The Three Sisters-An Italian folktale

      The Three Sisters - Part 2

            -An Italian Folktale

   When Nella heard the cause of the Prince's illness, she cried and wept angrily and said to herself, "Who is the wicked soul who has broken the passage and caused so much sorrow?" But as the Demon’s wife now went on speaking Nella was as silent as a mouse and listened.

"And is it possible," said the Demon’s wife, "that the world is lost to this poor Prince, and that no medicine can be found for his crisis?"

"Hark-ye, Granny," replied the Demon, "the doctors are not called upon to find remedies that may pass the bounds of nature. This is not a fever that will yield to medicine and diet, much less are these ordinary wounds which require lint and oil; for the charm that was on the broken glass produces the same effect as onion juice does on the iron heads of arrows, which makes the wound incurable. There is one thing only that could save his life, but don't ask me to tell it to you, for it is a thing of importance."

"Do tell me, dear old Long-tusk," cried the Demon lady; "tell me, if you would not see me die."

"Well then," said the Demon, "I will tell you provided you promise me not to confide it to any living soul, for it would be the ruin of our house and the destruction of our lives."

 

"Fear nothing, my dear, sweet little husband," replied the Demon’s wife; "for you shall sooner see pigs with horns, apes with tails, moles with eyes, than a single word shall pass my lips." And so saying, she put one hand upon the other and swore to it.

"You must know then," said the Demon, "that there is nothing under the sky or above the ground that can save the Prince from the snares of death, but our fat. If his wounds are anointed with this his soul will be arrested which is just at the point of leaving the dwelling of his body."

   Nella, who overheard all that passed, gave time to Time to let them finish their chat; and then, getting down from the tree and taking heart, she knocked at the Demon's door crying, "Ah! My good masters, I pray you for charity, alms, some sign of compassion. Have a little pity on a poor, miserable, miscreant creature who is expelled by fate far from her own country and deprived of all human aid, who has been overtaken by night in this wood and is dying of cold and hunger." And crying thus, she went on knocking and knocking at the door.
 

   Upon hearing this deafening noise, the Demon’s wife was going to throw her half a loaf and send her away. But the Demon, who was greedier of flesh than the squirrel is of nuts, the cat of fish, or the ass of husk, said to his wife, "Let the poor creature come in, for if she sleeps in the fields, who knows but she may be eaten up by some wolf."

   In short, the Demon talked so much that his wife at width opened the door for Nella; until with all his fake charity he was all the time estimating on making four mouthfuls of her. But the gourmand counts one way and the host another; for the Demon and his wife drank till they were fairly tipsy.

   When the Demons lay down to sleep Nella took a knife from a cupboard and made a chop of them in a trice. Then she put all the fat into a bottle, and she went straight to the King's court. When, Nella was presenting herself before the King, and she offered to cure the Prince. At this the King was overjoyed and led her to the chamber of his son, and no sooner had she survived him well with the Demon's fat than the wound closed in a moment just as if she had thrown water on the fire, and it became sound as a fish.

   When the King saw this, he said to his son, "This good woman deserves the reward promised by the announcement and that you should marry her."

   But the Prince replied, "It is hopeless, for I have no store-room full of hearts in my body to share among so many; my heart is already given, and another woman is already the mistress of it."

Hearing this, Nella replied, "You should no longer think of her who has been the cause of all your misfortune."

"My misfortune has been brought on me by her sisters," replied the Prince, "and they shall repent it."

"Then do you really love her?" said Nella.

And the Prince replied, "More than my own life." "Embrace me then," said Nella, "for I am the fire of your heart."

   But the Prince seeing the dark shade of her face answered, "I would sooner take you for the coal than the fire, so keep off and don't blacken me."

   Whereupon Nella, realizing that the Prince did not recognize her, called for a basin of clean water and she washed her face. As soon as the cloud of soot was removed the sun shone forth; and the Prince, recognizing her, pressed her to his heart and acknowledged her for his wife.

   Then the King had her sisters thrown into an oven, thus proving the truth of the old saying- "No evil ever went without punishment."

This Italian folktale story is collected from the famous ancient Italian folktales collection, named “Stories from Pentamerone”. This book was first published at Naples and it was written by - Giambattista Basile.

Want to read the first part of this folktale...   Click Here

Want to read more folktale stories...             Click Here