The Foolish Youth and the Ring
Once upon a time there was an old woman with one son who was a fool. The mother was very poor and spun yarn for a living. One day her son said, “Mother, I am going out now to sell the yarn.” “All right, my son, see that you sell it quickly and bring back […]
The Princess of China
Once upon a time there were a king and a queen who had one son. One day the youth went hunting with the son of the Grand Vizier. In the course of the hunt, they killed a magpie and a drop of its blood fell onto the snow which had fallen heavily that winter. At […]
The Jealous Sisters
Once upon a time there were three sisters, the youngest of whom was prettier than the other two. Her name was Fatima. One day the sisters asked the sun, “Dear sun, which of us is the prettiest?” “Fatima,” the sun replied. The next day, the two sisters rubbed dirt into Fatima’s face and asked the sun […]
The Grateful Snake and the Magic Case
Once upon a time there was a poor man who had one son. One day the son found a snake almost frozen to death and took it home with him. When the little snake had recovered in the warmth of the house, it said to the boy, “I cannot repay you for what you have […]
The Maiden who was Promised to the Sun
Once upon a time there was a queen who had no children. She prayed to the sun and begged it to give her at least a daughter. She promised that when the child turned twelve, she would give it to the sun. Soon after this, the queen gave birth to a girl. One morning, as […]
The Snake Child
Once upon a time there was a king who had no children. But he employed a vizier who had three daughters. The wives of the two men were the best of friends. One day, they went into the garden to spend the day there and while they were eating and drinking together, the queen said […]
The Silver Tooth
Once upon a time, there was a prince who had three daughters of marriageable age. At that time there was a war between the king and another ruler. The king mustered his army and sent word to the father of the girls to join him and then set off for war. When the prince received […]
For the Love of a Dove
Once upon a time, there was a king who had only one daughter. She did nothing all day but knit. She had no female friends and never left the house. All she did was sit in her room and work. Her mother often said to her: “Listen, my child, why don’t you get married? We […]
Marigo of the Forty Dragons
Once upon a time there was king and a queen who had only one daughter, a girl who was the fairest child in the whole land. Every morning her mother washed her, combed her hair, dressed her in fine clothes, and when she was ready, sent her off to school. The teacher washed and adorned […]
Mario BELLIZZI
Biography Poetry Mario BELLIZZI Mario Bellizzi (b. 1957), a poet of the Albanian-speaking Arbëresh minority of southern Italy, was born in San Basile in the province of Cosenza. His verse has appeared in various Arbëresh periodicals in southern Italy, as well as in Kosova and Albania. Bellizzi currently lives in Trebisacce on the Gulf […]