A good deed is never lost. He who sows courtesy reaps benefit; and he who gathers kindness gathers love. Pleasure bestowed on a grateful mind was never barren, but always brings a good recompense; and that is the moral of the story I am going to tell you. Once upon a time a woman who…
Tag: Giambattista Basile
THE MYRTLE (Stories from Pentamerone, 1637) by Giambattista Basile
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…
PARSLEY aka Petrosinella (Stories from Pentamerone, 1637) by Giambattista Basile
We all know the story of Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm? If your answer is no, you should immediately read it here. However, it is more likely that you know Rapunzel. But do you also know Petrosinella (or Parsley)? It’s said to be the original version of Rapunzel written by Italian Giambattista Basile. Jacob and Wilhelm…
Sun, Moon and Talia (Stories from Pentamerone, 1637) by Giambattista Basile (includes Audio)
Lately I was having a conversation about how much more cruel, violent and – from our modern point of view – sexually inapropriate some original version of fairy tales were before they got edited. There is a dated, yet interessting article on the issue published on The Guardian called “Grimm brothers’ fairytales have blood and…