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
It happened that this maiden was a daughter of a poor woman who had
three daughters, each one of them being very lovely. When the queen
heard this, she had brought before her the poor woman and her eldest
daughter, and said, ‘Good mother, you are poor and burdened with
children. If you will agree to what I shall say to you, you will be
rich. I have this son who is, as you see, in form a pig, and I would
fain marry him to your eldest daughter. Do not consider him, but think
of the king and of me, and remember that your daughter will inherit this
whole kingdom when the king and I shall be dead.’
When the young girl listened to the words of the queen she was greatly
disturbed in her mind and blushed red for shame, and then said that on
no account would she listen to the queen’s proposition; but the poor
mother besought her so pressingly that at last she yielded. When the pig
came home one day, all covered with dirt as usual, his mother said to
him, ‘My son, we have found for you the wife you desire.’ And then she
caused to be brought in the bride, who by this time had been robed in
sumptuous regal attire, and presented her to the pig prince. When he saw
how lovely and desirable she was he was filled with joy, and, all foul
and dirty as he was, jumped round about her, endeavouring by his pawing
and nuzzling to show some sign of his affection. But she, when she found
he was soiling her beautiful dress, thrust him aside; whereupon the pig
said to her, ‘Why do you push me thus? Have I not had these garments
made for you myself?’ Then she answered disdainfully, ‘No, neither you
nor any other of the whole kingdom of hogs has done this thing.’ And
when the time for going to bed was come the young girl said to herself,
‘What am I to do with this foul beast? This very night, while he lies in
his first sleep, I will kill him.’ The pig prince, who was not far off,
heard these words, but said nothing, and when the two retired to their
chamber he got into the bed, stinking and dirty as he was, and defiled
the sumptuous bed with his filthy paws and snout. He lay down by his
spouse, who was not long in falling to sleep, and then he struck her
with his sharp hoofs and drove them into her breast so that he killed
her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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