Flea and Goat Face

The Flea
Introduction

  • The story warns about hasty, thoughtless actions leading to irreversible consequences.

  • States the principle: "Resolutions taken without thought bring disasters without remedy."

  • The narrative focuses on the folly of the King of High-Hill and the consequences of his actions.

Themes

  • Hasty Decisions and Irreversible Consequences: The central theme, highlighted by the king's impulsive decision to keep and then skin the flea, leading to a disastrous promise.

  • Folly of Rigid Adherence to Promises: The king's insistence on marrying his daughter to the ogre, despite his monstrous nature, showcases the danger of blindly honoring foolish vows.

  • Resilience and Resourcefulness: Porziella's determination to escape and the ingenuity of the old woman's seven sons in using their unique abilities to overcome obstacles.

  • Justice and Redemption: The ultimate defeat of the ogre and Porziella's safe return represent a form of justice for the king's initial folly and her suffering.

The King’s Folly

  • The king, after being bitten by a flea, captures it due to its beauty rather than killing it.

  • Instead of squashing the flea, he feeds it with his own blood and it grows extraordinarily large.

  • After seven months, the flea grows bigger than a sheep, prompting the king to flay it and proclaim that whoever identifies its original species can marry his daughter.

The Proclamation

  • The king’s announcement attracts numerous contenders from far and wide, including various animals like apes, lynxes, and crocodiles.

  • None guess correctly until an ogre, the ugliest creature imaginable, identifies the skin as belonging to a flea.

The Ogre’s Appearance

  • The ogre's frightful visage terrifies the onlookers, marking him as an unlikely suitor for the beautiful princess.

  • Despite his appearance, the king honors his promise to give his daughter, Porziella, to the ogre.

Porziella’s Dilemma

  • Porziella reacts with despair upon hearing of her fate; she expresses emotional turmoil and reasons with her father about her unworthiness for such a life.

  • She draws emotional parallels comparing her situation to animals hunted by predators, lamenting over her father's decision to let her become the ogre's bride.

The King’s Response

  • The king chastises Porziella for her rebellion and insists on following through with the marriage, showcasing his rigid adherence to royal promises.

  • Porziella is ultimately resigned to her fate as the ogre takes her away to his home in a foreboding forest.

Life with the Ogre

  • Porziella describes her grim and bizarre life with the ogre, filled with horrors including human remains.

  • The ogre, planning a boar feast for their wedding, demonstrates a grotesque sense of domesticity mixed with barbarism.

Escape Plan

  • An old woman approaches Porziella, offering help. She reveals her seven sons, each with unique magical abilities, who can assist her in escaping.

  • They formulate a plan to rescue Porziella while the ogre is hunting the next day.

The Children’s Abilities

  • Each son has remarkable powers:

    • Mase: hears events over a vast distance.

    • Nardo: creates soap suds when he spits, creating barriers.

    • Cola: creates a field of razors when throwing iron.

    • Micco: creates dense woods.

    • Petrullo: conjures rivers with water.

    • Ascaddeo: builds towers.

    • Ceccone: a marksman with his crossbow.

The Chase

  • Porziella and the seven sons set off and the ogre gives chase after realizing Porziella is gone.

  • The sons use their powers to hinder the ogre’s pursuit, creating obstacles along the way that he must overcome.

    • Soap suds, razor fields, and a tangled forest delay the ogre.

    • The sons band together and create a tower to take refuge, gaining safety as they reach higher ground.

The Final Confrontation

  • The ogre attempts to follow but is finally thwarted by Ceccone who, using his marksmanship, defeats the ogre by shooting out one eye.

  • The ogre eventually falls, leading to his demise, allowing Porziella’s freedom.

The King’s Regret

  • The king, upon realizing the ogre’s defeat, celebrates Porziella's return and recognizes his past foolishness in condemning her.

  • The king finds a worthy husband for Porziella, compensating her rescuers abundantly.

The Goat-Face
The Theme of Ingratitude

  • Explores the idea that ingratitude is the worst human vice—without excuse or justification.

  • Ingratitude leads to severe personal consequences and affects the ability to receive kindness.

The Peasant’s Troubles

  • A peasant named Masaniello has twelve daughters and struggles to provide for them through labor.

  • He encounters a gigantic green lizard which he fears may harm him.

The Lizard’s Offer

  • The lizard reassures Masaniello and desires to adopt his youngest daughter, promising to care for her.

  • Masaniello weighs the potential dangers and benefits of this deal, feeling torn between love for his daughter and fear of loss.

Renzolla’s Fortune

  • The lizard, upon receiving the daughter, rewards Masaniello with money to support his family.

  • Renzolla grows up in opulence, her life transformed under the lizard's care.

The King’s Visit

  • The king accidentally discovers Renzolla’s magnificent palace and is enchanted by her beauty during a hunting expedition.

The Fairy and the Transformation

  • After marrying Renzolla, who becomes ungrateful for her good fortune, the Fairy curses her, turning her into a goat-faced creature.

  • The king, horrified, abandons Renzolla, causing her to realize the weight of her ingratitude.

Renzolla’s Realization

  • Guided by an old man, Renzolla seeks to mend her relationship with the Fairy, who eventually forgives her and restores her original beauty.

  • The tale concludes with Renzolla learning the value of gratitude, love, and respect in her royal life with the king.