Chapter 84 83. Gift of the North Wind

Once upon a time there was a farmer named Gebone who lived on a monastery farm, where the north wind destroyed all the harvest on the hills.Poor Jebone's family suffered from hunger.One day, he decided: "I'm going to find this north wind that is against me." He said goodbye to his wife and children, and walked towards the mountains. He reached the castle of Ginevorino and knocked on the door.Beifeng's wife poked her head out, "Who is it?" "I'm Jabone. Is your husband home?" "He went to the beech forest to blow some air, and he will be back soon. Please come in and wait at home." Jebone entered the castle.

After a while, Beifeng came home. "Hello, Wind." "Who are you?" "I'm Jabone." "What's your business?" "Every year you destroy my harvest, and you know very well that our whole family is starving to death because of you." "Then why did you come to see me?" "You have made me suffer so much, and I have come to ask you to have pity on me." "how can I help you?" "it depends on you." Beifeng sympathized with Jebone and said: "Take this box. When you are hungry, open it. You can have whatever you want. But don't give it to others. If someone takes it away and you'll have nothing."

Jabone thanked him and left.Halfway, he was hungry and thirsty in the forest.He opened the box and said, "Bring bread, wine, and something to go with the wine." Out of the box jumped out a delicious piece of bread, a bottle of wine, and ham.Jebone ate and drank in the forest, and then continued on his way. Before he got home, his wife and children greeted him, "How is it? How is it?" "Excellent," he said, and led them all home, "then come and sit at the table." Then, opening the box, "bring bread and wine and something for all." In this way, they had a good meal together.When they had finished eating and drinking, Japonet said to his wife, "Don't tell the abbot that I have brought this box. Otherwise he will take it from me."

"I won't tell. God is my surety!" The abbot sent for Jebone's wife. "Your husband is back? Oh, by the way, how's the situation? Well, I'm very happy. Did he bring anything nice?" So, under question after sentence, she finally let the secret out . The director immediately called Jabone and said, "Jabone, I know you have a precious box. Can you show it to me?" Jabone wanted to deny it, but his wife had already told everyone , he had no choice but to take out the box and tell the dean the supernatural power of the box. "Jibone," said the Abbot, "you should give me this box."

"Then what shall I do?" said Jabone, "you know I have nothing to gain, I have nothing to eat." "If you give me this box, no matter how much food or wine you want, I will give it to you." Poor Jabone had to agree.What did he get?The dean only gave him a few bags of moldy wheat.He was as poor as ever.Here, what needs to be said is that this is all his wife's fault. "It's all your fault, I lost the box," he said, "North Wind once told me not to tell anyone. Now, I don't have the courage to see him again." Finally, he got up his courage and went to the castle of North Wind.He knocked on the door, and Beifeng's wife poked her head out, "Who is it?"

"Jepone." Beifeng also poked his head out: "What's the matter with you, Jebone?" "Do you remember that box you gave me? The dean took it away and wouldn't give it back to me. I'm still poor and hungry." "I told you not to tell anyone. Now you go, I have nothing more to give you." "Please do me a favor, only you can make up for my loss." Again the North Wind took pity on him: he took out a golden box and gave it to him. "Don't open it this time unless you're very hungry. Otherwise, it won't listen to you."

Jebone thanked the north wind again, and took the box and walked towards the valley.It wasn't until he was so hungry that he opened the box and said, "Bring something to eat." A big man with a big stick jumped out of the box, and beat poor Japony until all his bones were broken. With great difficulty, Jebone put the lid on the box.Then he limped home with injuries all over his body.On the way he met his wife and children again, and when they asked him how he was doing, he said, "Very well, I have brought home a more beautiful box this time." He sat them down at the table, and opened the golden box.This time two big men came out with sticks in their hands, and they jumped down and beat them.The wife and the children cried out for their lives, and the two big men kept beating until Jebone closed the box.

"Now go to the dean," he said to his wife, "and tell him that I have brought back a more beautiful box than last time." The wife went to the dean.The dean asked a series of questions like last time: "Jibone is back? What did he bring back?" She said: "Just think, Mr. Dean, this time he brought back a better box: all gold, and those delicacies, you can't even dream of eating. But he doesn't want to give this box to anyone. " The abbot immediately had Jabone called. "Oh, congratulations on your return, Japony, you have brought back another box, show me."

"Yes, you want to take it again." "No, not this time." So Jabone showed the golden box to the dean.The dean couldn't help but want it again. "Give it to me, Jabone, and I'll give you the other. What are you doing with a gold box? I'll trade you the other and give you something else." "Okay, so be it: you give me back the original, and I'll give you this." "A deal!" "Mr. Dean, you have to pay attention, if you are not very hungry, you must not open it." "This is very good," said the Abbot. "Tomorrow a prelate and many priests are coming to me. I keep them hungry until noon, and then I open the box and give them a good meal."

The next morning, after Mass, all the priests were milling about in the Abbot's kitchen. "Don't you want us to eat?" they said, "the fires are all out, and even the pantry is empty." But those who knew the truth said, "Wait, when it's dinner time, he opened a Box, you can get whatever you want." The dean came, and he seated the guests.There were boxes in the middle of the table, and people were staring longingly.The dean opened the box, and six big men jumped out of it, holding sticks and beating the priests vigorously.The dean was beaten several times, and the box fell from his hand to the ground, and the lid remained open.These six big guys kept fighting.Jebone was hiding nearby, and he hastened to cover the box, otherwise all these priests would have died under the sticks of the big men.This is their good meal, and I am afraid they will be unable to say their prayers till evening.Jabone kept the two boxes and never showed them to anyone, and he has lived a comfortable life ever since.

(Mugello)