以前年輕的時候，讀薄加丘的《十日譚》或是喬叟的《坎特柏里故事集》裡頭這種故事多持嘲笑態度：一邊羨幕他們天才、一邊笑他們無聊、一邊又罵那個時代的人沙豬！
現在年紀大了，跟《史瑞克》裡的驢子一樣，對這種快樂結局卻有一種浪漫情懷！
I love happy-ending stories!
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Griselda
By Giovanni Boccaccio
(Retold and shortened by D. L. Ashliman )
Gualtieri, the Marquis of Saluzzo, spent so much time at hunting and other sports
that he gave no thought about marrying and establishing a family. His friends
and subjects, fearing that old age would overtake him before he acquired
an heir, pressured him to take a wife. Finally, more to silence his critics
than to satisfy any desire that he might have for matrimony, he resolved
to court a beautiful, but poor young woman from a neighboring village.
Her family’s low station in life would spite those who had so urgently
insisted that he marry, and her beauty, he thought, would make living
with her at least bearable.
Gualtieri informed Griselda -- that was the young woman’s name -- of his
intention to marry her, and asked her if she would accept him as a husband,
to love, honor, and obey, for better or for worse, and never criticize
him nor question his authority. She readily agreed, and their wedding
was celebrated forthwith.
Griselda appeared to be a worthy addition to Gualtieri’s noble household,
but the marquis, unsure of the depth of her character, decided to test her
loyalty and her patience. Thus, soon after the birth of their first child --
it was a beautiful girl -- he informed her that his subjects were unhappy
with the child and that it was to be put to death. Without hesitation
she acceded to her husband’s demands and surrendered the child. However,
instead of killing the baby girl, Gualtieri had her spirited away and tended
in a secret place.
Some time later Griselda gave birth to a son, and her husband, intent on
carrying his test still further, berated her and insisted that her child be
put to death. She again yielded to his demands without complaint, and as
before, he took the child to a secret place where he was well cared for.
Still unsatisfied, Gualtieri devised a final test. He publicly denounced
Griselda, claiming that the pope had granted him dispensation to divorce her
and to take a more deserving wife. Griselda, wearing only a shift, was sent
back to her father. All these indignities she bore without complaint.
As the day approached when Gualtieri, as it was supposed, was to take a new
bride, he asked Griselda to return to his palace, for no one knew better how
to prepare for guests than did she. Griselda returned to her former residence,
now as a cleaning woman and servant, to make preparations for her former
husband’s wedding.
Gualtieri had his and Griselda’s daughter, who was now twelve years old,
dressed in bridal clothes, and he presented her to Griselda, who could not
have known that this was her own child. ”What do you think of my new bride?”
he asked.
Griselda replied without guile, ”If her wisdom matches her beauty, then the
two of you will be very happy together.”
At last recognizing Griselda’s sincerity, faithfulness, and patience,
Gualtieri revealed to her the trials that he had devised to test her loyalty.
With tears of joy, she received her children and once again assumed her
position as Gualtieri’s ever patient and obedient wife.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/griselda.html
