CONTENTS.Page.FOREWORD.v.VIRGINITY AND ITS TRADITIONS.xix.THE ENCHANTED RING:Of a Young Husband who Sought to Redeem his Yard from Pawn, and of the Divers Adventures that Befell him in his Quest.1VARIANT:Of a Tailor who Consented to Sin with a certain Woman who Admired his Proportions; and how they Fared.10THE INSTRUMENT:Of a Young Girl who Desired her Lover to Buy a Better Instrument, which she Enjoyed, Lost and Found again.13EXCURSUSto THE INSTRUMENT.16THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE:Of a Maid who would Wed None save Ivan the No-Yard; and how they were Wed, after which she first Hired, then Bought, a Good Yard from Ivan’s Uncle.17EXCURSUSto THE ENCHANTED RING, THE INSTRUMENT, and THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE.22ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE AT GENEVA:Of an Adventure with two Charming Cousins, one of whom Desired to know why a Deity could not Impregnate a Woman; and how the Hero of our Story gave Demonstration of Theological and other Matters.24EXCURSUSto ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE.37THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE:Of a Young Lady, who, being Enamoured of a Prince, Sendeth for one of his Chaplains, and with him Entereth into a Plot which Bringeth the Affair to the Desired Issue.42EXCURSUSto THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE.49THE PENITENT NUN:Of a Nun, who Strove to Flee the Shafts of Love; how she Succeeded; and how certain Young Nuns Received her Counsel.52BEYOND THE MARK:Of a Shepherd who Made an Agreement with a Shepherdess that he should Mount upon her; and how he Kept that Agreement.53THE DEVIL IN HELL:Of a Young Maid, who, Turning Hermit, was Taught by a Monk to Put the Devil in Hell; and how she found Much Pleasure therein.56EXCURSUSto THE DEVIL IN HELL.63THE WEDDING NIGHT OF JEAN THE FOOL:Of a Young Husband who thought his Wife would Give him a Chicken on their Wedding Night; and how he Learned in what Fashion he must Comport himself to have that Chicken.65THE MAIDEN WELL GUARDED:Of a Maid who had been most Strictly Enjoined to Guard her Maidenhead; and how a Youth Restored it to her when she Lost it.69VARIANT:Of one Coypeau, who Securely Sewed up a Damsel’s Maidenhead with his own Thread.72TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN:Of a Prince and a Princess who became Acquainted in Strange Circumstances; of their Loves, Separation, Re-union, and divers Remarkable Happenings.74EXCURSUSto the TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN.92THE FOOL:Of a Young Man who would fain have Wed, yet Contrived to Satisfy his Wish without Marriage.101“OH MOTHER, ROGER WITH HIS KISSES”:Of the Emotions of an Innocent Virgin when Wooed Boisterously by her Swain.103FOOLISH FEAR:Of a Virgin Wife who did not Understand the Business of Marriage; and how the Parties went to Law, and what Ensued therefrom.104THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS:Of a King’s Daughter, the Like of whom was not Seen Elsewhere on Earth; and how she was Cured of her Ways by a Young Peasant, divers Physicians and Charlatans having Failed in the Task.111THE COMB:Of a Pope’s Daughter who was “Combed” by a Peasant; and how the Comb was Lost and Found again, together with other Strange and Delightsome Happenings.116EXCURSUSto THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS and THE COMB.121THE SKIRMISH:Of a Virgin who, on her Marriage Eve, told a Wedded Friend of the Recent and Disturbing Conduct of her Fiancé.124EXCURSUSto THE SKIRMISH.132THE NIGHTINGALE:Of a Maid who would fain Hear the Nightingale Sing; and how she Made it Sing many Times and even Held it in her Hand.134THE PIKE’S HEAD:Of a Young Virgin who Played a Trick on a Youth; and how the Youth, from Fear of being “Bitten,” was for some Time Ignorant of the Pleasures of Marriage.142THE LOVELY NUN AND HER YOUNG BOARDER:Of a Lovely Young Virgin, who was of an Inquisitive Turn of Mind, and Proved herself an Apt Pupil in the School of Love.147JOHN AND JOAN:Of a Serving Wench who sent her Fellow Servant to Buy her a Steel; and how she Fared thereafter.158THE HUSBAND AS DOCTOR:Of a Young Squire who, when he Married, had never Mounted a Christian Creature; of the Means found to Instruct him; and how, on a Sudden, he Wept at a great Feast shortly after he had been Instructed.162THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER:Of a Priest’s two Daughters who were Tricked by a Labourer; and of divers Strange and Diverting Happenings thereafter.171EXCURSUSto THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER.178THE TWO LOVERS AND THE TWO SISTERS:Of two Cavaliers who became Enamoured of two Sisters; and how they found Enjoyment of their Love, albeit in Strange Fashion but none the less Pleasant.179THE BURNING YARD:Of a Maid who would not Suffer a Youth to Pleasure her, since, so she Alleged, he had a Burning Yard.188TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK:Of a Young Virgin Wife who was Paid back in her own Coin by her Husband.190EXCURSUSto TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK.192FIRST MEETING BETWEEN A YOUTH AND HIS FIANCÉE:Of a Maid and a Youth who held Pleasant Converse in a Coach-house; and of divers Experiments and Discoveries they made there.193THE BREAKER OF EGGS:Of a certain Wench who had Eggs in her Belly, which were Broken for her by an Obliging Youth.195EXCURSUSto THE BREAKER OF EGGS.198
