The Ogre

The Ogre

There lived, once upon a time, in the land of Marigliano, a poor woman

called Masella, who had six pretty daughters, all as upright as young

fir-trees, and an only son called Antonio, who was so simple as to be

almost an idiot. Hardly a day passed without his mother saying to him,

‘What are you doing, you useless creature? If you weren’t too stupid to

look after yourself, I would order you to leave the house and never to

let me see your face again.’

Every day the youth committed some fresh piece of folly, till at last

Masella, losing all patience, gave him a good beating, which so startled

Antonio that he took to his heels and never stopped running till it was

dark and the stars were shining in the heavens. He wandered on for some

time, not knowing where to go, and at last he came to a cave, at the

mouth of which sat an ogre, uglier than anything you can conceive.

He had a huge head and wrinkled brow--eyebrows that met, squinting eyes,

a flat broad nose, and a great gash of a mouth from which two huge tusks

stuck out. His skin was hairy, his arms enormous, his legs like sword

blades, and his feet as flat as ducks’. In short, he was the most

hideous and laughable object in the world.

But Antonio, who, with all his faults, was no coward, and was moreover

a very civil-spoken lad, took off his hat, and said: ‘Good-day, sir; I

hope you are pretty well. Could you kindly tell me how far it is from

here to the place where I wish to go?’

When the ogre heard this extraordinary question he burst out laughing,

and as he liked the youth’s polite manners he said to him: ‘Will you

enter my service?’

‘What wages do you give?’ replied Antonio.

‘If you serve me faithfully,’ returned the ogre, ‘I’ll be bound you’ll

get enough wages to satisfy you.’

So the bargain was struck, and Antonio agreed to become the ogre’s

servant. He was very well treated, in every way, and he had little or

no work to do, with the result that in a few days he became as fat as a

quail, as round as a barrel, as red as a lobster, and as impudent as a

bantam-cock.

But, after two years, the lad got weary of this idle life, and longed

desperately to visit his home again. The ogre, who could see into

his heart and knew how unhappy he was, said to him one day: ‘My dear

Antonio, I know how much you long to see your mother and sisters again,

and because I love you as the apple of my eye, I am willing to allow you

to go home for a visit. Therefore, take this donkey, so that you may not

have to go on foot; but see that you never say “Bricklebrit” to him, for

if you do you’ll be sure to regret it.’

Antonio took the beast without as much as saying thank you, and jumping

on its back he rode away in great haste; but he hadn’t gone two hundred

yards when he dismounted and called out ‘Bricklebrit.’

No sooner had he pronounced the word than the donkey opened its mouth

and poured forth rubies, emeralds, diamonds and pearls, as big as

walnuts.

Antonio gazed in amazement at the sight of such wealth, and joyfully

filling a huge sack with the precious stones, he mounted the donkey

again and rode on till he came to an inn. Here he got down, and going

straight to the landlord, he said to him: ‘My good man, I must ask you

to stable this donkey for me. Be sure you give the poor beast plenty of

oats and hay, but beware of saying the word “Bricklebrit” to him, for if

you do I can promise you will regret it. Take this heavy sack, too, and

put it carefully away for me.’

The landlord, who was no fool, on receiving this strange warning, and

seeing the precious stones sparkling through the canvas of the sack, was

most anxious to see what would happen if he used the forbidden word. So

he gave Antonio an excellent dinner, with a bottle of fine old wine, and

prepared a comfortable bed for him. As soon as he saw the poor simpleton

close his eyes and had heard his lusty snores, he hurried to the stables

and said to the donkey ‘Bricklebrit,’ and the animal as usual poured out

any number of precious stones.

When the landlord saw all these treasures he longed to get possession

of so valuable an animal, and determined to steal the donkey from his

foolish guest. As soon as it was light next morning Antonio awoke, and

having rubbed his eyes and stretched himself about a hundred times he

called the landlord and said to him: ‘Come here, my friend, and produce

your bill, for short reckonings make long friends.’

When Antonio had paid his account he went to the stables and took out

his donkey, as he thought, and fastening a sack of gravel, which the

landlord had substituted for his precious stones, on the creature’s

back, he set out for his home.

No sooner had he arrived there than he called out: ‘Mother, come

quickly, and bring table-cloths and sheets with you, and spread them

out on the ground, and you will soon see what wonderful treasures I have

brought you.’

His mother hurried into the house, and opening the linen-chest where

she kept her daughters’ wedding outfits, she took out table-cloths and

sheets made of the finest linen, and spread them flat and smooth on the

ground. Antonio placed the donkey on them, and called out ‘Bricklebrit.’

But this time he met with no success, for the donkey took no more notice

of the magic word than he would have done if a lyre had been twanged in

his ear. Two, three, and four times did Antonio pronounce ‘Bricklebrit,’

but all in vain, and he might as well have spoken to the wind.

Disgusted and furious with the poor creature, he seized a thick stick

and began to beat it so hard that he nearly broke every bone in its

body. The miserable donkey was so distracted at such treatment that, far

from pouring out precious stones, it only tore and dirtied all the fine

linen.

When poor Masella saw her table-cloths and sheets being destroyed, and

that instead of becoming rich she had only been made a fool of, she

seized another stick and belaboured Antonio so unmercifully with it,

that he fled before her, and never stopped till he reached the ogre’s

cave.

When his master saw the lad returning in such a sorry plight, he

understood at once what had happened to him, and making no bones about

the matter, he told Antonio what a fool he had been to allow himself

to be so imposed upon by the landlord, and to let a worthless animal be

palmed off on him instead of his magic donkey.

