returned the mother-rat in wonder, and suddenly glowed with pride in her ancient name and lineage.
So they all three went home, very happy and contented, and on the morrow the lovely rat-maiden married her faithful rat-lover.
The Mouse and the Sausage
Table of Contents
Once upon a time a little mouse and a little sausage, who loved each other like sisters, decided to live together, and made their arrangements in such a way that every day one would go to walk in the fields, or make purchases in town, while the other remained at home to keep the house.
One day, when the little sausage had prepared cabbage for dinner, the little mouse, who had come back from town with a fine appetite, enjoyed it so greatly that she exclaimed: How delicious the cabbage is to-day, my dear!
Ah!
answered the little sausage, that is because I popped myself into the pot while it was cooking.
On the next day, as it was her turn to prepare the meals, the little mouse said to herself: Now I will do as much for my friend as she did for me; we will have lentils for dinner, and I will jump into the pot while they are boiling,
and she let the action follow the word, without reflecting that a simple sausage can do some things which are out of the reach of even the wisest mouse.
When the sausage came home, she found the house lonely and silent. She called again and again, My little mouse! Mouse of my heart!
but no one answered. Then she went to look at the lentils boiling on the stove, and, alas! found within the pot her good little friend, who had perished at the post of duty.
Poor mousie, with the best intentions in the world, had stayed too long at her cookery, and when she desired to climb out of the pot, had no longer the strength to do so.
And the poor sausage could never be consoled! That is why to-day, when you put one in the pan or on the gridiron, you will hear her weep and sigh, M-my p-poor m-mouse! Ah, m-my p-poor m-mouse!
The Three Wishes
Table of Contents
Many years ago there was an old married man, who, although poor, had worked very diligently all his life on his little piece of ground. One winter’s night, as this old man was seated with his wife in front of their comfortable hearth in social chat, instead of giving thanks to God for the benefits they enjoyed, they spent the time in enumerating the good things possessed by their neighbors, and in wishing that they belonged to them.
Instead of my little hut, which is on bad soil, and only fit to house a donkey in, I would like to have the farm of old Polainas!
exclaimed the old man.
And I,
added his wife, who was annoyed that he did not aspire higher, instead of that, would like to have our neighbor’s house, which is nearly new.
And I,
continued her husband, instead of our old donkey, which can scarcely carry an empty sack, would like to have Polainas’s mule!
And I,
exclaimed the wife, would like to have such a fat porker as our neighbor has to kill! Some people seem only to wish for a thing in order to get it. How I should like to see my wishes accomplished!
Scarcely had she uttered these words, than they beheld a most beautiful little woman standing in front of the fire. She was so small that her height could not have been more than eighteen inches, while she wore a crown like a queen’s upon her head. Her tunic and veil were almost transparent, and seemed made of white smoke, while the sparks from the fire crackled and jumped like fireworks about her, and sparkled around her as glittering spangles.
In her hand she bore a little golden scepter, the end of which was formed by a gleaming ruby.
I am the Fairy Fortunata,
said she to them; I was passing by here, and I have heard your complaints. I have so much anxiety to accomplish your desires that I come to promise you the realization of three wishes: one to you,
she said to the wife; the other to you,
to the husband, and the third must be mutual and agreeable to the desire of you both. This last I will agree to in person to-morrow, when I will return at this time; and until then I leave you to think of what it shall be.
When she had said these words, the beautiful fairy sprang through the flames and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The delight of the worthy couple may be imagined, and the number of wishes, numerous as suitors at the door of a minister, which presented themselves to their minds. Their desires were so many that, not knowing which to select, they determined to defer the definite decision to the following day. After having had all the night to think the matter over, they began to discuss entirely different things, and in a little while their conversation recurred to their wealthy neighbors.
I was at their house to-day,
said the husband; they were making black puddings. Ah, such black puddings! It would have done you good to see them!
I would like to have one of them here,
replied the wife, to roast on the ashes for supper.
Scarcely had she uttered the words than there appeared upon the ashes the most delicious-looking black pudding that could possibly be imagined.
The woman remained staring at it with open mouth and eyes starting out of her head. But her husband jumped up in despair, and after striding up and down the room, tearing his hair in desperation, said: Through your gluttony, you greedy woman, we have lost one of the wishes! Good Heavens, what a woman this is! More stupid than a goose! It makes me desperate; I detest you and the black pudding, too, and I wish it were stuck on to your nose!
No sooner had he spoken than there was the black pudding hanging from the place indicated!
Then was the old man struck with horror and his wife with desperation!
