THE MYRTLE

There lived in the village of Miano a man and his wife, who had no

children whatever, and they longed with the greatest eagerness to have

an heir. The woman, above all, was for ever saying, "O heavens! if I

might but have a little baby--I should not care, were it even a sprig

of a myrtle." And she repeated this song so often, and so wearied

Heaven with these words, that at last her wish was granted; and at the

end of nine months, instead of a little boy or girl, she placed in the

hands of the nurse a fine sprig of myrtle. This she planted with great

delight in a pot, ornamented with ever so many beautiful figures, and

set it in the window, tending it morning and evening with more

diligence than the gardener does a bed of cabbages from which he

reckons to pay the rent of his garden.

Now the King's son happening to pass by, as he was going to hunt, took

a prodigious fancy to this beautiful plant, and sent to ask the

mistress of the house if she would sell it, for he would give even one

of his eyes for it. The woman at last, after a thousand difficulties

and refusals, allured by his offers, dazzled by his promises,

frightened by his threats, overcome by his prayers, gave him the pot,

beseeching him to hold it dear, for she loved it more than a daughter,

and valued it as much as if it were her own offspring. Then the Prince

had the flower-pot carried with the greatest care in the world into his

own chamber, and placed it in a balcony, and tended and watered it with

his own hand.

It happened one evening, when the Prince had gone to bed, and put out

the candles, and all were at rest and in their first sleep, that he

heard the sound of some one stealing through the house, and coming

cautiously towards his bed; whereat he thought it must be some

chamber-boy coming to lighten his purse for him, or some mischievous

imp to pull the bed-clothes off him. But as he was a bold fellow, whom

none could frighten, he acted the dead cat, waiting to see the upshot

of the affair. When he perceived the object approach nearer, and

stretching out his hand felt something smooth, and instead of laying

hold, as he expected, on the prickles of a hedgehog, he touched a

little creature more soft and fine than Barbary wool, more pliant and

tender than a marten's tail, more delicate than thistle-down, he flew

from one thought to another, and taking her to be a fairy (as indeed

she was), he conceived at once a great affection for her. The next

morning, before the Sun, like a chief physician, went out to visit the

flowers that are sick and languid, the unknown fair one rose and

disappeared, leaving the Prince filled with curiosity and wonder.

But when this had gone on for seven days, he was burning and melting

with desire to know what good fortune this was that the stars had

showered down on him, and what ship freighted with the graces of Love

it was that had come to its moorings in his chamber. So one night, when

the fair maiden was fast asleep, he tied one of her tresses to his arm,

that she might not escape; then he called a chamberlain, and bidding

him light the candles, he saw the flower of beauty, the miracle of

women, the looking-glass and painted egg of Venus, the fair bait of

Love--he saw a little doll, a beautiful dove, a Fata Morgana, a

banner--he saw a golden trinket, a hunter, a falcon's eye, a moon in

her fifteenth day, a pigeon's bill, a morsel for a king, a jewel--he

saw, in short, a sight to amaze one.

In astonishment he cried, "O sleep, sweet sleep! heap poppies on the

eyes of this lovely jewel; interrupt not my delight in viewing as long

as I desire this triumph of beauty. O lovely tress that binds me! O

lovely eyes that inflame me! O lovely lips that refresh me! O lovely

bosom that consoles me! Oh where, at what shop of the wonders of

Nature, was this living statue made? What India gave the gold for these

hairs? What Ethiopia the ivory to form these brows? What seashore the

carbuncles that compose these eyes? What Tyre the purple to dye this

face? What East the pearls to string these teeth? And from what

mountains was the snow taken to sprinkle over this bosom--snow contrary

to nature, that nurtures the flowers and burns hearts?"

So saying he made a vine of his arms, and clasping her neck, she awoke

from her sleep and replied, with a gentle smile, to 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 a leaf from it; but the youngest took off the entire top,

to which the little bell was hung; and the moment it was touched the

bell tinkled and the fairy, thinking it was the Prince, immediately

came out.

As soon as the wicked women saw this lovely creature they fastened

their talons on her, crying, "You are she who turns to your own mill

the stream of our hopes! You it is who have stolen the favour of the

Prince! But you are come to an end of your tricks, my fine lady! You

are nimble enough in running off, but you are caught in your tricks

this time, and if you escape, you were never born."

So saying, they flew upon her, and instantly tore her in pieces, and

each of them took her part. But the youngest would not join in this

cruel act; and when she was invited by her sisters to do as they did,

she would take nothing but a lock of those golden hairs. So when they

had done they went quickly away by the passage through which they had

come.

