Stories from Pentamerone | Page 4

make his daughter laugh.
So the fountain was made; and as Zoza was one day standing at the
window, grave and demure, and looking as sour as vinegar, there came
by chance an old woman, who, soaking up the oil with a sponge, began
to fill a little pitcher which she had brought with her. And as she was
labouring hard at this ingenious device, a young page of the court
passing by threw a stone so exactly to a hair that he hit the pitcher and
broke it to pieces. Whereupon the old woman, who had no hair on her
tongue, turned to the page, full of wrath, and exclaimed, "Ah, you
impertinent young dog, you mule, you gallows-rope, you spindle-legs!
Ill luck to you! May you be pierced by a Catalan lance! May a thousand
ills befall you and something more to boot, you thief, you knave!"
The lad, who had little beard and less discretion, hearing this string of
abuse, repaid the old woman in her own coin, saying, "Have you done,
you grandmother of witches, you old hag, you child-strangler!"
When the old woman heard these compliments she flew into such a
rage that, losing hold of the bridle and escaping from the stable of
patience, she acted as if she were mad, cutting capers in the air and
grinning like an ape. At this strange spectacle Zoza burst into such a fit
of laughter that she well-nigh fainted away. But when the old woman
saw herself played this trick, she flew into a passion, and turning a
fierce look on Zoza she exclaimed: "May you never have the least little
bit of a husband, unless you take the Prince of Round-Field."
Upon hearing this, Zoza ordered the old woman to be called; and
desired to know whether, in her words, she had laid on her a curse, or
had only meant to insult her. And the old woman answered, "Know
then, that the Prince of whom I spoke is a most handsome creature, and
is named Taddeo, who, by the wicked spell of a fairy, having given the
last touch to the picture of life, has been placed in a tomb outside the
walls of the city; and there is an inscription upon a stone, saying that
whatever woman shall in three days fill with tears a pitcher that hangs
there upon a hook will bring the Prince to life and shall take him for a

husband. But as it is impossible for two human eyes to weep so much
as to fill a pitcher that would hold half a barrel, I have wished you this
wish in return for your scoffing and jeering at me. And I pray that it
may come to pass, to avenge the wrong you have done me." So saying,
she scuttled down the stairs, for fear of a beating.
Zoza pondered over the words of the old woman, and after turning over
a hundred thoughts in her mind, until her head was like a mill full of
doubts, she was at last struck by a dart of the passion that blinds the
judgment and puts a spell on the reasoning of man. She took a handful
of dollars from her father's coffers and left the palace, walking on and
on, until she arrived at the castle of a fairy, to whom she unburdened
her heart. The fairy, out of pity for such a fair young girl, who had two
spurs to make her fall--little help and much love for an unknown
object--gave her a letter of recommendation to a sister of hers, who was
also a fairy. And this second fairy received her likewise with great
kindness; and on the following morning, when Night commands the
birds to proclaim that whoever has seen a flock of black shadows gone
astray shall be well rewarded, she gave her a beautiful walnut, saying,
"Take this, my dear daughter, and keep it carefully; but never open it,
but in time of the greatest need." And then she gave her also a letter,
commending her to another sister.
After journeying a long way, Zoza arrived at this fairy's castle, and was
received with the same affection. And the next morning this fairy
likewise gave her a letter to another sister, together with a chestnut,
cautioning her in the same manner. Then Zoza travelled on to the next
castle, where she was received with a thousand caresses and given a
filbert, which she was never to open, unless the greatest necessity
obliged her. So she set out upon her journey, and passed so many
forests and rivers, that at the end of seven years, just at the time of day
when the Sun, awakened by the coming of the cocks, has saddled his
steed to