Giambattista Basile

“The Three Sisters." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 88-95.

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 22:57:08 +0000

“The Three Sisters." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 88-95. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/24/2023 - 16:57

Tale Summary

There was once an old woman with three daughters. Two of them were very unlucky but the youngest, Nella, was perfect and lucky in every way, making the eldest sisters jealous. The girl secretly was married to an enchanted Prince, who had a wicked mother. So as not to arouse suspicion from her, the Prince made a crystal passage from the royal palace to Nella’s apartment, eight miles in length. He gave her a powder, and said whenever she threw some in the fire, he would instantly come through the passage as quickly as a bird. The two sisters caught on after some time, and broke the passage at parts, so that when Nella gave the signal, her husband hurt himself terribly on the broken crystal, which was enchanted so his wounds were mortal with no human remedy. The King proclaimed that anyone could cure him they would (if a woman) have him for a husband, or (if a man) have half the kingdom. Nella heard this and disguised herself to see him, but night fell as she neared the house of an ogre and she climbed up a tree. From there, she could hear the ogre and his wife talking through an open window, and learned of the manner of how her husband became wounded, wondering to herself who had broken the passage. She then heard the ogre tell his wife that there was a cure, but she must not ever repeat it to anyone. It was the fat of the ogre and the ogress, which if applied to his wounds, would cure him. Nella went to the door and begged for charity, and the ogre feigned charity by letting her sleep in their house, wanting to eat her. Him and his wife were rather tipsy, and fell asleep. Nella took the opportunity to cut them up, collecting the fat into a phial, and went before the court with it. The Prince was instantly cured. The King intended to fulfill his promise, and told the Prince he must marry the girl. The Prince lamented that his heart belonged to another, and Nella asked for a basin of water and washed her face in it, revealing herself as the Prince’s true love. They embraced and she was recognized as his true wife, and then her sisters were thrown into an oven.

Fairy Tale Title

The Three Sisters

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Selected and translated by Guy Daniels

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Common Tale Type

The Prince as Bird

Tale Classification

ATU 432

Page Range of Tale

pp. 88-95

Full Citation of Tale

“The Three Sisters." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 88-95.

Original Source of the Tale

Likely a version of "The Lay of Yonec" by Marie de France, a tale from the late 12th century.

Tale Notes

Nella disguises herself by dyeing her skin, and when she first speaks to the Prince after curing him, saying that she is the fire of his heart, the Prince replied that he would sooner take her for the coal than the fire. The story ends with the saying “No evil ever went without punishment.”

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Stories from the Pentamerone

Book Author/Editor(s)

Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange

Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1911

Decade Published

1910-1919

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White

“Pinsomalto." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 252-259.

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:38:58 +0000

“Pinsomalto." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 252-259. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/08/2023 - 17:38

Guy Daniels Giambattista Basile

Tale Summary

There once was a merchant who wished to see his only daughter, Betta, married, but she would not consent. One day, he asked his daughter what she would like him to bring back from the fair. She asked for half a hundredweight of Palermo sugar, the same amount of sweet almonds, four to six bottles of scented water, a little musk and amber, forty pearls, two sapphires, a few garnets and rubies, some golden thread, and a trough with a little silver trowel. Her father was puzzled, but brought her everything she had asked for. Betta took the things and shut herself in her chamber, where she used them to make a perfect young man. Having heard of a certain King of Cypress bringing a statue to life, she prayed to the goddess of Love, and made her man real. She named him Pintosmalto, and married him under the approval of her father. At the feast, an unknown Queen took a liking to him and stole him away without issue because of his innocence. Betta resolved to search the world and find him. She set off dressed as a poor girl, and after several months came to the house of an old woman who took pity on her. The woman taught her three phrases to say when in trouble:

“Tricche varlacche, the house rains!”

“Anola tranola, the fountain plays!”

“Scatola, matola, the sun shines!”

