The Story of Bensurdatu
Encyclopedia
The Story of Bensurdatu is an Italian fairy tale
collected by Laura Gonzenbach
in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang
included it in The Grey Fairy Book.
daughters, and did everything to make them happy. One day, the princesses asked to go on a picnic, and so they did. When they were done eating, the princesses wandered about the garden, but when they stepped across a fence, a dark cloud enveloped them. After a time, the King and Queen called for them, and then searched for them when the girls did not answer their calls. The king proclaimed that whoever brought the princesses back could marry one, and would become the next king. Two generals set out in search, but having spent all their money without finding the princesses, were forced to work as servants to repay an innkeeper for the food and drink he had given them.
A royal servant, Bensurdatu, set out, despite the king's unwillingness to lose a faithful servant as well as his daughters and his generals. He found the inn with the generals and paid their debt. The three of them traveled together. In the wilderness, they found a house and begged for a place to stay for the night. The old woman there told them that the king's daughters were taken by a thick cloud, and that two were the prisoners of giants
and the third
of a serpent with seven heads, all at the bottom of a river. The generals wanted to return home to the King, but Bensurdatu was firm.
They went on until they reached the river. The older general insisted on going first, because he was the oldest. They lowered him on a rope, and gave him a bell to ring when he wanted to be pulled back up; he quickly lost his courage and rang it. The second general fared the same. Then they lowered Bensurdatu. He came to a hall where a giant slept, and the princess stood before him. The princess had him hide, and told the giant that he did not smell a man when he stirred from his sleep. She then had Bensurdatu cut off the giant's head. The princess gave Bensurdatu a golden crown. She showed him the door to the next giant, where he killed him as he had killed the first, and the second princess also gave him a golden crown. He went on to the seven-headed serpent; he had to kill it while it was awake, but he took off its heads.
Had them lifted up. The youngest wanted Bensurdatu to go before her, fearing the generals' treachery, but he refused; she pledged that she would marry no one else. Then the generals did not lower the rope for him and threatened the princesses, to make them say that they had rescued them. Believing the lie, the king agreed to marry the two oldest to the generals.
One morning, Bensurdatu noticed a purse. When he took it down, it asked him what demands he had for his rescue. He had it bring him to the surface and give him a ship. He sailed to the king's city. The king wanted to marry him to his youngest daughter, but she refused. He asked if she would say the same if he were Bensurdatu. She said nothing, and he told his story. The king exiled the generals and married Bensurdatu to his youngest daughter.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Laura Gonzenbach
Laura Gonzenbach
Laura Gonzenbach was a Swiss folklorist, active in Messina, who collected fairy tales in a number of European dialects.Gonzenbach was born in a Swiss-German community of Sicily, to a German speaking mercantile family, her sister, Magdelena, began a school in Messina...
in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Grey Fairy Book.
Synopsis
A king and queen had threeRule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
daughters, and did everything to make them happy. One day, the princesses asked to go on a picnic, and so they did. When they were done eating, the princesses wandered about the garden, but when they stepped across a fence, a dark cloud enveloped them. After a time, the King and Queen called for them, and then searched for them when the girls did not answer their calls. The king proclaimed that whoever brought the princesses back could marry one, and would become the next king. Two generals set out in search, but having spent all their money without finding the princesses, were forced to work as servants to repay an innkeeper for the food and drink he had given them.
A royal servant, Bensurdatu, set out, despite the king's unwillingness to lose a faithful servant as well as his daughters and his generals. He found the inn with the generals and paid their debt. The three of them traveled together. In the wilderness, they found a house and begged for a place to stay for the night. The old woman there told them that the king's daughters were taken by a thick cloud, and that two were the prisoners of giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
and the third
Princess and dragon
Princess and dragon is a generic premise common to many legends and fairy tales. It is not a fairy tale itself, but along with Prince Charming, is a repeated cliché...
of a serpent with seven heads, all at the bottom of a river. The generals wanted to return home to the King, but Bensurdatu was firm.
They went on until they reached the river. The older general insisted on going first, because he was the oldest. They lowered him on a rope, and gave him a bell to ring when he wanted to be pulled back up; he quickly lost his courage and rang it. The second general fared the same. Then they lowered Bensurdatu. He came to a hall where a giant slept, and the princess stood before him. The princess had him hide, and told the giant that he did not smell a man when he stirred from his sleep. She then had Bensurdatu cut off the giant's head. The princess gave Bensurdatu a golden crown. She showed him the door to the next giant, where he killed him as he had killed the first, and the second princess also gave him a golden crown. He went on to the seven-headed serpent; he had to kill it while it was awake, but he took off its heads.
Had them lifted up. The youngest wanted Bensurdatu to go before her, fearing the generals' treachery, but he refused; she pledged that she would marry no one else. Then the generals did not lower the rope for him and threatened the princesses, to make them say that they had rescued them. Believing the lie, the king agreed to marry the two oldest to the generals.
One morning, Bensurdatu noticed a purse. When he took it down, it asked him what demands he had for his rescue. He had it bring him to the surface and give him a ship. He sailed to the king's city. The king wanted to marry him to his youngest daughter, but she refused. He asked if she would say the same if he were Bensurdatu. She said nothing, and he told his story. The king exiled the generals and married Bensurdatu to his youngest daughter.
See also
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- Prâslea the Brave and the Golden ApplesPrâslea the Brave and the Golden ApplesPrâslea the Brave and the Golden Apples is a Romanian fairy tale collected by Petre Ispirescu in Legende sau basmele românilor.-Synopsis:...
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- The Dark Cloud of Debt