stories from pentamerone-第46节

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his　bitter　pill；　intending　to　take　a　good　revenge　in　proper　time　and　place。　But　Taddeo；　who　had　grown　quite　fond　of　the　amusement；　made　a　sign　to　Zoza　to　relate　her　story；　and；　after　making　her　curtsey；　she　began

〃Truth；　my　Lord　Prince；　has　always　been　the　mother　of　hatred；　and　I　would　not　wish；　therefore；　by　obeying　your　commands；　to　offend　any　one　of　those　about　me。　But　as　I　am　not　accustomed　to　weave　fictions　or　to　invent　stories；　I　am　constrained；　both　by　nature　and　habit；　to　speak　the　truth；　and；　although　the　proverb　says；　Tell　truth　and　fear　nothing；　yet　knowing　well　that　truth　is　not　welcome　in　the　presence　of　princes；　I　tremble　lest　I　say　anything　that　may　offend　you。〃

〃Say　all　you　wish；〃　replied　Taddeo；　〃for　nothing　but　what　is　sweet　can　come　from　those　pretty　lips。〃

These　words　were　stabs　to　the　heart　of　the　Slave；　as　all　would　have　seen　plainly　if　black　faces　were；　as　white　ones；　the　book　of　the　soul。　And　she　would　have　given　a　finger　of　her　hand　to　have　been　rid　of　these　stories；　for　all　before　her　eyes　had　grown　blacker　even　than　her　face。　She　feared　that　the　last　story　was　only　the　　fore…runner　of　mischief　to　follow；　and　from　a　cloudy　morning　she　foretold　a　bad　day。　But　Zoza；　meanwhile；　began　to　enchant　all　around　her　with　the　sweetness　of　her　words；　relating　her　sorrows　from　first　to　last；　and　beginning　with　her　natural　melancholy；　the　unhappy　augury　of　all　she　had　to　suffer。　Then　she　went　on　to　tell　of　the　old　woman's　curse；　her　painful　wanderings；　her　arrival　at　the　fountain；　her　bitter　weeping；　and　the　treacherous　sleep　which　had　been　the　cause　of　her　ruin。

The　Slave；　hearing　Zoza　tell　the　story　in　all　its　breadth　and　length；　and　seeing　the　boat　go　out　of　its　course；　exclaimed；　〃Be　quiet　and　hold　your　tongue！　or　I　will　not　answer　for　the　consequences。〃　But　Taddeo；　who　had　discovered　how　matters　stood；　could　no　longer　contain　himself；　so；　stripping　off　the　mask　and　throwing　the　saddle　on　the　ground；　he　exclaimed；　〃Let　her　tell　her　story　to　the　end；　and　have　done　with　this　nonsense。　I　have　been　made　a　fool　of　for　long　enough；　and；　if　what　I　suspect　is　true；　it　were　better　that　you　had　never　been　born。〃　Then　he　commanded　Zoza　to　continue　her　story　in　spite　of　his　wife；　and　Zoza；　who　only　waited　for　the　sign；　went　on　to　tell　how　the　Slave　had　found　the　pitcher　and　had　treacherously　robbed　her　of　her　good　fortune。　And；　thereupon；　she　fell　to　weeping　in　such　a　manner；　that　every　person　present　was　affected　at　the　sight。

Taddeo；　who；　from　Zoza's　tears　and　the　Slave's　silence；　discerned　the　truth　of　the　matter；　gave　Lucia　a　rare　scolding；　and　made　her　confess　her　treachery　with　her　own　lips。　Then　he　gave　instant　orders　that　she　should　be　buried　alive　up　to　her　neck；　that　she　might　die　a　more　painful　death。　And；　embracing　Zoza；　he　caused　her　to　be　treated　with　all　honour　as　his　Princess　and　wife；　sending　to　invite　the　King　of　Wood…Valley　to　come　to　the　feast。

With　these　fresh　nuptials　terminated　the　greatness　of　the　Slave　and　the　amusement　of　these　stories。　And　much　good　may　they　do　you；　and　promote　your　health！　And　may　you　lay　them　down　as　unwillingly　as　I　do；　taking　my　leave　with　regret　at　my　heels　and　a　good　spoonful　of　honey　in　my　mouth。





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