How the Beggar Boy turned into Count Piro
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How the Beggar Boy turned into Count Piro is an Italian fairy tale collected by Laura Gonzenbach in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 545B.
[edit] Synopsis
An idler was left a cottage and a pear tree by his father, but he still did not work, only eating the pears, because that pear tree bore pears year round. One day, a fox persuaded him to give it the pears, because it would bring him luck. It brought the basket to the king, who was astounded that anyone had pears. The next day, it did the same, and asked for the princess's hand in marriage for his master, Count Piro, saying he was so rich he would ask for no dowry. The fox tricked a tailor into providing him a fine suit, saying it would be paid for the next day.
The boy went to the castle and said very little, but the fox explained it was his great concerns that kept him quiet.
Then the fox took a third basket of pears and arranged for the wedding. Once they were married, the king and princess set out with the boy. The fox told a shepherd for an ogre that if he told the men that the sheep belonged to an ogre, the men would kill the sheep, and the ogre would kill him; he should say they belonged to Count Piro. It did the same with a pigherd and a horseherd. The king was impressed by the wealth.
At the ogre's castle, the fox told the ogre and ogress that the king had sent men to kill them, and it was best to hide in the oven until they passed. It trapped them in, and after the princess and her bridegroom were abed, the fox burned the ogre and ogress to death.
The fox asked the boy to promise it a funeral. Then he decided to test his gratitude and feigned death. The boy went to discard the body. The fox rebuked him, and only remained after many implorings. When it did die, a proper funeral was held.