You see what you have done, evil tongue!
exclaimed she, as she made useless exertions to tear the appendage from her nose; if I employed my wish badly, at least it was to my own disadvantage, and not to the injury of any one else; but the sin carries its punishment with it, for I will not have any other wish, nor desire anything else than that the black pudding be taken off my nose.
Wife, for Heaven’s sake! What of the new house?
Nothing!
Wife, for Heaven’s sake, think of the farm!
It does not matter.
My dear, let us wish for a fortune, and then we will have a golden case for the black pudding.
I will not hear of it.
Then you would have us left just as we were before?
That is all that I wish for.
And for all that the man could say, nothing could alter his wife’s determination, who grew more and more enraged with her double nose, and could scarcely keep off the dog and the cat, who both wished to make free with it.
When, on the following night, the fairy appeared and asked them what was their last wish, they said to her: We see how blind and foolish it is of men to fancy that the realization of their wishes will make them happy.
Nor is happiness in the accomplishment of our wishes, but rather in the not having any. He is rich who possesses what he wants; but happy is he who wishes for nothing.
The Fox and the Goose
Table of Contents
A fox and a goose were very great friends. The goose, which, as you know, is a very honest and industrious bird, said to the fox:
Friend fox, I have a little bit of property here, and if you like to join with me, we will cultivate it between us.
That would greatly please me,
answered the fox.
Then it will be necessary to till it together when the season arrives,
said the goose.
Very well,
replied the fox.
A little afterward, when they met, the goose said:
It is time to sow the seed.
That is your business,
said the fox. I have nothing to do with that.
Some months passed, when the goose said to the fox:
Friend, the grass is choking the wheat; it is necessary to weed the field.
Very well,
answered the fox, you see to that; it is not my business.
A short time passed by, when the goose said to the fox:
Friend, the wheat is ripe, and must be reaped.
All right,
replied the fox, you attend to that; it is not my business.
Then the goose, for all her good nature, began to be distrustful, and told her friend the greyhound what had passed.
The greyhound, who was very shrewd, saw at once that the fox was going to play off one of his tricks upon the goose’s good nature, and said to her:
Reap the wheat; put it in the barn, and hide me in a sheaf of corn, without leaving more than one eye uncovered, so that I may see all that may happen.
The goose did as the greyhound had said, and after a time the fox arrived, and when he saw the barn filled with splendid wheat already thrashed, he was very delighted, and, dancing about, sang:
"Lió, lió,
The straw and wheat are mine!
Lió, lió,
The straw and wheat are mine!"
As he said this, he approached the sheaf in which the greyhound was concealed, and on seeing the eye among the straw, cried:
Ah, there’s a grape!
But it is not ripe,
replied the greyhound, as he leaped out of his hiding place, and killed the fox.
If Heaven Will It
Table of Contents
Once upon a time a Galician was returning to his home after having spent some time in Seville. When he was close to his abode, he met some one who inquired where he was going.
To my native place,
replied the Galician.
If Heaven will it,
answered the former.
Whether Heaven will it or no,
added the Galician to himself, already seeing his village from afar, and being only separated from its outskirts by a river.
Scarcely had he muttered the words ere he fell into the water and was changed into a frog.
In this condition the poor man lived for three years, being in continual danger from his spiteful foes, bad boys, leeches, and storks. At the end of three years another Galician returning home happened to pass by there, and a wayfarer chancing to ask him whither he was going, replied:
To my native place.
If Heaven will it,
croaked a frog that poked its head up out of the water.
And when it had said this, the frog, which was the first Galician of the tale, suddenly found itself once more a man.
He went on his way gayer than Easter, and having met with another traveler, who asked him whither he went, he answered him:
To my own place, if Heaven will it; to see my wife, if Heaven will it; to see my children, if Heaven will it; to see my cow, if Heaven will it; to sow my land, if Heaven will it; so that I may get a good harvest from it, if Heaven will it.
And as he religiously added to everything, If Heaven will it,
he was allowed to see his wishes accomplished. He found his wife and children well; his cow became the mother of a fine calf; he sowed his field, and reaped a good harvest, and all because Heaven willed it.
The Booby
Table of Contents
An ignorant man who associates with clever people has always been more praised than a wise man who keeps the company of fools, for as much profit and fame as a man gains from the former, so much wealth and honor one may lose by the fault of the latter, and as the proof of the pudding is in the eating, you will know from the story that I am going to tell you whether my proposition is true.
There was once a man who was as rich as the sea, but as there never can be any perfect happiness in this world, he had a son so idle and good-for-nothing that he could not tell a carob from a cucumber. So, being unable any longer to put up with his folly, he gave him a good handful of crowns, and sent him to travel to the Levant, for he well knew that seeing various countries and mixing with divers people works genius, sharpens the judgment, and makes men expert.