Meanwhile the chamberlain came to make the bed and water the

flower-pot, according to his master's orders, and seeing this pretty

piece of work, he had like to have died of terror. Then, biting his

nails with vexation, he set to work, gathered up the remains of the

flesh and bones that were left, and scraping the blood from the floor,

he piled them all up in a heap in the pot; and having watered it, he

made the bed, locked the door, put the key under the door, and taking

to his heels ran away out of the town.

When the Prince came back from the chase, he pulled the silken string

and rung the little bell; but ring as he would it was all lost time; he

might sound the tocsin, and ring till he was tired, for the fairy gave

no heed. So he went straight to the chamber, and not having patience to

call the chamberlain and ask for the key, he gave the lock a kick,

burst open the door, went in, opened the window, and seeing the myrtle

stript of its leaves, he fell to making a most doleful lamentation,

crying, shouting, and bawling, "O wretched me! unhappy me! O miserable

me! Who has played me this trick? and who has thus trumped my card? O

ruined, banished, and undone prince! O my leafless myrtle! my lost

fairy! O my wretched life! my joys vanished into smoke! my pleasures

turned to vinegar! What will you do, unhappy man! Leap quickly over

this ditch! You have fallen from all happiness, and will you not cut

your throat? You are robbed of every treasure! You are expelled from

life, and do you not go mad? Where are you? where are you, my myrtle?

And what soul more hard than marble has destroyed this beautiful

flower-pot? O cursed chase, that has chased me from all happiness!

Alas! I am done for, I am overthrown, I am ruined, I have ended my

days; it is not possible for me to get through life without my life; I

must stretch my legs, since without my love sleep will be lamentation,

food, poison, pleasure insipid, and life sour."

These and many other exclamations that would move the very stones in

the streets, were uttered by the Prince; and after repeating them again

and again, and wailing bitterly, full of sorrow and woe, never shutting

an eye to sleep, nor opening his mouth to eat, he gave such way to

grief, that his face, which was before of oriental vermilion, became of

gold paint, and the ham of his lips became rusty bacon.

The fairy, who had sprouted up again from the remains that were put in

the pot, seeing the misery and tribulation of her poor lover, and how

he was turned in a second to the colour of a sick Spaniard, of a

venomous lizard, of the sap of a leaf, of a jaundiced person, of a

dried pear, was moved with compassion; and springing out of the pot,

like the light of a candle shooting out of a dark lantern, she stood

before Cola Marchione, and embracing him in her arms she said, "Take

heart, take heart, my Prince! have done now with this lamenting, wipe

your eyes, quiet your anger, smooth your face. Behold me alive and

handsome, in spite of those wicked women, who split my head and so

ill-treated me."

The Prince, seeing this when he least expected it, arose again from

death to life, and the colour returned to his cheeks, warmth to his

blood, breath to his breast. After giving her a thousand caresses and

embraces, he desired to know the whole affair from head to foot; and

when he found that the chamberlain was not to blame, he ordered him to

be called, and giving a great banquet, he, with the full consent of his

father, married the fairy. And he invited all the great people of the

kingdom, but, above all others, he would have present those seven

serpents who had committed the slaughter of that sweet suckling-calf.

And as soon as they had done eating, the Prince asked all the guests,

one after another, what he deserved who had injured that beautiful

maiden--pointing to the fairy, who looked so lovely that she shot

hearts like a sprite and drew souls like a windlass.

Then all who sat at table, beginning with the King, said, one that he

deserved the gallows, another that he merited the wheel, a third the

pincers, a fourth to be thrown from a precipice; in short one proposed

this punishment and another that. At last it came to the turn of the

seven wicked women to speak, who, although they did not much relish

this conversation, yet, as the truth comes out when the wine goes

about, answered, that whoever had the heart basely to touch only this

quintessence of the charms of love deserved to be buried alive in a

dungeon.

"As you have pronounced this sentence with your own lips," said the

Prince, "you have yourselves judged the cause, you have yourselves

signed the decree. It remains for me to cause your order to be

executed, since it is you who with the heart of a negro, with the

cruelty of Medea, made a fritter of this beautiful head, and chopped up

these lovely limbs like sausage-meat. So quick, make haste, lose not a

moment! throw them this very instant into a large dungeon, where they

shall end their days miserably."

So this order was instantly carried into execution. The Prince married

the youngest sister of these wicked creatures to the chamberlain, and

gave her a good portion. And giving also to the father and mother of

the myrtle wherewithal to live comfortably, he himself spent his days

happily with the fairy; while the wicked women ended their lives in

bitter anguish, and thus verified the proverb of the wise men of old--

"The lame goat will hop

If he meets with no stop."