“There was then in the Arno a witch, a beautiful girl, the _vera dea_ or true goddess of the river, in the form of an eel. And Biancone finding this fish every day as he drove forth in his chariot, spurned it away _con cattivo garbo_—with an ill grace. And one day when he had done this more contemptuously than usual, the eel in a rage declared she would be revenged, and sent to him a smaller eel. But Biancone crushed its head (_le stiaccio il chapo_). “Then the eel appeared with a little branch of olive with berries, and said: “‘Entro in questa carozza, Dove si trove l’uomo, L’uomo il più potente, Che da tutti e temuto; Ed e un uomo grande, E grande, e ben vero; Ma il gran dio del Arno, Il potente Biancone, Non sara il solo potente; Vi sara una piccola pesce, Una piccola anguilla; Benche piccola la sia; Fara vedere la sua potenza Tu Bianconé, a mi, Le magie, e siei mezzo stregone Io una piccola anguillina, Sono una vera fata, E sono la Fata dell Arno, Tu credevi d’essere Il solo dio d’Arno, Ma ci, no, io che sono La regina, e la vera, Vera dea qui del Arno.’ “‘Lo, I enter in this chariot! Where I find the man of power, Who is feared by all before him, And he is a mighty being, Great he is, there’s no denying; But the great god of the Arno, The so powerful Biancone, Is not all alone in power; There’s a little fish or eel, who, Though but little, has the power, Mighty man, to make thee tremble! Biancone, thou art only Unto me as half a wizard; I, a little eel of the Arno, Am the fairy of the river; Thou didst deem thyself its ruler; I deny it—for I only Am the queen and the true goddess— The true goddess of the Arno.’ “Having said this, she touched with the twig of olive the little eel whom Biancone had killed, and repeated while touching it: “‘Anguillina che dal Grande Siei stata stiacciata, Io con questo ramoscello Ti faccio in vita tornare, E al Grande, io, del Arno Tutto il mio pensiero, Tutto posso raccontare.’ “‘I, little eel, who by the mighty Man hast been to death delivered, Do call thee back unto the living! Wake thee with this twig of olive! Now unto this Biancone, Thou who art too of the Arno, Shalt speak out thy mind and freely.’ “Then the little eel, resuscitated and influenced by the goddess of the Arno, said: “‘Biancone, tu che siei Il potente dio dell’ Arno, L’anguilla discacciata, Che tu ai discacciata, E di te inamorata, E di te più potente, E se tu la discaccerai, Ti giura la vendetta, E si vendichera. . . .’