The Facetious Nights

Facetious Nights Table of Contents

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To my knowledge, this is the first time Straparola's Le Piacevoli Notti (aka The Pleasant Nights; The Facetious Nights and The Delightful Nights) is appearing in English in full text on the web. First published in 16th century Italy, it is one of the earliest collections containing literary fairy tales.

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The Facetious Nights
by Giovanni Francesco Straparola
translated by W. G. Waters (1901)

CONSISTS OF AN EXQUISITE AND DELIGHTFUL COLLECTION OF HUMOROUS WITTYAND MIRTHFUL CONVERSATIONS FABLES AND ENIGMAS INCLUDING SINGING MUSIC AND DANCING

DURING THE THIRTEEN NIGHTS OF THE CARNIVAL AT VENICE

AS RELATED BY TEN CHARMING AND ACCOMPLISHED DAMSELS AND SEVERAL NOBLES MEN OF LEARNING ILLUSTRIOUS AND HONORABLE GENTLEMEN OF NOTE AT THE ENTERTAINMENTS OF MERRIMENT AND PLEASURE

GIVEN BY THE PRINCESS LUCRETIA AT HER BEAUTIFUL PALACE AT MURANO

Note: This edition of Straparola's tales did not use titles for individual fables. Each title accompanying a fable's number has been assigned by Heidi Anne Heiner and did not appear in the original source material.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Foreward by W. G. Waters

Proem

Night the First

First Fable:
Salardo

Second Fable:
Cassandrino the Thief

Third Fable:
The Priest Scarpafico

Fourth Fable:
Doralice

Fifth Fable:
Dimitrio the Chapman

Night the Second

Proem

First Fable:
The Pig King

Second Fable:
Filenio Sisterno

Third Fable:
Carlo da Rimini

Fourth Fable:
The Devil and Gasparino

Fifth Fable:
Simplicio di Rossi

Night the Third

Proem

First Fable:
Peter the Fool

Second Fable:
Livoretto

Third Fable:
Biancabella and the Snake

Fourth Fable:
Fortunio and the Siren

Fifth Fable:
Isotta and Travaglino

Night the Fourth

Proem

First Fable:
Costanza / Costanzo

Second Fable:
Jealous Erminione Glaucio

Third Fable:
Ancilotto, King of Provino

Fourth Fable:
Nerino and Genobbia

Fifth Fable:
Flamminio Meets Life and Death

Night the Fifth

Proem

First Fable:
Guerrino and the Savage Man

Second Fable:
Adamantina and the Doll

Third Fable:
The Three Hunchbacks

Fourth Fable:
Thia, The Wife of Cechato Rabboso

Fifth Fable:
Madonna Modesta and Her Shoes

Night the Sixth

Proem

First Fable:
Arthilao and Liberale

Second Fable:
Castorio and Sandro

Third Fable:
Polissena and Panfilio

Fourth Fable:
The Three Nuns

Fifth Fable:
Pre Zefiro and His Garden

Night the Seventh

Proem

First Fable:
Ortodosio and Isabella Simeoni

Second Fable:
Malgherita and the Hermit

Third Fable:
Cimarosta the Jester

Fourth Fable:
Hermacora and Andolfo

Fifth Fable:
The Three Brothers

Night the Eighth

Proem

First Fable:
Three Rogues: Gordino, Fentuzzo and Sennuccio

Second Fable:
Pisardo, Silverio, and Their Wives

Third Fable:
Anastasio Minuto

Fourth Fable:
Bernardo the Wine Merchant

Fifth Fable:
Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi

Sixth Fable:
A History of Two Physicians

Night the Ninth

Proem

First Fable:
King Galafro the Cuckold

Second Fable:
Rodolino and Violante

Third Fable:
Francesco Sforza

Fourth Fable:
Papiro Schizza the Fool

Fifth Fable:
The Florentines and the Bergamasques

Sixth Fable:
Tiberio and the Crucifix

Night the Tenth

Proem

First Fable:
Finetta Steals From Madonna Veronica

Second Fable:
Brancaleone the Ass

Third Fable:
Cesarino the Dragon Slayer

Fourth Fable:
Andrigetto di Val Sabbia and His Will

Fifth Fable:
Rosolino da Pavia the Criminal

Night the Eleventh

Proem

First Fable:
Costantino Fortunato

Second Fable:
Bertuccio and Tarquinia

Third Fable:
Don Pomporio the Glutton

Fourth Fable:
Sir Hector and the Buffoon

Fifth Fable:
Frate Bigoccio and Gliceria

Night the Twelfth

Proem

First Fable:
Florio and Dorotea

Second Fable:
More Knave Than Fool

Third Fable:
Federigo da Pozzuolo

Fourth Fable:
Do Our Good Works While We Live

Fifth Fable:
Pope Sixtus IV and Gierolomo

Night the Thirteenth

Proem

First Fable:
Maestro Gasparino

Second Fable:
Diego the Spaniard

Third Fable:
The Liberal German and Spaniard

Fourth Fable:
Fortunio the Servant

Fifth Fable:
Vilio Brigantello and the Robber

Sixth Fable:
Lucietta and Her Son Lucilio

Seventh Fable:
Giorgio and His Master Pandolfo

Eighth Fable:
Gasparo the Peasant

Ninth Fable:
Filomena the Hermaphrodite

Tenth Fable:
Cesare the Judge

Eleventh Fable:
The Novice's Terrifying Adventure

Twelfth Fable:
King Guglielmo and the Three Maxims of Maestro Gotfreddo

Thirteenth Fable:
Pietro Rizzato the Spendthrift

Appendix

Terminal Essay

Coming Soon...

Notes

The text came from:

Straparola, Giovanni Francesco. The Facetious Nights by Straparola. W. G. Waters, translator. Jules Garnier and E. R. Hughes, illustrators. London: Privately Printed for Members of the Society of Bibliophiles, 1901. 4 volumes.

The original Facetious Nights was published in Italy in 1550-1553.

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