Reading Diary B: Italian Popular Tales

Sir Fiorante, Magician



Opium plants. Source.

A man has 3 daughters and he works as a woodman. Each day the daughters would take turns taking their father bread into the woods. One day when they were in the woods, a large snake came out. He told their father that he wanted to marry one of his daughters. If none of them accepted his offer, the snake would kill the man.

When the daughters were told of this declaration, they refused the offer. However the 3rd daughter didn't want to see her father die. She decided that she would accept the offer to save him. She found the snake to be handsome and thought snakes were nice. The snake showed up and carried the daughter on his tale to a beautiful meadow. The snake caused a great palace to appear. He himself turned into a handsome man.

The man's name was Sir Fiorante. The daughter was not allowed to tell anyone who he was because she would lose him. There would only be one way to get him back. She would have to wear a pair of iron shoes, a staff, a hat, and would have to fill 7 bottles with her tears. Later she went home to visit her sister. Her sister was sneaky and tricked the 3rd daughter into telling her the husband's name. When the maiden returned home her husband was gone!

She knew she had to get her husband back. She put the shoes and walked everywhere crying. She filled one bottle up after another. Once she had one bottle filled, she met an old woman. The old woman gave her a walnut. The walnut was to be open in the time of need. After the fourth bottle had been filled, she met a different old lady that gave her a hazelnut to crack in a time of need. Finally after the 7th bottle was filled, she was given an almond to open if she was in need.

Finally the maiden reached the castle again. When she arrived she saw that Sir Fiorante had a new wife. The maiden cracked open the walnut, to reveal a beautiful dress. The new wife was in love with the dress and asked to wear it. The maiden agreed if the wife would allow her to sleep with Sir Fiorante. Of course she agreed. Before the night the 2nd wife slipped some opium into Sir Fiorante. The maiden told him she was his true wife. He didn't respond because he was on opium.

The next day the same thing occurred but the dress that came out of the hazelnut was twice as pretty as the first. The maiden went to bed with the husband but not before the 2nd wife snuck in opium. He never responded to her declaration. The 3rd night the servant asked Sir Fiorante if he hears the cries at night. He said he did not. On that night he didn't take the opium before bed. He pretended to take the opium and pretended to be asleep. When he heard his first wife's cry he was torn and had to hold her.

The next morning the two took off to live together in happiness in a different castle leaving the old one to the 2nd wife.