Betta continued on to the beautiful city of Round Mount, where she begged for shelter at the palace. There, she saw Pinsomalto pass by, and repeated the first phrase the old woman had taught her. Immediately, a bejeweled golden coach appeared, and steered itself around the room on its own. The Queen said she must have it, and would offer anything. Betta asked for one night at the door of Pinsomalto’s chamber, and was granted it. Pinsomalto was giving a sleeping draught, and the girl spent the whole night lamenting because he would not wake. The next morning, after being led away by the Queen, she repeated the second phrase, which produced a gold cage with a bejeweled bird inside which sang beautifully. As before, the Queen consented to Betta’s wish to spend a night at Pinsomalto’s bedchamber in exchange for the item. Again, he slept through her weeping. The next morning, Pinsomalto met a cobbler who slept nearby, who recounted all that he had heard throughout the night. Pinsomalto resolved not to take the sleeping draught if offered to him, and that night heard all that Betta had to say. She had uttered the last phrase, and exchanged a collection of beautiful textiles for one more night. Pinsomalto embraced her, and went into the Queen’s chambers to take back all Betta had given her, and more. The two then traveled to her home, where her father met her joyfully. The Queen, however, found no trace of Pinsomalto and the beggar-girl, and called to mind the phrase:

“He who cheats must not complain if he be cheated”

Fairy Tale Title

Pinsomalto

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Selected and translated by Guy Daniels

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Common Tale Type

The Search for the Lost Bridegroom

Tale Classification

ATU 425

Page Range of Tale

pp. 252-259

Full Citation of Tale

“Pinsomalto." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 252-259.

Original Source of the Tale

Giambattista Basile

Tale Notes

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Stories from the Pentamerone

Book Author/Editor(s)

Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange

Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1911

Decade Published

1910-1919

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White

“The Serpent." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 110-121.

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 23:58:43 +0000

“The Serpent." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 110-121. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/08/2023 - 16:58

Giambattista Basile

Tale Summary

Once upon a time, there was a poor gardener’s wife named Sapatella who longed for a son. When her husband, named Cola Matteo, one day brought home a bundle of sticks and they found a little snake inside, she despaired that even snakes had children, but not her. The snake spoke, telling her to take him as her child, and she did. When he grew older, he wanted to marry the princess, and told his father to go to the King to ask for her hand. Cola Matteo did this, delivered his message and said:

“The messenger should not be beaten more

Than are the sands upon the shore!”

The King laughed, and promised his permission if the snake could turn all the fruit in his orchard into gold. The serpent, upon hearing this, told his father to gather all of the fruit stones he could find and plant them overnight in the orchard. He did this, and immediately they sprung up into golden fruit trees. The King, pleased, said that the snake must also make the ground and walls of the orchard into precious stones. Cola Matteo collected as much broken crockery as he could find, under the orders of the snake, and threw them into the orchard, where they magically completed the task. The King, again pleased, said that the serpent must turn the castle into gold, and so the snake instructed his father to gather herbs and rub them on the base of the palace. The castle turned into gold, and the king was forced to give up Grannonia, his daughter. When the serpent arrived, everyone except the princess ran and hid out of fear. He took her in his arms, kissed her, and brought her into a room where he shed his snake skin to reveal a handsome youth. The King saw this through the keyhole, and broke in to burn the skin in the fire. The young man then turned into a dove, cutting himself on the window glass as he made an escape. Distraught, the princess snuck out that night to search for him when she came across a fox who offered his company. They slept together in the forest, and when they woke, listened to birdsong. The fox told Grannonia they were talking about what had happened to the King’s son who had been cursed by an ogress to spend seven years as a serpent until he fell in love with a King’s daughter, but also spoke of his head-wound, which was severe. The fox told the girl the only cure was to anoint it with the blood of these birds, and so they waited together for nightfall and the fox then killed them all and put the blood in a bottle. He then told Grannonia the blood was useless unless mixed with his own, and made to run away, but Grannonia lured him back with flattery. She then beat him with a stick and took his blood. When she reached the King of that land, he agreed to give her his son as a husband if he succeeded in curing her. After the blood anointment, the prince was fully healed, and his father said that he had promised him to the maiden who had cured him. The serpent refused, saying that he was already in love, and would never break his devotion to the fair maiden whom he was taken with. Grannonia stepped out of the shadows, and both were joyous. They invited her parents and threw a grand wedding, during which they all made fun of the fox.

