The nights of Straparola, volume 1 [of 2]Straparola, Giovanni Francesco
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The nights of Straparola, volume 1 [of 2]
Straparola, Giovanni Francesco
Fairy tales -- Italy; Tales -- Italy
After the sad and woe-stricken lady had sailed a certain time over the
calm sea, she bade the sailors steer the ship forthwith towards the spot
where her husband had been carried off by the Siren, and this command
they immediately obeyed. And when the vessel had been brought to the
aforesaid spot, the child began to cry fretfully, and would in no wise
be pacified by his mother’s endearments; so she gave him the apple which
was made of golden bronze to appease him. While the child was thus
sporting with the apple, he was espied by the Siren, who, having come
near to the galley and lifted her head a little space out of the foaming
waves, thus spake to Doralice: ‘Lady, give me that apple, for I desire
greatly to have it.’ But the princess answered her that this thing could
not be done, inasmuch as the apple was her child’s plaything. ‘If you
will consent to give it to me,’ the Siren went on, ‘I will show you the
husband you have lost as far as his breast.’ Doralice, when she heard
these words, at once took the apple from the child and handed it
courteously to the Siren, for she longed above all things else to get
sight of her beloved husband. The Siren was faithful to her promise, and
after a little time brought Fortunio to the surface of the sea and
showed him as far as the breast to Doralice, as a reward for the gift of
the apple, and then plunged with him once more into the depths of the
ocean, and disappeared from sight.
Doralice, who had naturally feasted her eyes upon the form of her
husband what time he was above the water, only felt the desire to see
him once more grow stronger after he was gone under again, and, not
knowing what to do or to say, she sought comfort in the caresses of her
child, and when the little one began to cry once more, the mother gave
to it the silver apple to soothe its fancy. Again the Siren was on the
watch and espied the silver apple in the child’s hand, and having raised
her head above the waves, begged Doralice to give her the apple, but the
latter, shrugging her shoulders, said that the apple served to divert
the child, and could not be spared. Whereupon the Siren said: ‘If only
you will give me this apple, which is far more beautiful than the other,
I promise I will show you your husband as far as his knees.’ Poor
Doralice, who was now consumed with desire to see her beloved husband
again, put aside the satisfaction of the child’s fancy, and, having
taken away from him the silver apple, handed it eagerly to the Siren,
who, after she had once more brought Fortunio to the surface and
exhibited him to Doralice as far as his knees (according to her
promise), plunged again beneath the waves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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