Stories from Pentamerone | Page 8

the sigh of the
enamoured Prince; who, seeing her open her eyes, said, "O my treasure,
if viewing without candles this temple of love I was in transports, what
will become of my life now that you have lighted two lamps? O
beauteous eyes, that with a trump-card of light make the stars bankrupt,
you alone have pierced this heart, you alone can make a poultice for it
like fresh eggs! O my lovely physician, take pity, take pity on one who
is sick of love; who, having changed the air from the darkness of night
to the light of this beauty, is seized by a fever; lay your hand on this
heart, feel my pulse, give me a prescription. But, my soul, why do I ask
for a prescription? I desire no other comfort than a touch of that little
hand; for I am certain that with the cordial of that fair grace, and with
the healing root of that tongue of thine, I shall be sound and well
again."
At these words the lovely fairy grew as red as fire, and replied, "Not so
much praise, my lord Prince! I am your servant, and would do anything
in the world to serve that kingly face; and I esteem it great good fortune
that from a bunch of myrtle, set in a pot of earth, I have become a
branch of laurel hung over the inn-door of a heart in which there is so
much greatness and virtue."
The Prince, melting at these words like a tallow-candle, began again to
embrace her; and sealing the latter with a kiss, he gave her his hand,
saying, "Take my faith, you shall be my wife, you shall be mistress of
my sceptre, you shall have the key of this heart, as you hold the helm of
this life." After these and a hundred other ceremonies and discourses
they arose. And so it went on for several days.
But as spoil-sport, marriage-parting Fate is always a hindrance to the
steps of Love, it fell out that the Prince was summoned to hunt a great
wild boar which was ravaging the country. So he was forced to leave
his wife. But as he loved her more than his life, and saw that she was
beautiful beyond all beautiful things, from this love and beauty there
sprang up the feeling of jealousy, which is a tempest in the sea of love,
a piece of soot that falls into the pottage of the bliss of lovers--which is
a serpent that bites, a worm that gnaws, a gall that poisons, a frost that
kills, making life always restless, the mind unstable, the heart ever
suspicious. So, calling the fairy, he said to her, "I am obliged, my heart,
to be away from home for two or three days; Heaven knows with how

much grief I tear myself from you, who are my soul; and Heaven
knows too whether, ere I set out, my life may not end; but as I cannot
help going, to please my father, I must leave you. I, therefore, pray you,
by all the love you bear me, to go back into the flower-pot, and not to
come out of it till I return, which will be as soon as possible."
"I will do so," said the fairy, "for I cannot and will not refuse what
pleases you. Go, therefore, and may the mother of good luck go with
you, for I will serve you to the best of my power. But do me one favour;
leave a thread of silk with a bell tied to the top of the myrtle, and when
you come back pull the thread and ring, and immediately I will come
out and say, Here I am.'"
The Prince did so, and then calling a chamberlain, said to him, "Come
hither, come hither, you! Open your ears and mind what I say. Make
this bed every evening, as if I were myself to sleep in it. Water this
flower-pot regularly, and mind, I have counted the leaves, and if I find
one missing I will take from you the means of earning your bread." So
saying he mounted his horse, and went, like a sheep that is led to the
slaughter, to follow a boar. In the meanwhile seven wicked women,
with whom the Prince had been acquainted, began to grow jealous; and
being curious to pry into the secret, they sent for a mason, and for a
good sum of money got him to make an underground passage from
their house into the Prince's chamber. Then these cunning jades went
through the passage in order to explore. But finding nothing, they
opened the window; and when they saw the beautiful myrtle standing
there, each of them plucked