Fairy Tale Title

The Serpent

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Selected and translated by Guy Daniels

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Common Tale Type

The Search for the Lost Husband/The Animal as Bridegroom

Tale Classification

ATU 425/ATU 425A

Page Range of Tale

pp. 110-121

Full Citation of Tale

“The Serpent." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 110-121.

Original Source of the Tale

Giambattista Basile

Tale Notes

The story ends with this rhyme:

"Pain doth indeed a seasoning prove,

Unto the joys of constant love."

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Stories from the Pentamerone

Book Author/Editor(s)

Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange

Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1911

Decade Published

1910-1919

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White

“The Myrtle." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 11-21.

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 19:34:09 +0000

“The Myrtle." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 11-21. Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 02/26/2023 - 12:34

Giambattista Basile

Tale Summary

There was once a couple living in Miano who desperately wanted a child. The woman often said out loud that she would not even care if the child was a sprig of myrtle, and eventually she wore down the heavens and her wish was granted. She planted the sprig in a pot and took good care of it, and one day the King’s son was passing by and took a fancy to it, and convinced the woman to give it to him, and afterwards placed it in his bedchamber and treated it with care. One night after he had gone to bed, a young woman slipped in beside him, and realizing she was a fairy, he felt affection for her. She left before the sun rose, and after seven days like this he burned with desire to see her. So, he tied one of her tresses to his arm, and called one of his chamberlains to light a candle, and found her to be very beautiful. Out loud he expressed his amazement and woke her to confess his love, to which she replied she was his servant and would do anything to please him. He promised to marry her, and after several days of affection, he was called away to hunt a terrible wild boar. Fearful of what might happen in his absence, and feeling jealousy, he orders the fairy to hide back inside the myrtle pot. She asked only that he tie a piece of silk with a bell to the top of the myrtle, and to ring it when he arrived back home so that she could come back out. The prince did this and told his chamberlain to make the bed every day, and to water the myrtle, too. Seven wicked women who knew the prince had a secret passage dug to his chamber, and entered when he left. They came across the myrtle and plucked leaves from it, but the youngest took the whole top, and jingled the bell as she did it. The fairy, who thought the prince was back home, lept out. Jealous of her, the wicked women tore her to shreds (the youngest did not partake) and then left. The chamberlain went to tend to the room, found a bloody mess of body parts, which he placed in the pot. He watered it, made the bed, and ran off in fear. When the prince came home to this, he was distraught, and stopped eating and drinking. The myrtle regrew from what was planted in the pot, and the fairy came out to comfort her love. She told him everything, and the prince called back the blameless chamberlain, and was married to the fairy. All were invited, including the seven wicked women, and he asked everyone what they thought was proper punishment for whoever it was that hurt his wife. When it came to the seven women’s turn to speak, they said whoever did it deserved to be buried alive in the dungeon. The prince obliged, and that is what became of them. The youngest, who did not injure the fairy, was married to the chamberlain, and the prince gave the myrtle’s parents a good sum of money. He lived with the fairy happily.

Fairy Tale Title

The Myrtle

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Selected and translated by Guy Daniels

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Common Tale Type

The Girl as Flower, The Prince Whose Wishes Always Come True

Tale Classification

ATU 407, ATU 652

Page Range of Tale

pp. 11-21

Full Citation of Tale

“The Myrtle." Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange, London: Macmillan; 1911, pp. 11-21.

Original Source of the Tale

Giambattista Basile

Tale Notes

There are some racial undertones to this tale, such as "with the heart of a negro" being used as a derogatory phrase to further vilify the antagonists. The story also ends with this rhyme:

"The lame goat will hop

If he meets with no stop"

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Stories from the Pentamerone

Book Author/Editor(s)

Giambattista Basile; selected and edited by E.F. Strange

Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1911

Decade Published

1910-1919

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White