Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/434

The Monaciello, or little monk, occurs frequently in these tales; he is a kind of little lucubo. "The people of Naples," says Mr. Keightley, "describe him as a short, thick kind of little man, dressed in the long garments of a monk, with a broad-brimmed hat. He appears to people in the dead of night, and beckons to them to follow him. If they have courage to do so, he leads them to some place where treasure is concealed."

Another frolicksome little Neapolitan sprite is the Mazzamauriello, of whose peculiar features I am ignorant.

The Maga answers to our Sorceress; she is also called a Fata, as in the story of the Dragon. A belief in Mermaids, or Syrens, prevailed in modern Italy; we have an instance of it in the Story of 'The Two Cakes.'

 

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Lucia Canazza. Page 2.—A kind of country-dance or Catubba, in which the man says to his partner, "Lucia, Lucia Canazza!" (Lucia, you rogue!). The poet Sgruttendio, in his "Tiorba e Taccone." describes this dance as follows:—

"O Lucia, all Lucia
Lucia, Lucia mia,
Stiennete, accostate, nzcccate ccà;
Vide sto core ca ride, e ca sguazza;
Anza sso pede, ca zompo, canazza;
Cucurucii,
Zompa mo bu;
Vecco ca sauto, ca giro, ca zompo;
Nnante, che zompo,
Zompa Lucia, ch’ addanzo io dacck;
Tubba catubba, e nonia nià."

"O Lucia, ah Lucia!
O Lucia, Lucia mine!
Stretch yourself, stretch yourself, come here.
See how I laugh and shout with joy;
Lift your feet, you rogue, like me;
Cucurucu
Jump and spring;
See, I leap, I turn, I jump;
Forward I spring,
Spring, spring, Lucia, I dance now there,
Tubba, Catubba, and nania na."

 

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Second Day. Page 115.—The following is the list of games mentioned here:—Anca Nicola—Rota de li cauce—Guarda mogliere—Covalera—Compagno mio ferutosò—Banno e commannamiento—Ben venga lo Masto—Rentinola mia Rentinola—Sareta la Botta—Ssauta parmo—Preta'uzino—Pesce marino—Agnelo-