The North Wind's Gift

A farmer by the name of Geppone lived on a prior's farm up on a hillside where the north wind always destroyed his crops. As a result, poor Geppone and his family often went hungry. One day he made a decision. "I shall go in search of this wind that persecutes me." He said goodbye to wife and children and headed for the mountains.

As soon as he got to Ginevrino Castle he knocked on the door. The North Wind's wife peeped out the window. "Who's knocking?"

"It's Geppone. Is your husband there?"

"He went out to blow through the beech trees awhile and will be back shortly. Come inside and wait for him."

An hour later, the North Wind returned.

"Good day, Wind."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Geppone."

"What do you want?"

"Every year you ruin my crops, as you well know. All because of you, my family and I are starving to death."

"What did you come to me for?"

"To ask you to make up for all the suffering you've caused me."

"What can I do?"

"I leave that up to you."

The North Wind's heart went out to Geppone, to whom he said, "Take this box and open it whenever you get hungry. Order whatever you wish and you will get it. But tell no one about the box, or you'll lose it and end up with nothing at all."

Geppone thanked him and departed. Halfway home, as he went through the woods, he got hungry and thirsty. He opened the box and said, "Bring out wine, bread, and something to eat with it," whereupon the box produced a hearty loaf, a bottle, and a ham. Geppone had a fine feast right there in the woods and then continued on his way.

Just before he reached his house, he met his wife and children, who had walked down the road to meet him. "How did you fare? Did things go well?"

"Quite nicely," he replied, leading them all inside. "Everybody sit down to the table." He then said to the box, "Wine, bread, and all the rest for everybody here." So they all had a fine dinner. When the meal was over, Geppone said to his wife, "Don't tell the prior I brought this box back, or he'll want it and take it away from me."

"I wouldn't dream of it! "

The prior sent for Geppone's wife.

"Your husband is back, is he? And how did everything go? Fine? I'm glad to hear it. And what did he bring back worth a mention?" Thus, one thing led to another, and before you knew it the cat was out of the bag.

The prior sent for Geppone at once. "Geppone, my good man, I hear you have a very valuable box. May I see it?" Geppone was inclined to deny the whole story, but now that his wife had blabbed, what could he do but show the priest the box and how it worked.

"Geppone, you just have to give it to me."

"Then what will I do?" replied Geppone. "You know I lost all my crops and have nothing to eat."

"If you give me the box, I'll give you all the grain you want, all the wine you can drink, and whatever else you ask for."

Geppone, poor soul, gave in. And what did he get in return? The prior let him have a few sacks of wretched seed, and that was that. Geppone was again as badly off as ever, and all because of his wife, mind you.

"You caused me to lose the box," he said, "and to think that the North Wind advised me not to mention that box to a soul! Now I'd never have the nerve to go back to him."

In the end, though, he took heart and set out for the castle. He knocked, and the Wind's wife looked out. "Who's there?"

"Geppone."

Then the Wind also looked out. "What do you want, Geppone?"

"You remember the box you gave me? Well, my landlord took it away from me and won't give it back, and now I live in hunger and poverty."

"I told you to tell no one about the box. So go away, since I'm giving you nothing more."

"Please, you alone can make good this loss."

A second time the Wind's heart went out to Geppone, and he pulled out a gold box and gave it to him. "Don't open this one unless you are famished. Otherwise it won't obey you."

Geppone thanked the Wind and headed home through the valleys with the box. Hunger soon got the better of him, and he opened the box and said, "Provide! "

Out of the box jumped a big, strapping man holding a club and began thrashing poor Geppone for dear life.

As soon as he could, Geppone shut the box and continued on his way, all stiff and bruised. To his wife and children who'd come down the road to meet him and find out how things went, he said, "All right. I brought back a finer box than the other one." He sat them around the table and opened the gold box. This time, out came not just one, but two big, strapping men with clubs and set upon the family. The wife and children screamed for mercy, but the men didn't let up until Geppone got the box closed.

"Now go to the prior," he instructed his wife, "and tell him I brought back a much nicer box this time than the last."

The wife went, and the prior asked her the usual questions. "So Gep-pone's back? What did he bring home this time?"

"Just imagine, Prior, he brought a nicer box than the other one. It's solid gold, and the beautifully cooked dinners it serves are a dream. But Geppone wouldn't part with this box for the world."

The priest sent for Geppone at once. "Geppone, Geppone, you don't know how glad I am you're back. And with another box. Show it to me."

"If I do, you'll take this one away from me, too."

"No, I won't, I promise."

Geppone showed him a corner of the glittering box. The priest couldn't contain himself a second longer. "Geppone, give it to me, and I'll give you back the other one. What do you need with a gold box? I'll give you the other one for it and then something."

"All right, return the other one, and I'll give you this one."

"Agreed."

"But beware of opening this box, Prior, unless you are famished."

"This box couldn't come my way at a better time," said the prior. "I'm expecting the bishop tomorrow and many other priests. I'll keep them all fasting till noon, then open the box and offer them a big dinner."

In the morning, after saying their Masses, all the priests started milling around the prior's kitchen. "He refuses us breakfast this morning," they said. "Just look, the fire's out, and the larder's empty."

But those in the know said, "Just you wait! At dinner time he's going to open a box and serve a meal finer than any we could imagine."

In marched the prior and seated everybody around the table, in the center of which gleamed the gold box, with all eyes now upon it. The prior opened the box, and out leaped six strapping men with clubs and began clubbing the priests for all they were worth. Under that onslaught the prior dropped the box, which lay open on the floor, so the men went on pounding the life out of the dinner guests. Geppone, who was hiding nearby, noticed the box and shut it. Otherwise the men would have beaten the priests to death. So that was the meal they got, and it appears that they were unable to say their office in the evening. Geppone kept both boxes, never lent them out again, and from that day on lived a life of ease.