It has always been more difficult for a man to keep than to get; for in
the one case fortune aids, which often assists injustice, but in the
other case sense is required. Therefore we frequently find a person
deficient in cleverness rise to wealth, and then, from want of sense,
roll over heels to the bottom; as you will see clearly from the story I
am going to tell you, if you are quick of understanding.
A merchant once had an only daughter, whom he wished greatly to see
married; but as often as he struck this note, he found her a hundred
miles off from the desired pitch, for the foolish girl would never
consent to marry, and the father was in consequence the most unhappy
and miserable man in the world. Now it happened one day that he was
going to a fair; so he asked his daughter, who was named Betta, what
she would like him to bring her on his return. And she said, "Papa, if
you love me, bring me half a hundredweight of Palermo sugar, and as
much again of sweet almonds, with four to six bottles of scented water,
and a little musk and amber, also forty pearls, two sapphires, a few
garnets and rubies, with some gold thread, and above all a trough and a
little silver trowel." Her father wondered at this extravagant demand,
nevertheless he would not refuse his daughter; so he went to the fair,
and on his return brought her all that she had requested.
As soon as Betta received these things, she shut herself up in a
chamber, and began to make a great quantity of paste of almonds and
sugar, mixed with rosewater and perfumes, and set to work to form a
most beautiful youth, making his hair of gold thread, his eyes of
sapphires, his teeth of pearls, his lips of rubies; and she gave him
such grace that speech alone was wanting to him. When she had done all
this, having heard say that at the prayers of a certain King of Cyprus
a statue had once come to life, she prayed to the goddess of Love so
long that at last the statue began to open its eyes; and increasing her
prayers, it began to breathe; and after breathing, words came out; and
at last, disengaging all its limbs, it began to walk.
With a joy far greater than if she had gained a kingdom, Betta embraced
and kissed the youth, and taking him by the hand, she led him before
her father and said, "My lord and father, you have always told me that
you wished to see me married, and in order to please you I have now
chosen a husband after my own heart." When her father saw the handsome
youth come out of his daughter's room, whom he had not seen enter it,
he stood amazed, and at the sight of such beauty, which folks would
have paid a halfpenny a head to gaze at, he consented that the marriage
should take place. So a great feast was made, at which, among the other
ladies present, there appeared a great unknown Queen, who, seeing the
beauty of Pintosmalto (for that was the name Betta gave him), fell
desperately in love with him. Now Pintosmalto, who had only opened his
eyes on the wickedness of the world three hours before, and was as
innocent as a babe, accompanied the strangers who had come to celebrate
his nuptials to the stairs, as his bride had told him; and when he did
the same with this Queen, she took him by the hand and led him quietly
to her coach, drawn by six horses, which stood in the courtyard; then
taking him into it, she ordered the coachman to drive off and away to
her country.
After Betta had waited a while in vain expecting Pintosmalto to return,
she sent down into the courtyard to see whether he were speaking with
any one there; then she sent up to the roof to see if he had gone to
take fresh air; but finding him nowhere, she directly imagined that, on
account of his great beauty, he had been stolen from her. So she
ordered the usual proclamations to be made; but at last, as no tidings
of him were brought, she formed the resolution to go all the world over
in search of him, and dressing herself as a poor girl, she set out on
her way. After some months she came to the house of a good old woman,
who received her with great kindness; and when she had heard Betta's
misfortune, she took compassion on her, and taught her three sayings.
The first was, "Tricche varlacche, the house rains!" the second, "Anola
tranola, the fountain plays!"; the third, "Scatola matola, the sun
shines!"--telling her to repeat these words whenever she was in
trouble, and they would be of good service to her.
Betta wondered greatly at this present of chaff, nevertheless she said
to herself, "He who blows into your mouth does not wish to see you
dead, and the plant that strikes root does not wither; everything has
its use; who knows what good fortune may be contained in these words?"
So saying, she thanked the old woman, and set out upon her way. And
after a long journey she came to a beautiful city called Round Mount,
where she went straight to the royal palace, and begged for the love of
Heaven a little shelter in the stable. So the ladies of the court
ordered a small room to be given her on the stairs; and while poor
Betta was sitting there she saw Pintosmalto pass by, whereat her joy
was so great that she was on the point of slipping down from the tree
of life. But seeing the trouble she was in, Betta wished to make proof
of the first saying which the old woman had told her; and no sooner had
she repeated the words, "Tricche varlacche, the house rains!" than
instantly there appeared before her a beautiful little coach of gold
set all over with jewels, which ran about the chamber of itself and was
a wonder to behold.
When the ladies of the court saw this sight they went and told the
Queen, who without loss of time ran to Betta's chamber; and when she
saw the beautiful little coach, she asked whether she would sell it,
and offered to give whatever she might demand. But Betta replied that,
although she was poor she would not sell it for all the gold in the
world, but if the Queen wished for the little coach, she must allow her
to pass one night at the door of Pintosmalto's chamber.