Antonio listened humbly to the ogre’s words, and vowed solemnly that he

would never act so foolishly again. And so a year passed, and once more

Antonio was overcome by a fit of home-sickness, and felt a great longing

to see his own people again.

Now the ogre, although he was so hideous to look upon, had a very kind

heart, and when he saw how restless and unhappy Antonio was, he at once

gave him leave to go home on a visit. At parting he gave him a beautiful

table-cloth, and said: ‘Give this to your mother; but see that you don’t

lose it as you lost the donkey, and till you are safely in your own

house beware of saying “Table-cloth, open,” and “Table-cloth, shut.” If

you do, the misfortune be on your own head, for I have given you fair

warning.’

Antonio set out on his journey, but hardly had he got out of sight

of the cave than he laid the table-cloth on the ground and said,

‘Table-cloth, open.’ In an instant the table-cloth unfolded itself and

disclosed a whole mass of precious stones and other treasures.

When Antonio perceived this he said, ‘Table-cloth, shut,’ and continued

his journey. He came to the same inn again, and calling the landlord to

him, he told him to put the table-cloth carefully away, and whatever he

did not to say ‘Table-cloth, open,’ or ‘Table-cloth, shut,’ to it.

The landlord, who was a regular rogue, answered, ‘Just leave it to me, I

will look after it as if it were my own.’

After he had given Antonio plenty to eat and drink, and had provided him

with a comfortable bed, he went straight to the table-cloth and said,

‘Table-cloth, open.’ It opened at once, and displayed such costly

treasures that the landlord made up his mind on the spot to steal it.

When Antonio awoke next morning, the host handed him over a table-cloth

exactly like his own, and carrying it carefully over his arm, the

foolish youth went straight to his mother’s house, and said: ‘Now we

shall be rich beyond the dreams of avarice, and need never go about in

rags again, or lack the best of food.’

With these words he spread the table-cloth on the ground and said,

‘Table-cloth, open.’

But he might repeat the injunction as often as he pleased, it was only

waste of breath, for nothing happened. When Antonio saw this he turned

to his mother and said: ‘That old scoundrel of a landlord has done me

once more; but he will live to repent it, for if I ever enter his inn

again, I will make him suffer for the loss of my donkey and the other

treasures he has robbed me of.’

Masella was in such a rage over her fresh disappointment that she could

not restrain her impatience, and, turning on Antonio, she abused him

soundly, and told him to get out of her sight at once, for she would

never acknowledge him as a son of hers again. The poor boy was very

depressed by her words, and slunk back to his master like a dog with his

tail between his legs. When the ogre saw him, he guessed at once what

had happened. He gave Antonio a good scolding, and said, ‘I don’t know

what prevents me smashing your head in, you useless ne’er-do-well! You

blurt everything out, and your long tongue never ceases wagging for

a moment. If you had remained silent in the inn this misfortune would

never have overtaken you, so you have only yourself to blame for your

present suffering.’

Antonio listened to his master’s words in silence, looking for all

the world like a whipped dog. When he had been three more years in the

ogre’s service he had another bad fit of home-sickness, and longed very

much to see his mother and sisters again.

So he asked for permission to go home on a visit, and it was at once

granted to him. Before he set out on his journey the ogre presented

him with a beautifully carved stick and said, ‘Take this stick as a

remembrance of me; but beware of saying, “Rise up, Stick,” and “Lie

down, Stick,” for if you do, I can only say I wouldn’t be in your shoes

for something.’

Antonio took the stick and said, ‘Don’t be in the least alarmed, I’m not

such a fool as you think, and know better than most people what two and

two make.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ replied the ogre, ‘but words are women, deeds are

men. You have heard what I said, and forewarned is forearmed.’

This time Antonio thanked his master warmly for all his kindness, and

started on his homeward journey in great spirits; but he had not gone

half a mile when he said ‘Rise up, Stick.’

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stick rose and began to

rain down blows on poor Antonio’s back with such lightning-like rapidity

that he had hardly strength to call out, ‘Lie down, Stick;’ but as soon

as he uttered the words the stick lay down, and ceased beating his back

black and blue.

Although he had learnt a lesson at some cost to himself, Antonio was

full of joy, for he saw a way now of revenging himself on the wicked

landlord. Once more he arrived at the inn, and was received in the

most friendly and hospitable manner by his host. Antonio greeted him

cordially, and said: ‘My friend, will you kindly take care of this stick

for me? But, whatever you do, don’t say “Rise up, Stick.” If you do, you

will be sorry for it, and you needn’t expect any sympathy from me.’

The landlord, thinking he was coming in for a third piece of good

fortune, gave Antonio an excellent supper; and after he had seen him

comfortably to bed, he ran to the stick, and calling to his wife to

come and see the fun, he lost no time in pronouncing the words ‘Rise up,

Stick.’

The moment he spoke the stick jumped up and beat the landlord so

unmercifully that he and his wife ran screaming to Antonio, and, waking

him up, pleaded for mercy.

When Antonio saw how successful his trick had been, he said: ‘I refuse

to help you, unless you give me all that you have stolen from me,

otherwise you will be beaten to death.’

The landlord, who felt himself at death’s door already, cried out: ‘Take

back your property, only release me from this terrible stick;’ and with

these words he ordered the donkey, the table-cloth, and other treasures

to be restored to their rightful owner.

As soon as Antonio had recovered his belongings he said ‘Stick, lie

down,’ and it stopped beating the landlord at once.

Then he took his donkey and table-cloth and arrived safely at his home

with them. This time the magic words had the desired effect, and the

donkey and table-cloth provided the family with treasures untold.

Antonio very soon married off his sister, made his mother rich for life,

and they all lived happily for ever after.

[From the Italian, Kletke.]