The Enchanted Doe: A Tale of Friendship, Loyalty, and Courage

Long ago, in the kingdom of Long-Trellis, there lived a king named Giannone who desperately wished for a child. Little did he know that an enchanted doe and a dangerous encounter in a distant forest would one day shape an extraordinary adventure. Believing that generosity might persuade the gods to grant his prayer, he welcomed beggars and pilgrims, sharing his wealth freely with everyone who came to his door.

But as the years passed and his fortune dwindled, disappointment overcame his kindness. He shut his gates and drove away visitors, determined to protect what little remained.

One day, an elderly Capuchin friar arrived and asked for hospitality. Giannone received him harshly, explaining that he had spent nearly everything seeking the blessing of fatherhood.

“If that is your only trouble,” the friar assured him, “I promise your wish will soon be fulfilled.”

He revealed an extraordinary remedy: the heart of a sea dragon must be cooked by a young maiden. The steam rising from the dish would cause the maiden to conceive, and the queen need only eat the prepared heart to become pregnant herself.

Skeptical but hopeful, Giannone sent a hundred fishermen to search the waters. After a difficult expedition, they captured a dragon and brought its heart to the palace. A beautiful young maiden prepared it, and the moment its steam rose, a strange enchantment spread throughout the room. The maiden felt its influence, and even the furniture seemed to share in the miracle: the great bed produced a little bed, the chest a small box, the chairs tiny chairs, and the table a miniature table.

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When the queen ate the cooked heart, she too became pregnant. In due time, she and the maiden gave birth to sons on the same day. The queen named her boy Fonzo, while the maiden’s son was called Canneloro.

The two boys grew up together, bound by a friendship so close that they could scarcely bear to be apart. Yet their affection troubled the queen. She grew jealous when she saw her son showing Canneloro more love than he seemed to show his own mother.

Her envy eventually turned to cruelty.

One day, Fonzo and Canneloro were preparing for a hunting expedition. Fonzo had lit a fire to melt lead for their ammunition, but he briefly left the chamber to fetch something. The queen entered and found Canneloro alone. Seizing the opportunity, she hurled the hot bullet mould at his forehead, leaving him with a painful wound. She was about to strike him again when Fonzo returned. The queen immediately disguised her intentions, pretending she had come only to visit her son.

Canneloro said nothing about what had happened. Instead, he quietly covered his wound and prepared to leave.

When Fonzo learned of his friend’s decision, he was heartbroken. He begged to know the reason, but Canneloro could not bring himself to accuse the queen. He explained only that they must part, though the separation felt like losing a piece of his own soul.

Before departing, Canneloro left Fonzo two remarkable tokens of their friendship. He thrust his dagger into the earth, and a fountain sprang up. Its condition would reveal his fate: clear water meant peace, troubled water meant hardship, and a dry fountain would signal his death.

Next, he planted his sword in the ground, and a myrtle tree grew where it stood. As long as the tree remained green, Canneloro would be well. If it withered, Fonzo would know that misfortune had found his friend; if it dried completely, he should mourn him as lost.

After a tearful farewell, Canneloro mounted his horse and travelled far from home.

His journeys eventually brought him to another kingdom, where a grand tournament was being held. The king had promised his daughter, Fenicia, in marriage to the victorious knight. Canneloro entered the contest and defeated every challenger. His reward was Fenicia’s hand, and the wedding was celebrated with great rejoicing.

For several months, Canneloro enjoyed a peaceful life with his bride. Then the old desire to hunt returned.

His father-in-law warned him against entering the nearby woods. A dangerous ogre haunted the forest, he explained, changing its appearance from one animal to another to lure unsuspecting travellers into its cave. Once trapped there, they became the creature’s victims.

Canneloro listened but dismissed the warning. At dawn, he rode into the forest with his dogs, determined to enjoy the chase.

There, the ogre transformed itself into a beautiful doe. Canneloro followed the animal deeper and deeper among the trees until it led him towards the ogre’s cave. Suddenly, a terrible snowstorm swept through the forest. Shivering and unable to continue in the open, Canneloro sought shelter inside the cave and built a fire to warm himself.