Moscione (for that was the name of the son) got on horseback and began his journey toward Venice, the arsenal of the wonders of the world, to embark on board some vessel bound for Cairo, and when he had traveled a good day’s journey he met with a person who was standing fixed at the foot of a poplar, to whom he said: What is your name, my lad, whence are you, and what is your trade?
And the lad replied: My name is Lightning, I am from Arrowland, and I can run like the wind.
I should like to see a proof of it,
said Moscione, and Lightning answered, Wait a moment, and you will see whether it is dust or flour.
When they had stood waiting a little while a doe came bounding over the plain, and Lightning, letting her pass on some way, to give himself a handicap, darted after her so rapidly and light of foot that he would have gone over plains covered with flour without leaving the mark of his shoe, and in four bounds he came up with her. Moscione, amazed at this exploit, asked if he would come and live with him, and promised to pay him a salary.
So Lightning consented, and they went on their way together, but they had not journeyed many miles when they met another youth, to whom Moscione said: What is your name, comrade, what country are you from, and what’s your trade?
My name,
replied the lad, is Hare’s-ear, I am from Vale Curious, and when I put my ear to the ground I hear all that is passing in the world without stirring from the spot. I perceive the monopolies and the agreements of tradespeople to raise the prices of all things, the ill-offices of courtiers, the appointments of lawyers, the plots of robbers, the reports of spies, the complaints of servants, the gossiping of old women, and the oaths of service, so that neither Lucian’s cocks nor Francois’s lantern discovered so much as my ears can.
If that be true,
said Moscione, tell me what they are saying at my home.
So the lad put his ear to the ground, and replied: An old man is talking to his wife and saying, ‘Praised be Sol in Lea, I have got rid from my side of that fellow, Moscione, that nail in my heart, with his face of old-fashioned crockery. By traveling through the world he will at least become a man, and no longer be such a stupid donkey, such a simpleton, such a lose-the-day fellow, such a——‘
Stop, stop!
cried Moscione. You told the truth, and I believe you, so come along with me, for you have found the road to good luck.
Well and good,
said the youth. So they all went on together and traveled ten miles farther, when they met another man, to whom Moscione said: My brave fellow, where were you born and what can you do in the world?
And the man answered: My name is Shoot-straight, I am from Castle Aim-well, and I can shoot with a crossbow so point-blank as to hit a crab-apple in the middle.
I should like to see a proof,
said Moscione, so the lad charged his crossbow, took aim, and made a pea leap from the top of the stone window. Moscione took him also, like the others, into his company, and they traveled on another day’s journey, until they came to some people who were building a large pier in the scorching heat of the sun, and who might well say, Boy, put water to the wind, for my heart is burning.
So Moscione had compassion on them and said, My masters, how is it you have the heart to stand in this furnace, which is bound to roast a buffalo?
And one of them answered: Ah! we are as cool as roses, for we have a young man here who blows upon us from behind in such a manner that it seems as if the west wind were blowing.
Let me see him, I pray,
cried Moscione, and so the mason called the lad, and Moscione said to him: Tell me, by the life of your father, what is your name, what country are you from, and what is your profession?
And the lad replied: My name is Blowblast, I am from Windy Land, and I can make all the winds with my mouth. If you wish a zephyr, I will breathe one that will send you into transports. If you wish for a squall, I will blow down houses.
Seeing is believing,
said Moscione, whereupon Blowblast breathed at first quite gently, so that it seemed to be the wind that blows in Posilippo toward evening; then, turning suddenly to some trees, he sent forth such a furious blast that it uprooted a row of oaks.
When Moscione saw this he took him for a companion, and, traveling on as far again, he met another lad, to whom he said: What is your name, if I may make so bold? Whence are you, if one may ask, and what is your trade, if it is a fair question?
And the lad answered, My name is Strongback, I am from Valentino, and I have such strength that I take a mountain on my back, and it seems to me a mere feather.
If that be the case,
said Moscione, you deserve to be a king of the custom house, and you should be chosen for the standard-bearer on the first of May, but I should like to see a proof of what you say.
Then Strongback began to load himself with masses of rock, stumps of trees, and so many other weights that a thousand large wagons could not have carried them, so, when Moscione saw the feat, he persuaded the lad to join them.
So they traveled on till they came to Fairflower, the king of which place had a daughter who ran like the wind and could pass over the waving corn without bending an ear, and the king had issued a proclamation that whoever should overtake her in running should have her to wife, but whoever was left behind should lose his head.