The Queen was amazed at the folly of the poor girl, who although she
was all in rags would nevertheless give up such riches for a mere whim;
however, she resolved to take the good mouthful offered her, and, by
giving Pintosmalto a sleeping-draught, to satisfy the poor girl but pay
her in bad coin.
As soon as the Night was come, when the stars in the sky and the
glowworms on the earth were to pass in review, the Queen gave a
sleeping-draught to Pintosmalto, who did everything he was told, and
sent him to bed. And no sooner had he thrown himself on the mattress
than he fell as sound asleep as a dormouse. Poor Betta, who thought
that night to relate all her past troubles, seeing now that she had no
audience, fell to lamenting beyond measure, blaming herself for all
that she had done for his sake; and the unhappy girl never closed her
mouth, nor did the sleeping Pintosmalto ever open his eyes until the
Sun appeared with the aqua regia of his rays to separate the shades
from the light, when the Queen came down, and taking Pintosmalto by the
hand, said to Betta, "Now be content."
"May you have such content all the days of your life!" replied Betta in
an undertone; "for I have passed so bad a night that I shall not soon
forget it."
The poor girl, however, could not resist her longing, and resolved to
make trial of the second saying; so she repeated the words, "Anola
tranola, the fountain plays!" and instantly there appeared a golden
cage, with a beautiful bird made of precious stones and gold, which
sang like a nightingale. When the ladies saw this they went and told it
to the Queen, who wished to see the bird; then she asked the same
question as about the little coach, and Betta made the same reply as
before. Whereupon the Queen, who perceived, as she thought, what a
silly creature Betta was, promised to grant her request, and took the
cage with the bird. And as soon as night came she gave Pintosmalto a
sleeping-draught as before, and sent him to bed. When Betta saw that he
slept like a dead person, she began again to wail and lament, saying
things that would have moved a flintstone to compassion; and thus she
passed another night, full of trouble, weeping and wailing and tearing
her hair. But as soon as it was day the Queen came to fetch her
captive, and left poor Betta in grief and sorrow, and biting her hands
with vexation at the trick that had been played her.
In the morning when Pintosmalto went to a garden outside the city gate
to pluck some figs, he met a cobbler, who lived in a room close to
where Betta lay and had not lost a word of all she had said. Then he
told Pintosmalto of the weeping, lamentation, and crying of the unhappy
beggar-girl; and when Pintosmalto, who already began to get a little
more sense, heard this, he guessed how matters stood, and resolved
that, if the same thing happened again, he would not drink what the
Queen gave him.
Betta now wished to make the third trial, so she said the words,
"Scatola matola, the sun shines!" and instantly there appeared a
quantity of stuffs of silk and gold, and embroidered scarfs, with a
golden cup; in short, the Queen herself could not have brought together
so many beautiful ornaments. When the ladies saw these things they told
their mistress, who endeavoured to obtain them as she had done the
others; but Betta replied as before, that if the Queen wished to have
them she must let her spend the night at the door of the chamber. Then
the Queen said to herself, "What can I lose by satisfying this silly
girl, in order to get from her these beautiful things?" So taking all
the treasures which Betta offered her, as soon as Night appeared, the
instrument for the debt contracted with Sleep and Repose being
liquidated, she gave the sleeping-draught to Pintosmalto; but this time
he did not swallow it, and making an excuse to leave the room, he spat
it out again, and then went to bed.
Betta now began the same tune again, saying how she had kneaded him
with her own hands of sugar and almonds, how she had made his hair of
gold, and his eyes and mouth of pearls and precious stones, and how he
was indebted to her for his life, which the gods had granted to her
prayers, and lastly how he had been stolen from her, and she had gone
seeking him with such toil and trouble. Then she went on to tell him
how she had watched two nights at the door of his room, and for leave
to do so had given up two treasures, and yet had not been able to hear
a single word from him, so that this was the last night of her hopes
and the conclusion of her life.
When Pintosmalto, who had remained awake, heard these words, and called
to mind as a dream all that had passed, he rose and embraced her; and
as Night had just come forth with her black mask to direct the dance of
the Stars, he went very quietly into the chamber of the Queen, who was
in a deep sleep, and took from her all the things that she had taken
from Betta, and all the jewels and money which were in a desk, to repay
himself for his past troubles. Then returning to his wife, they set off
that very hour, and travelled on and on until they arrived at her
father's house, where they found him alive and well; and from the joy
of seeing his daughter again he became like a boy of fifteen years. But
when the Queen found neither Pintosmalto, nor beggar-girl, nor jewels,
she tore her hair and rent her clothes, and called to mind the saying--
"He who cheats must not complain if he be cheated."