Then the King, in order to gratify her, ordered a lake at Cordova to be filled with rose-water in place of ordinary water, and to produce mud he had this filled with sugar, powdered cinnamon and ginger, beautiful stones, amber, musk, and as many other fragrant spices and perfumes as could be procured, and in place of straws he ordered to be placed ready small sugar-canes. Now when this lake was full of such mud, as you may imagine, the King informed Romaquia that now she might take off her shoes and stockings and enjoy herself by making as many bricks as she pleased.
“THE KING ORDERED A LAKE AT CORDOVA TO BE FILLED WITH ROSE-WATER.”
Another day, taking a fancy for something not immediately procurable, she began weeping as before. The King again entreated to know the cause of her grief.
“How can I refrain from tears,” said she, “when you never do anything to please me?”
The King, seeing that so much had been done to please and gratify her caprices, and feeling now at his wits’ end, exclaimed, in Arabic, “Ehu alenahac aten,” which means, “Not even the day of the mud.” That is to say, that, although all the rest had been forgotten, she might at least have remembered the mud he had prepared to humour her.
Don Juan Manuel (d. 1347). Trans. James York.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.
THERE lived in a city a Moor who was much respected, and who had a son, the most promising youth in the world, but not being rich enough to accomplish the great deeds which he felt in his heart equal to, he was greatly troubled, having the will and not the power. Now in the same town there lived another Moor who held a higher position, and was very much richer than his father, and who had an only daughter, the very reverse in character and appearance of the young man, she being of so very violent a temper that no one could be found willing to marry such a virago. One day the young man came to his father and said, “You know that your means will not allow you to put me in a position to live honourably,” adding that, as he desired to live an easy and quiet life, he thought it better to seek to enrich himself by an advantageous marriage, or to leave that part of the country. The father told him that he would be very happy if he could succeed in such a union. On this the son proposed, if it were agreeable to his father, to seek the daughter of their neighbour in marriage. Hearing this, the father was much astonished, and asked how he could think of such a thing when he knew that no man, however poor, could be induced to marry her.
Nevertheless the son insisted, and although the father thought it a strange whim, in the end he gave his consent. The good man then visited his neighbour telling him the wish of his son.