Moscione arrived in this country and heard the proclamation. He went straight to the king and offered to run with the daughter, making the wise agreement either to win the race or leave his noddle there. But in the morning he sent to inform the king that he was taken ill, and, being unable to run himself, he would send another man in his place. Come who will,
said Ciennetella (for that was the king’s daughter), I care not a fig; it is all one to me.
So when the great square was filled with people come to see the race, insomuch that the men swarmed like ants, and the windows and roofs were all as full as an egg, Lightning came out and took his stand at the top of the square waiting for the signal, and lo, forth came Ciennetella, dressed in a little gown tucked half-way up to her knees, and a neat and pretty little shoe with a single sole. Then they placed themselves shoulder to shoulder, and, as soon as the Tarantará and the Too-too of the trumpets was heard, off they darted, running at such a rate that their hair touched their shoulders, and in truth they seemed just like foxes with the greyhounds after them, horses broken loose from the stable, dogs with kettles tied to their tails, or jackasses with furze bushes behind them. But Lightning (as he was by name and nature) left the princess more than a hand’s breadth behind him, and came first to the goal. Then you should have heard the buzzing and shouting and cries and the uproar, the whistling and clapping of all the people calling out, Hurrah, long live the stranger!
whereat Ciennetella’s face turned as red as a schoolboy’s who is going to be whipped, and she stood lost with shame and confusion at seeing herself vanquished. But as there were to be two heats to the race, she fell to planning her revenge for this affront, and, going home, she put a charm in her ring with such a power that if any one had it on his finger, his legs would toddle so that he would not be able to walk, much less to run, and she sent it as a present to Lightning, begging him to wear it on his finger for love of her.
Hare’s-ear, who heard this trick plotted between the father and daughter, said nothing, and wanted to see the upshot of the affair, and when, at the trumpeting of the birds, they returned to the field, at the usual signal they fell to plying their heels. But if Ciennetella was like another Atalanta, Lightning had become like a shoulder-slipped ass and a foundered horse, for he could not stir a step, but Shoot-straight, who saw his coming danger, and heard from Hare’s-ear how matters stood, laid hold on his crossbow and shot the arrow so exactly that it hit Lightning’s finger, and out shot the stone from the ring in which the virtue of the charm lay, whereupon his legs that had been tied were set free, and with four good leaps he passed Ciennetella and won the race. The king, seeing the palm thus carried off by this figure of a blockhead, by a simpleton, the triumph of a fool, bethought himself seriously whether or not he should give him his daughter, and taking counsel with the wiseacres of his court, they replied that Ciennetella was not a mouthful for the tooth of such a miserable dog and lose-the-day bird, so that, without breaking his word, he might commute the terms of his daughter with a gift of crowns, which would be more to the taste of a poor beggar like Moscione than all the women in the world.
This advice pleased the king, and he asked Moscione how much money he would take to consider a wife who had been promised. Then Moscione, after consulting the others, said: I will take as much gold and silver as one of my comrades can carry on his back.
The king consented, whereupon they brought Strongback, and on him began to lay bales of ducats, large purses full of crowns, pails of copper money, and kettles full of chains and rings, but the more they loaded him the firmer he stood, just like a tower, so that the treasurer, the bankers, the usurers, and the money dealers of the city did not suffice, and the king sent to all of the great people in every direction to borrow their silver candlesticks, basins, jugs, plates, brasses, and baskets, and yet there was not enough to make up a full load. At length Moscione and his companions went away, however, not laden, but tired and satisfied.
When the counselors saw what heaps of stores these four miserable fellows were carrying off, they said to the king that it was a great piece of nonsense to load them with all the sinews of his kingdom, and that it would be well to send people after them to lessen the load of that Atlas who was carrying on his shoulders a world of treasure. The king gave ear to this advice, and immediately despatched a party of armed men, foot and horse, to overtake Moscione and his friends, but Hare’s-ear, who had heard this counsel, informed his comrades, and while the dust was rising to the sky from the tramping of those who were coming to unload the rich cargo, Blowblast, seeing that things were come to a bad pass, began to blow at such a rate that he not only made the enemies fall flat on the ground, but he sent them flying more than a mile distant, as a north wind does those people who pass through his country. So, without meeting any more hindrances, Moscione arrived at his father’s house, where he shared the booty with his companions, since the saying goes, A good deed deserves a good meed.
So he sent them away content and happy, but he stayed with his father, rich beyond measure, giving no lie to the saying, Heaven sends biscuits to him who has no teeth.
The Months
Table of Contents
It is a saying worthy to be written in letters as big as those on a catafalque, that silence never harmed any one, and let it not be imagined that those slanderers who never speak well of others, but are always cutting and stinging and pinching and biting, ever gain anything by their malice; for when the bags come to be shaken out, it has always been seen, and is so still, that while the good word gains love and profit, slander brings enmity and ruin, and when you shall have heard how this happens, you will see I speak with reason.
