In fact, so many and so large were the rats which came in from all
quarters, that it was really wonderful to see them. Thereupon the youths
aforesaid took to their sticks, and with great labour defended the dish
from which the king and Messer Ansaldo were eating. When the latter
had heard and seen the multitudes of those filthy animals which were
innumerable in that island (nor had any means been found to extirpate
them), he sought to make the king understand by signs that he wished to
provide him with a remedy by means of which he might be freed from such
horrid creatures; and running quickly to the ship, he took two very fine
cats, male and female, and brought them to the king, saying that on the
next occasion they should be put upon the table. As soon therefore as the
smell of the meat began to diffuse itself, the usual procession made its
appearance, when the cats seeing it began to scatter them so bravely that
there was very soon a prodigious slaughter of the enemy.
On seeing this, the delighted king, wishing to remunerate Ansaldo, sent
for many strings of pearls, with gold, silver, and rare precious stones,
which he presented to Messer Ansaldo, who, thinking he had made a good
profit of his merchandise, spread his sails to the wind, prosecuted his
voyage, and returned home immensely rich.
Some time afterwards, he was relating what had occurred between himself
and the King of Canaria to a circle of his friends, when one of them,
named Giocondo dé Finfali, was seized with a desire to make the voyage
to Canaria himself, to try his fortune also; and in order to do so, sold
an estate he had in the Val d’Elsa, and invested the money in a great
quantity of jewels, together with rings and bracelets of immense value;
and having given out that he intended to go to the Holy Land, lest any
should blame his resolution, he repaired to Cadiz, where he embarked, and
soon arrived at Canaria. He presented his riches to the king, reasoning
in this manner--‘If Messer Ansaldo got so much for a paltry pair of cats,
how much more will be my just recompence for what I have brought his
majesty!’ But the poor man deceived himself, because the King of Canaria,
who highly esteemed the present of Giocondo, did not think he could make
him a fairer exchange than by giving him _a cat_; so having sent for a
very fine one, son to those which Ansaldo had given him, he presented
it to Giocondo; but he, thinking himself insulted, returned miserably
poor to Florence, continually cursing the King of Canaria, the rats, and
Messer Ansaldo and his cats; but he was wrong, because that good king,
in making him a present of a cat, gave him what he considered the most
valuable thing in his dominions.”