Straparola, Giovanni Francesco. “The Fourth Fable: Tebaldo, Prince of Salerno…” The Nights of Straparola, translated by W.G. Waters and illustrated by F. R. Hughes, London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894, volume 1, pp. 35-44.

Tale Summary

The widowed Prince Tebaldo promised his late wife he would only remarry a woman who could wear her ring. Upon discovering this woman was his daughter, he made plans to wed her. The daughter consulted her nurse who helped her escape by hiding her in a chest with a magic liquor that would keep her alive. The prince had the chest sold to a merchant who then sold it to the King of England. The princess spent every day in the King’s palace perfecting his quarters while he was away, and one day the King pretended to leave so he could discover who was the person doing this kind task. He found the princess at work and planned to marry her right away, then they had two children together. Tebaldo, still furious with the princess’s escape, set off to find her and exact his revenge. He made his way to the King’s palace in England and used disguises to convince his daughter, who did not recognize him, to allow him to sleep in a room with her children. After she agreed, Tebaldo stole her knife to kill the children and then planted the bloody knife back on her so she would be accused of the murder. The King had her buried up to her head as to torture her to death, but when Tebaldo went home he explained the situation to the princess’s nurse who then rode to England to set the story straight. The King believed her and had Tebaldo executed, then they all live happily together for many years.