Soon the doe appeared at the entrance, pleading to come closer to the flames.

Canneloro, who was naturally kind-hearted, welcomed it. But the creature insisted that he first restrain his dogs and horse, lest they harm it. Then it demanded that he secure his sword as well.

Trusting the animal’s apparent helplessness, Canneloro obeyed.

The moment he was disarmed, the doe resumed its true form as the ogre. The monster seized him, threw him into a deep pit within the cave, and covered the opening with a heavy stone, intending to keep him there until it was ready to devour him.

Meanwhile, far away, Fonzo had continued to visit the fountain and myrtle that his friend had left behind. When he discovered that the water had grown cloudy and the tree had withered, he understood that Canneloro was in grave danger.

Without waiting for permission from his parents, Fonzo armed himself, took two enchanted dogs, and set out to find his friend.

After travelling through many lands, he arrived at the kingdom where Canneloro had married Fenicia. The court was in mourning, believing their prince had perished during his hunting expedition.

When Fonzo appeared, the courtiers were astonished. Because the two young men looked almost exactly alike, everyone assumed that Canneloro had returned. Fenicia rushed to embrace him, overjoyed to see the husband she thought she had lost.

Fonzo quickly realised that his friend had been hunting in the surrounding forest. From Fenicia’s frightened account of the dangers there, he suspected that the ogre was responsible for Canneloro’s disappearance.

The following morning, despite the pleas of Fenicia and the king, Fonzo rode into the forest with his enchanted dogs. He soon encountered the same deceptive doe and followed it to the cave.

Inside, he discovered Canneloro’s weapons, horse, and dogs, all bound and abandoned. He understood at once that the creature was trying to trick him just as it had tricked his friend.

When the doe asked him to restrain his animals and secure his weapons, Fonzo refused to trust it. Instead, he unleashed his enchanted dogs, which attacked and killed the disguised ogre.

Searching the cave, Fonzo heard a voice calling from beneath the stone covering the pit. He moved the heavy stone aside and rescued Canneloro. The pit held other unfortunate captives whom the ogre had imprisoned, and Fonzo freed them as well.

The two friends embraced, grateful to have found each other again. Together they returned to the palace, where Fenicia faced a puzzling sight: both men looked so much alike that she could not immediately tell which was her husband.

Then Canneloro removed his cap, revealing the wound on his forehead. Fenicia recognised him at once and welcomed him with joy.

After spending another month together, Fonzo decided it was time to return to his own kingdom. Canneloro sent a message to his mother, inviting her to share in the happiness and prosperity he had found.

From that day forward, Canneloro gave up hunting. He had learned through painful experience that recklessness could endanger not only himself but also those who loved him.

And so the two friends’ extraordinary bond endured, proving that genuine friendship can inspire courage, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty.

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Moral

True friendship is proved through loyalty and courageous action, especially in times of trouble. Kindness is a virtue, but it should be accompanied by good judgment. Ignoring sound warnings and trusting appearances without caution can bring suffering upon ourselves and those who care about us.

Knowledge Check

1. Why did King Giannone seek the sea dragon’s heart?

He hoped to have a child, and a Capuchin friar told him that the dragon’s heart could bring about the queen’s pregnancy.

2. Why did Canneloro leave Fonzo?

The jealous queen attacked him, and he chose to depart rather than reveal her wrongdoing to his beloved friend.

3. What did the fountain and myrtle tree represent?

They served as magical signs of Canneloro’s condition. The fountain reflected his changing fortunes, while the myrtle indicated whether he remained well.

4. How did Fonzo rescue Canneloro?

He recognised the enchanted doe’s deception, unleashed his enchanted dogs against the ogre, and freed Canneloro and the other prisoners from the pit.

5. Why did Canneloro give up hunting?

His experience with the ogre taught him the dangers of reckless behaviour and the suffering it could cause.

6. What is the central message of the tale?

Friendship calls for loyalty and sacrifice, while good judgment is essential when facing danger.