The Three Fairies by Giambattista Basile

The Three Fairies 

by Giambattista Basile

Giambattista Basile was an Italian poet and fairy tale collector.  The term “collector” is key - the tales did not originate with him.  According to Basile, his tales were based on those told by common townswomen.   In 1634, his collection was published posthumously by his sister as “Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattenemiento de peccerille” (“The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones"), also known as Il Pentamerone.  It is believed to be the first national collection of fairy tales and includes many of the oldest known variants of tales in existence. 

Giambattista Basile

Basile's version of the tale is entitled “The Three Fairies” and readers are introduced to the lovely and kind Cicella who is tormented by her evil stepmother, Caradonia, and ugly stepsister, Grannizia. One day, Cicella accidentally drops her basket over a cliff. Peering down she sees a hideous ogre and politely asks if he will help her. He tells her that if she climbs down, she will be able to retrieve her basket. Instead she finds three beautiful fairies at the bottom of the cliff. She is, of course, kind and polite. She combs their hair and claims to find pearls and rubies (among the lice). They whisk her away to their castle and show her all their treasures which she admires but does not covet. Finally, they show her beautiful dresses and ask her to choose one. Cicella chooses a sensible, plain dress. When it is time for her to leave, the fairies ask how she wants to depart.  Cicella responds that the stable door was good enough for her. The fairies, impressed with her kindness and humility, give her splendid gowns, dress her hair, and place a golden star on her forehead.

Grannizia has the same experience but is rude, complaining of the lice in the hair of the fairies. When given a choice of dresses, she grabs the fanciest dress. The fairies do not give it to her; instead she is kicked out of the stable door, where a donkey's tail (or testicles, depending on the translation) is attached to her forehead! Her mother is furious but blames Cicella. She takes Cicella’s lovely dresses and gives them to Grannizia, and sends Cicella to tend the pigs. There, a nobleman, Cuosemo, sees her and asks the stepmother if he can marry her. Caradonia tries to murder Cicella and marry Caradonia to the nobleman but her plan backfires and she murders her own daughter instead.  When she discovers her mistake, she drowns herself in the well. 

There are various translations of this tale.  Sometimes it is called “The Three Fairies” and sometimes “The Three Sisters”.  Not speaking Italian, it is difficult to determine which is the truest translation but Basile’s moral of the story is the same - "No evil ever went without punishment."