Once upon a time there were two brothers, Cianne, who was as rich as a lord, and Lise, who had barely enough to live upon; but poor as one was in fortune, so pitiful was the other in mind, for he would not have given his brother a farthing were it to save his life; so that poor Lise in despair left his country, and set out to wander over the world. And he wandered on and on, till one wet and cold evening he came to an inn, where he found twelve youths seated around a fire, who, when they saw poor Lise benumbed with cold, partly from the severe season and partly from his ragged clothes, invited him to sit down by the fire.
Lise accepted the invitation, for he needed it greatly, and began to warm himself, and as he was doing so, one of the young men, whose face was such a picture of moroseness as to make you die of affright, said to him: What think you, countryman, of this weather?
What do I think of it?
replied Lise. I think that all the months of the year perform their duty; but we, who know not what we would have, wish to give less praise to Heaven, and, wanting to have things our own way, we do not fish deeply enough to the bottom to find out whether what comes into our fancy be good or evil, useful or hurtful. In winter when it rains, we want the sun in Leo, and in the month of August the clouds to discharge themselves; not reflecting that were this the case, the seasons would be turned topsy-turvy, the seed sown would be lost, the crops would be destroyed, the bodies of men would faint away, and nature would go head over heels. Therefore, let us leave Heaven to its own course; for it has made the tree to mitigate with wood the severity of winter, and leaves to soften the heat of summer.
You speak like Solomon!
said the youth; but you cannot deny that this month of March, in which we now are, is very impertinent to send all this frost and rain, snow and hail, wind and storm, these fogs and tempests and other troubles, that make one’s life a burden.
You tell only the ill of this poor month,
replied Lise, but do not speak of the benefits it yields to us; for, by bringing forward the spring, it commences the production of things, helps along the cause with the sun, and leads him to the house of the rain.
The youth was greatly pleased at what Lise said, for he was in truth no other than March himself, who had arrived at that inn with his eleven brothers, and to reward Lise’s goodness, who had not found anything evil to say of a month so sad that the shepherds do not like to mention it, he gave him a beautiful little casket, saying, Take this, and if you want anything, only ask for it, and, opening this box, you will see it before you.
Lise thanked the youth, with many expressions of respect, and laying the little box under his head by way of a pillow, he went to sleep.
As soon, however, as the sun, with the pencil of his rays, had retouched the dark shadows of the night, Lise took leave of the youth and set out on his way. But he had hardly proceeded fifty steps from the inn, when, opening the casket, he said: Ah, my friend, I wish I had a litter lined with cloth, and with a little fire inside, that I might travel warm and comfortable through the snow!
No sooner had he uttered the words, than there appeared a litter, with bearers, who, lifting him up, placed him in it; whereupon he told them to carry him home.
When the hour was come for food, Lise opened the little box and said: I wish for something to eat.
And instantly there appeared a profusion of the choicest food; such a banquet that ten crowned kings might have feasted on it.
One evening, having come to a wood, which did not give admittance to the sun, because he came through suspected places,[1] Lise opened the little casket and said: I should like to rest tonight on this beautiful spot, where the river is making counterpoint on the stones as accompaniment to the canto-fermo of the cool breezes.
And instantly there appeared, under an oilcloth tent, a couch of fine scarlet, with down mattresses, covered with a Spanish counterpane and sheets as light as a feather. Then he asked for something to eat, and in a trice there was set out a sideboard covered with silver and gold fit for a prince, and under another tent a table spread with viands, the savory smell of which extended a hundred miles.
1.Alluding to the quarantine which ships were subject to in coming from the East.
When he had eaten enough, he laid himself down to sleep, and as soon as the cock, who is the spy of the sun, announced to his master that the shades of night were worn and wearied, and it was now time for him, like a skilful general, to fall upon the rear and make a slaughter of them, Lise opened his little box and said: I wish to have a handsome dress, for today I shall see my brother, and I should like to make his mouth water.
No sooner said than done; immediately a princely dress of the richest black velvet appeared, with edgings of red camlet, and a lining of yellow cloth embroidered all over, which looked like a field of flowers; so, dressing himself, Lise got into the litter, and soon reached his brother’s house.
When Cianne saw his brother arrive with all his splendor and luxury, he wished to know what good fortune had befallen him. Then Lise told him of the youths whom he had met at the inn, and of the present they had made him, but he kept to himself the conversation of the youths.
Cianne was all impatience to get away from his brother, and told him to go and