Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/131

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THE ENCHANTED DOE
107

and gave him an ugly wound. She was just going to repeat the blow, when her son Fonzo came in; so pretending that she was only come to see how he was, after giving him a few trifling caresses she went away.

Canneloro, pulling his hat down on his forehead, said nothing of his wound to Fonzo, but stood quite quiet, though he was burning with the pain. And as soon as they had done making balls, he requested leave of the prince to go out. Fonzo, all in amazement at this new resolution, asked him the reason; but he replied, "Enquire no more, my dear Fonzo; let it suffice that I am obliged to go away, and Heaven knows that in parting with you, who are my heart, the soul is ready to leave my bosom, the breath to depart from my body, and the blood to run out of my veins; but since it cannot be otherwise, farewell, and keep me in remembrance!"

Then, after embracing one another and shedding many tears, Canneloro went to his own room, where taking a suit of armour and a sword (which had been brought forth by another weapon at the time when the dragon's heart was drest), he armed himself from top to toe; and having taken a horse out of the stable, he was just putting his foot into the stirrup when Fonzo came weeping and said, that since he was resolved to abandon him, he should at least leave him, some token of his