Page.FOREWORD.v.VIRGINITY AND ITS TRADITIONS.xix.THE ENCHANTED RING:Of a Young Husband who Sought to Redeem his Yard from Pawn, and of the Divers Adventures that Befell him in his Quest.1VARIANT:Of a Tailor who Consented to Sin with a certain Woman who Admired his Proportions; and how they Fared.10THE INSTRUMENT:Of a Young Girl who Desired her Lover to Buy a Better Instrument, which she Enjoyed, Lost and Found again.13EXCURSUSto THE INSTRUMENT.16THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE:Of a Maid who would Wed None save Ivan the No-Yard; and how they were Wed, after which she first Hired, then Bought, a Good Yard from Ivan’s Uncle.17EXCURSUSto THE ENCHANTED RING, THE INSTRUMENT, and THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE.22ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE AT GENEVA:Of an Adventure with two Charming Cousins, one of whom Desired to know why a Deity could not Impregnate a Woman; and how the Hero of our Story gave Demonstration of Theological and other Matters.24EXCURSUSto ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE.37THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE:Of a Young Lady, who, being Enamoured of a Prince, Sendeth for one of his Chaplains, and with him Entereth into a Plot which Bringeth the Affair to the Desired Issue.42EXCURSUSto THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE.49THE PENITENT NUN:Of a Nun, who Strove to Flee the Shafts of Love; how she Succeeded; and how certain Young Nuns Received her Counsel.52BEYOND THE MARK:Of a Shepherd who Made an Agreement with a Shepherdess that he should Mount upon her; and how he Kept that Agreement.53THE DEVIL IN HELL:Of a Young Maid, who, Turning Hermit, was Taught by a Monk to Put the Devil in Hell; and how she found Much Pleasure therein.56EXCURSUSto THE DEVIL IN HELL.63THE WEDDING NIGHT OF JEAN THE FOOL:Of a Young Husband who thought his Wife would Give him a Chicken on their Wedding Night; and how he Learned in what Fashion he must Comport himself to have that Chicken.65THE MAIDEN WELL GUARDED:Of a Maid who had been most Strictly Enjoined to Guard her Maidenhead; and how a Youth Restored it to her when she Lost it.69VARIANT:Of one Coypeau, who Securely Sewed up a Damsel’s Maidenhead with his own Thread.72TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN:Of a Prince and a Princess who became Acquainted in Strange Circumstances; of their Loves, Separation, Re-union, and divers Remarkable Happenings.74EXCURSUSto the TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN.92THE FOOL:Of a Young Man who would fain have Wed, yet Contrived to Satisfy his Wish without Marriage.101“OH MOTHER, ROGER WITH HIS KISSES”:Of the Emotions of an Innocent Virgin when Wooed Boisterously by her Swain.103FOOLISH FEAR:Of a Virgin Wife who did not Understand the Business of Marriage; and how the Parties went to Law, and what Ensued therefrom.104THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS:Of a King’s Daughter, the Like of whom was not Seen Elsewhere on Earth; and how she was Cured of her Ways by a Young Peasant, divers Physicians and Charlatans having Failed in the Task.111THE COMB:Of a Pope’s Daughter who was “Combed” by a Peasant; and how the Comb was Lost and Found again, together with other Strange and Delightsome Happenings.116EXCURSUSto THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS and THE COMB.121THE SKIRMISH:Of a Virgin who, on her Marriage Eve, told a Wedded Friend of the Recent and Disturbing Conduct of her Fiancé.124EXCURSUSto THE SKIRMISH.132THE NIGHTINGALE:Of a Maid who would fain Hear the Nightingale Sing; and how she Made it Sing many Times and even Held it in her Hand.134THE PIKE’S HEAD:Of a Young Virgin who Played a Trick on a Youth; and how the Youth, from Fear of being “Bitten,” was for some Time Ignorant of the Pleasures of Marriage.142THE LOVELY NUN AND HER YOUNG BOARDER:Of a Lovely Young Virgin, who was of an Inquisitive Turn of Mind, and Proved herself an Apt Pupil in the School of Love.147JOHN AND JOAN:Of a Serving Wench who sent her Fellow Servant to Buy her a Steel; and how she Fared thereafter.158THE HUSBAND AS DOCTOR:Of a Young Squire who, when he Married, had never Mounted a Christian Creature; of the Means found to Instruct him; and how, on a Sudden, he Wept at a great Feast shortly after he had been Instructed.162THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER:Of a Priest’s two Daughters who were Tricked by a Labourer; and of divers Strange and Diverting Happenings thereafter.171EXCURSUSto THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER.178THE TWO LOVERS AND THE TWO SISTERS:Of two Cavaliers who became Enamoured of two Sisters; and how they found Enjoyment of their Love, albeit in Strange Fashion but none the less Pleasant.179THE BURNING YARD:Of a Maid who would not Suffer a Youth to Pleasure her, since, so she Alleged, he had a Burning Yard.188TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK:Of a Young Virgin Wife who was Paid back in her own Coin by her Husband.190EXCURSUSto TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK.192FIRST MEETING BETWEEN A YOUTH AND HIS FIANCÉE:Of a Maid and a Youth who held Pleasant Converse in a Coach-house; and of divers Experiments and Discoveries they made there.193THE BREAKER OF EGGS:Of a certain Wench who had Eggs in her Belly, which were Broken for her by an Obliging Youth.195EXCURSUSto THE BREAKER OF EGGS.198