West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-04
ITALIAN FAIRY TALES.

tst. NSholos
The oldest collections of fairy t.le.
In Europe were made by two Italians.
named Straparola and Bssile, who lived
during the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. The first fairy tale, which
appeared I'm France over two hundred
years ago, "The Clever Princess" =" was
taken from Basile's collection which
supplied Charles Perrault, afterward so
celebrated for this kind Of stories, with
his Cinderella" He is also indebted
TO Straparols for his "Puss in Boots :"
30 you see we owe some of our most
popular stories-I mean, of course, their
written form-tO Italians. Since Stra-
parola and Basile, the Italians have
almost entirely neglected this class of
stories until within few years, when
learned scholars have made collections
of them for purely scientific purpose.
and 1t Is from some of these collections
that am going to give you slight
idea OF the stories that entertain the
people of Sicily and Tuscany. / have
translated them directly from the Ital-
ian and Sicilian dialect, and as my
object is not only to amuse you but
also TO add % your material for com
parison between the stories of various
countries, shall give you old friends
with new faces, and tell you the Italian
Cinderella" and the Sicilian East o.
the Sun and West o. the Moon"
The hrst story is from Palermo, in
Sicily, and is called "Lu Re d'Amuri" ="
or, The King of Love
Some OF you will at once recognize its
likeness TO class of stSries of which
the Morse tale of " East o. the Sun and
n 10 Z.
example, and some Of you NAV perhaps
see its marked resemblance 10 tho otd
story of Cupid and Psyche" familiar
to all students of mythology.
Once upon a time there was a man
with three daughters who earned his
living by gathering wild herbs. One
time he took his youngest daughter
with him. They came to a garden
and began TO gather vegetables. The
daughter saw a fine radish and began To
pull it up, when suddenly q Turk ap-
Peared, and said
Why have you opened my masters
door? You must come in now, and he
VIII decide on your punishment"
Ihey went down into the ground, and
when they were seated they saw a green
bird come in and bathe in a pan of
milk, then dry itself and become n hand
some youth. He said t. the Turk:
What do these persons want9"
Your Worship, they pulled up 4
radish and opened the subterranean
door"
q How did we know" said the father.
that this was Your Exceliency's house
My daughter saw fine radish, il pleased
her, and she pulled il up"
Well, if that's the case" said the
master, your daughter shall stay here
as my wife; you may fill this sack with
gold, and go; when you want 10 see
your daughter, come and make yourself
at home"
The father took leave Of his daughter
and departed.
When the master was alone with her.
he said
" You see, Rosella (Rusidda), you are
mistress here" and gave her all the
keys. She was perfectly happy otter
ally " was happy TO the hairs Of her
head y.
One day, while the green bird wa.
away, her sisters visited her and asked
her about her husband ROsella said
she did not know, for he had made her
promise not 10 try to find out who he
was Her sisters, however, persuaded
her, and whom the bird returned and
became man, RoselIa put on a down
cast air.
What is the matterY said her hus-
band.
Nothing" answered ROsella She
LEI him question her awhile. and. Al
last, said
Well, II then, you want to know
Why ! am out OF sorts 10 IS because
wish 10 know your name"
Her husband told her that IL would
be The worse for her, but she insisted ON
knowing his name. So he made hei
put the gold basins on a chair and began
TO batbe his feet
hoseila, do YOU really sao, TO know
ny name |'
Yes"
~" ,ht voter csi1t uy tu his waist
bf De had become n bird and had "a