Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/134

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
110
THE PENTAMERONE.

heed to the advice of his father-in-law; and as soon as the Sun with the broom of his rays had cleared away the soot of the Night, he set out for the chase; and on his way he came to a wood, where, beneath the awning of the leaves, the Shades had assembled to maintain their sway, and to make a conspiracy against the Sun. The ogre, seeing him coming, turned himself into a handsome doe, which as soon as Canneloro perceived he began to give chase to her; then the doe doubled and turned, and led him about hither and thither at such a rate, that at last she brought him into the very heart of the wood, where she made such a tremendous snow-storm arise that it looked as if the sky was going to fall. Canneloro, finding himself in front of the ogre's cave, went into it to seek shelter, and being benumbed with the cold, he took some sticks which he found within it, and pulling his steel out of his pocket he kindled a large fire. As he was standing by it to dry his clothes, the doe came to the mouth of the cave and said, "Sir knight, pray give me leave to warm myself a little while, for I am shivering with the cold." Canneloro, who was of a kind disposition, said to her, "Draw near, and welcome." "I would gladly," replied the doe, "but that I am afraid you would kill me." "Fear nothing," answered Canneloro; "come, trust to my word." "If you wish me to enter,"