THE LADY WOLF
a fairy tale from
THE MEDIEVAL FAIRY TALES
Selected and Retold by
B. K. De Fabris
Purchace your copy of The Medieval Fairy Tales from
Copyright 2013 B. K. De Fabris
ISBN: 9781301444724
Notice
The source of the following stories is a collection of folk tales known as "Il Pentamerone or The Tale of the Tales" by G. B. Basile, first published in Naples 1634. and translated into English by J. E. Taylor 1847.
The original stories were simplified and substantially modified with a single aim to reach out to the hearts and minds of modern young readers. Even so, the genuine lexic and literary style are reasonably preserved.
THE LADY WOLF
Once upon a time there lived a brave old crusader whose name was Jean-Baptiste, Vicomte de Martell. He spent most of his adult life fighting in the Holy Land and the scars of many battles and wars seemed to have formed the old man as a model of horror. He had a hook instead of his left hand, his face was like a cracked stone, and his only eye looked like an ember that saw all sorts of evils—in short, from head to foot he was ugly beyond imagination.
After feeling his duty to the Holy War fulfilled, Vicomte de Martell returned to his castle at Massenberg in the midst of the blue hills of Saarland. There he began to count upon his fingers and to reflect thus to himself: "Here I am, an old man close to the end of my given days. Therefore it is high time to get married to a nice noble lass who would present me with a son and heir. But where shall I look? Where shall I find a woman of exceptional beauty and worthy of my respect?"
So saying he turned his thoughts to Lady Avezoete, daughter of his late friend baron Alexander of Ghent saying, "Why should I go seeking elsewhere when my protégé Lady Avezoete is a model of sheer beauty and loveliness. She already lives under my roof and protection. I have this fair face here in my very house, and I need not to go looking for it at the fag-end of the world."
When young Lady Avezoete heard this, she retired to her chamber, and bewailing her ill fortune, she did not leave a hair upon her head. Whilst she was lamenting thus, an old fairy woman came to her. As soon as she saw the girl who seemed to belong more to the other world than to this, and heard the cause of her grief, the old fairy said to her, "Cheer up, my daughter; do not despair; there is a remedy for every evil save death." Then she plucked a black pearl from the bodice of her dress and said, "Now listen: if the Vicomte speaks to you thus once again, put this pearl into your mouth, and instantly you will be changed into a she-wolf. Then off with you! For in his fright he will let you depart; and go straight to the wood. But, remember, whenever you wish to appear a woman, as you are and will remain, only take the pearl out of your mouth, and you will return to your true form." After these words Lady Avezoete embraced the old fairy and giving her a thousand kisses sent her away.
Next morning the Vicomte ordered the musicians to come and inviting all his noble friends he held a great feast. And after dancing and singing for the whole day long they all sat down to the table, and ate and drank beyond measure. Then the Vicomte asked his guests to quiet down. He hoisted his cup and announced his decision to marry his beautiful protege Lady Avezoete.
But the instant Lady Avezoete heard this, she slipped the black pearl into her mouth, and took the figure of a terrible she-wolf. At that sight all present were frightened out of their wits, and ran off as fast as they could scamper.
Meanwhile, Lady Avezoete uttered a long howl and jumped out through the open window leaving her lovely embroidered dress on the dusty floor.
She ran for seven days and seven nights before she came into the fair woods of Carinthia, and there she staid, in the pleasant companionship of the other animals.
Now, it happened one day that the Prince Amadeus of Carinthia was hunting alone in the same forest. Suddenly he caught sight of the wolf hiding among the shrubs. He drew his sword, but when he saw the beast come gently up to him, wagging her tail like a little dog and rubbing her sides against him, he took courage, and patted her, "Good wolf! Good wolf!" he said. "There, there! Poor beast! Poor beast!" Then he led her home, and ordered that she should be taken good care of and had her put into a garden close to the royal palace, that he might see her from the window whenever he wished.
