The Young Slave facts for kids
The Young Slave is an old Italian fairy tale. It was written by Giambattista Basile in 1634 and is part of his famous book, the Pentamerone.
This story is a type of fairy tale known as Aarne-Thompson type 709, which is also called Snow White. Other stories like it include Bella Venezia and Myrsina. This tale takes place in Italy and is often thought to be one of the first "Snow White" type stories ever written.
Contents
What is The Young Slave story about?
The story begins with a group of girls playing a game. They were trying to jump over a rose bush without touching it. Lilla, who was the sister of a powerful baron, was the last to try. She almost made it, but she accidentally knocked off one rose petal. Even though she lost, she swallowed the petal and said she had won.
That night, something magical happened: Lilla became pregnant. She was confused because she was a virgin. She told her fairy friends what happened. The fairies explained that the rose petal itself had made her pregnant. Later, Lilla gave birth to a baby girl and named her Lisa.
The Magical Curse on Lisa
The fairies gave Lilla gifts to celebrate Lisa's birth. But one fairy accidentally twisted her ankle. Because of this, she accidentally put a curse on Lisa. The curse said that Lisa would die when she was seven years old. The cause of death would be Lilla herself combing Lisa's hair. Lilla would forget the comb in Lisa's hair, and it would become poisonous, killing her.
When Lisa turned seven, the sad curse came true. Lilla became very ill with grief. The heartbroken mother placed her daughter in seven crystal coffins. She hid them in a secret room. Before Lilla died, she gave her brother the key to the room. She made him promise never to open it.
Lisa's Uncle and His Jealous Wife
Lisa's uncle kept his promise. He later got married. He often went hunting. One day, while he was away, his wife found the key. She opened the secret room and discovered the crystal casket. Inside, Lisa had continued to grow. She was now a beautiful young girl, and the casket had grown with her.
The baroness became very jealous of Lisa's beauty. She pulled Lisa out of the casket by her hair. This action knocked out the poisonous comb, and Lisa came back to life! The baroness then cut Lisa's beautiful hair. She dressed her in old rags and beat her every day until her husband returned.
When Lisa's uncle came home, he did not recognize her. His wife took advantage of this. She lied and said that her aunt had sent the girl to be their slave. She told him that Lisa was not to be loved. The baroness forced Lisa to do all the work around the house and continued to treat her badly.
The Magical Doll and Discovery
One day, the baron went to a fair. He asked everyone what they wanted him to bring back. He even asked Lisa. His wife became very angry and jealous. She said Lisa was not important enough to be asked. Lisa then asked for a doll, a knife, and a pumice-stone. She also put a curse on her uncle. She said he would not be able to cross the river to return home if he forgot her items.
The baron did forget Lisa's requests. But when the river swelled up, it reminded him of her curse. He went back to buy the items for her. Lisa took them to the kitchen. She began to tell her life story to the doll. Amazingly, the doll replied to her!
By chance, the baron heard Lisa talking to the doll one night. He recognized the story of the rose bush. He quickly broke down the door. He asked Lisa to tell the story again. As she did, he instantly knew that she was his niece. He hugged her tightly and sent her away from the cruel home. She went to live with one of his relatives, where she could get better.
A Happy Ending for Lisa
In a few months, Lisa had regained her amazing beauty. She was invited back to the baron's home. The baron planned a big party for everyone in the kingdom. When the meal was finished, he asked Lisa to tell everyone the terrible things his wife had done to her.
The people at the party were shocked and sad. They became very angry at the baroness. Finally, the baron banished his wife from his land and from their lives forever. He then found a kind and handsome husband for his niece, one she chose herself. And they all lived happily ever after.
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