Cannetella facts for kids

Cannetella is a classic fairy tale from Naples, a city in Italy. It was first written down by Giambattista Basile in his famous book, Pentamerone, way back in 1634. This story is also found in other collections, like The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and A Book of Wizards by Ruth Manning-Sanders. It's a tale about a princess, a magical enemy, and a daring escape.

The Story of Cannetella

A King's Wish and a Princess's Choice

Once upon a time, a king really wished to have a child. His wish came true, and he had a beautiful daughter named Cannetella. As she grew up, her father wanted her to get married. Cannetella wasn't very keen on the idea at first. She finally agreed, but only if her husband was truly unique and unlike anyone else in the world.

The king brought many princes and noblemen to meet her. But Cannetella found something wrong with every single one of them. Her father started to think she didn't want to marry at all! To make her choice clear, Cannetella finally said she would only marry a man who had both golden hair and golden teeth.

Fioravante's Deception

Nearby lived Fioravante, a powerful magician and a big enemy of Cannetella's father. When he heard about the princess's strange request, he used his magic. Fioravante transformed himself into a man with shining golden hair and golden teeth. The king, not knowing it was his enemy in disguise, was happy and agreed to their marriage.

However, Fioravante had a strange condition. He insisted on taking the princess away without any servants or luggage. Once they were far from the castle, he took her to a stable. There, he left her with strict rules: she must not leave the stable or be seen by anyone. She was also only allowed to eat the leftover food from the horses.

A Forbidden Treat

One day, Cannetella looked through a small hole in the stable wall. She saw a beautiful garden filled with delicious lemons, bright flowers, sweet citrons, and juicy grapevines. She really wanted a bunch of grapes! She couldn't resist and quietly took some.

When Fioravante returned, the horses told him what Cannetella had done. He was furious and threatened her. Cannetella quickly begged for her life. Fioravante decided not to harm her, but he made her promise to follow the same strict rules. Then, he left again.

Cannetella's Escape

Later, a royal locksmith happened to pass by the stable. Cannetella called out to him. She managed to convince him that she was truly the princess, even though her time in the stable had changed her appearance. The kind locksmith helped her escape and secretly brought her back to her father's castle.

Fioravante soon realized Cannetella was gone and came looking for her. He found an old woman and bribed her to help him. The old woman managed to get into the castle to see the princess. Cannetella saw Fioravante and knew she was in danger. She asked her father to build her a special room with seven strong iron doors for protection.

The Final Confrontation

Fioravante went back to the old woman. He told her to go to the castle again, pretending to sell makeup. Her real task was to secretly slip a magical piece of paper into the princess's bed. This paper was enchanted to make everyone else in the castle fall asleep.

The old woman did as she was told, and soon, everyone in the castle fell into a deep sleep. Fioravante then burst through all seven iron doors to reach the princess. He picked her up, bedclothes and all, planning to carry her away. But as he did, the magical paper fell from the bed. Instantly, everyone in the castle woke up! They quickly surrounded Fioravante and captured him, ending his wicked plans.