One full moon night, when all the people of the palace were gone to bed and the Prince was left alone, he went to the window to look out at the wolf and there he beheld Lady Avezoete sitting on a rock by the edge of the pond. She had taken the pearl out of her mouth and was combing her golden tresses with her delicate white fingers. At the sight of this beauty, which was beyond the beyonds, he ran out into the garden, but Lady Avezoete who was on the watch and observed him, popped the pearl into her mouth, and was instantly changed into a wolf again.
When the Prince came down and looked about in vain for the girl whom he had seen from the window above, he was so amazed at the trick that a deep melancholy came over him, and he lay down on his bed sighing continually, "My wolf, my wolf!" His mother, Queen Hedvig, hearing him wailing thus, imagined that the wolf had done him some hurt, and gave orders that she should be killed. But the servants, fond of the tameness of the wolf took pity on her, and, instead of killing her, they led her to the wood, and told the Queen that they had put an end to her.
When this came to the ears of the Prince, he acted in a way to pass belief. Ill or well he jumped out of bed, and was going at once to make mincemeat of the servants. But when they told him the truth of the affair, he jumped on horseback, and went rambling about and seeking everywhere, until at length he found the wolf. Then he took her home again, and putting her into a stall said to her: "O candle of love, lift up the curtain of this hairy hide, and let me gaze upon the spectacle of thy beauty! Who has shut up so smooth a creature in a prison woven of hair? Who has locked up so rich a treasure in a leathern chest? Let me behold this display of graces, for nothing else can cure my sore heart."
But when he had said this and a great deal more, and still saw that all his words were thrown away, he went to his bed again, and had such a desperate fit that the doctors prognosticated badly of his case. Then his mother, who had no other joy in the world, sat down by his bedside, and said to him, "My son, whence comes all this grief? You are young, you are loved, you are great, you are rich, what then is it you want, my son? Do you not see that your illness is an illness to me? I have no other support of my old age than you. So be cheerful now, and cheer up my heart, and do not see the whole kingdom thrown into mourning, and your mother forlorn and heartbroken."
When the Prince heard these words, he said, "Nothing can console me but the sight of the wolf, therefore, if you wish to see me well again, let her be brought into this chamber and you may be sure that this pleasure will make me well in a trice."
Thereupon his mother, although she thought it ridiculous and feared that her son was not in his right mind, yet, in order to gratify him, had the wolf fetched. And when the wolf came up to the Prince's chamber she raised her paw, and felt the patient's pulse; which made the Queen cry outright, for she thought every moment that the wolf would scratch his nose. But when the Prince saw this pretty gesture it only added fuel to the fire; and if before he wasted by ounces, he now melted away by pounds and he said to the Queen, "My Lady mother, if I do not give this wolf a kiss, the breath will leave my body." Whereupon the Queen, seeing him fainting away, said, "Kiss him, kiss him, my beautiful beast! Let me not see my poor son die of longing." Then the wolf went up to the Prince, and taking him by the cheeks kissed him again and again. Meanwhile (I know not how it was) the pearl slipped out of Lady Avezoete's mouth and she remained, as bare as she was born, in the arms of the enamored Prince. He wrapped
her in his arms, pressed her to his heart and said, "I have caught you, my little rogue! You shall not escape from me again without a good reason." At these words Lady Avezoete adding the color of modesty to the picture of her natural beauty, said to him, "I am indeed in your hands. Only guard my honor, and take me where you will."
Then the Queen inquired who the beautiful maiden was, and what had brought her to this savage life. Lady Avezoete related the whole story of her misfortunes, at which the Queen, praising her as a good and virtuous girl, told her son that she was content that Lady Avezoete should be his wife. Then the Prince, who desired nothing else in life, forthwith pledged her his faith; and the mother gave them her blessing.
Yet give me leave to say, however strange it may seem, that at the end of this story the brave old Vicomte de Martell married the widowed Queen Hedvig of Carinthia and two happy marriages were celebrated with great feasting and illuminations. Indeed, Lady Avezoete never got rid of her black pearl which she put on her necklace and let it rest between her breasts.