Balneator
The Bathhouse Keeper (for comparison, see this story's analogue Senescalcus)
A prince visits the local bathhouse, and upon seeing his enormous size, and the way his genitals are hidden behind his belly, the bathhouse attendant weeps. The prince asks the reason for his tears, and the attendant explain that he believes the prince will be unable to have children because of his weight. The prince demands that the attendant bring him a woman to sleep with, whom he will pay 300 gold pieces. The attendant takes the gold, but calculates that the prince will be unable to have sex at all, so he decides to send his own wife to the prince and keep the gold for himself. He does so, and some time later, peeks through the window and is horrified to see his wife and the prince having sex. He begs for her to stop, and she asks, 'But isn't this what you wanted?' Shamed and upset, the bathhouse keeper leaves, and takes his own life (specifically, hangs himself, in some versions).
From Mishle Sendebar
[Added by Jane Bonsall]
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This story is a direct parallel of Senescalcus - see both stories for contrast. Nishimura (2001) notes a number of motif index analogues and related stories, including: Motifs: TMI J2199 Absurd shortsightedness; J2301 Gullible husband; K1544 Husband unwittingly instrumental in wife’s adultery. Analogies: Gower, Confessio Amantis, 5.3 ‘The Story of the King and the Wife of his Seneschal’; Ben Jonson, Volpone. Reference stories, etc.: Kathasaritsagara, ch. 43, ’60. Story of Arthalobha and his Beautiful Wife’; Hitopadesha, 1.7, ‘The Merchant’s Bride’; Gesta Romanorum, 151 ‘Aussatz durch Beischlaf’; Bandello, Le Novelle, 4.28; Decameron, 8.4; Les Cent Nouvelle Nouvelle, 9; Sermini, Le Novelle, 26; Poggio, Facezie, 238; Sacchetti, Trecento Novelle, 206; Balzac, Les Contes Drolatiques, 2.2 ‘The Celibate King’. |
| Critical Literature |
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| Nishimura (2001), Epstein (1967), Clouston (1884) |
| Balneator appears in the following versions and secondary versions |
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| Balneator appears in the following manuscripts |
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