Edward Robert Hughes

“First Night, Fourth Fable.” The Nights of Straparola, Straparola, Giovanni Francesco, translated by Waters, W.G. (William George), London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, pp. 35-38.

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 19:08:22 +0000

“First Night, Fourth Fable.” The Nights of Straparola, Straparola, Giovanni Francesco, translated by Waters, W.G. (William George), London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, pp. 35-38. Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 09/10/2022 - 13:08

Tale Summary

Tebaldo, Prince of Salermo, has a beautiful and wise wife who dies and instructs him not to marry someone whose finger does not fit her own ring. After sending home every woman who courted him, his own daughter, Doralice, finds the ring to fit her perfectly, and Tebaldo becomes taken with the idea of wedding her. Upon hearing this, Doralice seeks the advice of her maid, who promises to keep her virginity safe. She instructs the daughter to hide in a wardrobe until a better fate befalls her, and after a long time of asking for her whereabouts, the prince eventually has the wardrobe sold. The maid watches as a rich dealer from Genoa loads the item onto his ship, and thinks to herself that when faced with two evils it is best to choose the lesser. Arriving in Britain (England), king Genese demands that the merchant sell the chest to him. Every day Doralice emerged from the chest to make the king’s room neat, and Genese hides to spy who was cleaning and sprucing. Catching her and hearing her story, the king falls in love and marries her, having with her 2 children. Tebaldo, meanwhile still obsessed with his daughter, dressed as a merchant and tracks her down. She does not recognize him but is overcome with his offerings, which he says he will give to her if he may spend one night in the room where her children slept. That night, he kills the two of them with a dagger that the queen wears, having stolen it from her in her sleep. Now dressing as an astrologer, Tebaldo tells the king that someone wearing a bloody dagger is the culprit, leading him to his wife, and Genese commands that Doralice be buried up to her chin for the worms to eat her. Tebaldo returns home and brags of his accomplishment to the maid, who rides the next day to England in order to save Doralice with the truth. Upon hearing her story, Genese digs up his wife and musters troops to capture Salermo and its prince. Tebaldo is publicly tortured and eaten by dogs, and Genese and Doralice live together happily.

Fairy Tale Title

First Night, Fourth Fable

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Giovanni Francesco Straparola

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Edward Robert Hughes

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 35-38

Full Citation of Tale

“First Night, Fourth Fable.” The Nights of Straparola, Straparola, Giovanni Francesco, translated by Waters, W.G. (William George), London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, pp. 35-38.

Original Source of the Tale

Giovanni Francesco Straparola

Tale Notes

Eritrea tells this story, opening with a proclamation on the importance of love, and her enigma is:

“I tell you of a heart so vile,

So cruel, and so full of guile,

That with its helpless progeny

It deals as with an enemy.

And when it sees them plump and sleek,

It stabs them with its cruel beak.

For, lean itself, with malice fell,

It fain would make them lean as well.

So they grow thin with wasting pain,

Till nought but plumes and bones remain.”

The puzzle is difficult for the group, and Eritrea reveals that human parents can hate their children as much as the kite, which pecks at its young.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2022

Book Title

The Nights of Straparola

Book Author/Editor(s)

Giovanni Francesco Straparola; W.G. (William George) Waters

Illustrator(s)

Edward Robert Hughes

All Nights of Straparola Illustrations

Publisher

Lawrence and Bullen

Date Published

1894

Decade Published

1890-1899

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

This book is a collection of stories that are structured under a ‘frame tale,’ or overarching narrative. After the departure of Milan’s ruler amongst unrest, a party is held on the Island of Murano, with his daughter and her 10 court ladies taking turns to tell stories over the course of 13 nights. Each night 5 ladies will sing before narrating a tale on an agreed-upon theme, offering a pastime and a way to stimulate the wit.

Notes on narrators

Lodovica; admired for her beautiful eyes

Vicenza; possessing beauty and good manners

Lionora; kindly and courteous despite her haughty appearance

Alteria; devoted in service

Lauretta; disdainful and seductive

Eritrea; petite and beautiful

Cateruzza (surnamed Brunetta); graceful, loving, alluring

Arianna; young but grave, virtuous, and well-spoken

Isabella; highly gifted and witty

Fiordiana; Intelligent and willing

Traditional

White

“Second Night, First Fable.” The Nights of Straparola, Straparola, Giovanni Francesco, translated by Waters, W.G. (William George), London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, pp. 55-65.

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 20:21:45 +0000

“Second Night, First Fable.” The Nights of Straparola, Straparola, Giovanni Francesco, translated by Waters, W.G. (William George), London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, pp. 55-65. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/07/2022 - 14:21

Giovanni Francesco Straparola Edward Robert Hughes

Tale Summary

Gaelotto, noble King of Anglia, and his wife Ersilia are unable to conceive. The queen falls asleep in her garden and is visited by three faeries, who cast spells on her, making it so that she will conceive, that her son will be virtuous, but that he will have the skin of a pig until he has married three times. The prince is born a pig, and as he grows older asks his mother for a wife. The queen sends for a certain poor woman with three beautiful daughters and arranges a marriage with the eldest. The girl is disgusted by the prince and after the wedding resolves to herself to kill him in his sleep; the pig overhears this and kills her instead. Still wanting a wife, he begs his mother for another of the daughters, and she meets the same fate. The youngest daughter, Meldina, humbly consents to marriage when the prince begs again for a wife, and treats him courteously despite his filth. The pig loves her, and soon after their marriage reveals a secret: how he can take off his pig skin to become a handsome man. Meldina gives birth to a human boy, and tells her secret to the queen, inviting her and the king to witness their son that night. Upon seeing his human form, his parents are overjoyed, and the king gives up his throne to him.

Fairy Tale Title

Second Night, First Fable

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Giovanni Francesco Straparola

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Edward Robert Hughes

All Nights of Straparola Illustrations

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 55-65

Full Citation of Tale

“Second Night, First Fable.” The Nights of Straparola, Straparola, Giovanni Francesco, translated by Waters, W.G. (William George), London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, pp. 55-65.

Original Source of the Tale

Giovanni Francesco Straparola

Tale Notes

Isabella tells this tale, and her enigma is:

"I prithee, sir, to give to me,

What never did belong to thee,

Or ever will, what though thy span

Of life exceed the wont of man.

Dream not this treasure to attain;

Thy longing will be all in vain;

But if you deem me such a prize,

And pine for me with loving eyes,

Give me this boon, my wish fulfil,

For you can grant it if you will."

The solution is that a man never possesses a husband, but can easily give one to a lady.

Fiordiana calls on Signor Molino to tell a tale.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2022

Book Title

The Nights of Straparola

Book Author/Editor(s)

Giovanni Francesco Straparola

Illustrator(s)

Edward Robert Hughes

Publisher

Lawrence and Bullen

Date Published

1894

Decade Published

1890-1899

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Notes on narrators

Lodovica; admired for her beautiful eyes

Vicenza; possessing beauty and good manners

Lionora; kindly and courteous despite her haughty appearance

Alteria; devoted in service

Lauretta; disdainful and seductive

Eritrea; petite and beautiful

Cateruzza (surnamed Brunetta); graceful, loving, alluring

Arianna; young but grave, virtuous, and well-spoken

Isabella; highly gifted and witty

Fiordiana; Intelligent and willing

Traditional

White