e detraction
always wears the mask of amusement; where, at the same time, people cut
and sew up, wound and heal, break and glue together--of which I will
give you one instance in the story that I am going to tell you.

There was once upon a time in the service of the King of Wide-River an
excellent youth named Corvetto, who, for his good conduct, was beloved
by his master; and for this very cause was disliked and hated by all
the courtiers. These courtiers were filled with spite and malice, and
bursting with envy at the kindness which the King showed to Corvetto;
so that all day long, in every corner of the palace, they did nothing
but tattle and whisper, murmur and grumble at the poor lad, saying,
"What sorcery has this fellow practised on the King that he takes such
a fancy to him? How comes he by this luck that not a day passes that he
receives some new favours, whilst we are for ever going backward like a
rope-maker, and getting from bad to worse, though we slave like dogs,
toil like field-labourers, and run about like deer to hit the King's
pleasure to a hair? Truly one must be born to good fortune in this
world, and he who has not luck might as well be thrown into the sea.
What is to be done? We can only look on and envy." These and other
words fell from their mouths like poisoned arrows aimed at the ruin of
Corvetto as at a target. Alas for him who is condemned to that den the
Court, where flattery is sold by the kilderkin, malignity and
ill-offices are measured out in bushels, deceit and treachery are
weighed by the ton! But who can count all the attempts these courtiers
made to bring him to grief, or the false tales that they told to the
King to destroy his reputation! But Corvetto, who was enchanted, and
perceived the traps, and discovered the tricks, was aware of all the
intrigues and the ambuscades, the plots and conspiracies of his
enemies. He kept his ears always on the alert and his eyes open in
order not to take a false step, well knowing that the fortune of
courtiers is as glass. But the higher the lad continued to rise the
lower the others fell; till at last, being puzzled to know how to take
him off his feet, as their slander was not believed, they thought of
leading him to disaster by the path of flattery, which they attempted
in the following manner.

Ten miles distant from Scotland, where the seat of this King was, there
dwelt an ogre, the most inhuman and savage that had ever been in
Ogreland, w