Fairies in Opera, Part 1 - Bright and Ill Wishes

Luigi and Federico Ricci's 1850 Crispino e la Comare is another tale involving wishes. It is rather more of a morals tale than a fairy tale, however. A cobbler named Crispino and his wife, Annetta (who peddles books to try to supplement their income) are about to be evicted from their home for nonpayment of rent, when their landlord suggests to Annetta, "Tu ben lo sai, contentami." - "You know, all you need to do is satisfy me." Though Annetta, horrified, repulses this proposition, the jealous Crispino cannot bear what he has overheard and rushes off to drown himself. However, a fairy emerges from the well he has chosen for the suicide act. Declaring, "Non son femmina, nè des, ma resister niun mi sa" - "I am neither woman nor goddess, but no one can resist me," she guarantees that, if he sets himself up as a doctor, every patient will be cured -- provided she does not appear by the ill person's bedside. Crispino becomes rich and successful despite not really knowing anything about medicine (much like...no, let's not go there), but begins himself to suffer from a swelled head. He becomes miserly with his family while gambling his money away; mistreats his wife and friends; and then even becomes rude to his Fairy: "Vanno al diavolo pur tu" - "You can go to the devil, too."

That does it: she transports him to a magical cavern in which he encounters Time, Judgment, and (assuming this mask herself) Death...and oil lamps whose burning wicks indicate the lifespan of various people (some comic relief here; they include a librettist, and also an opera singer who doubles as an impressario...hearing about this latter, Crispino urges, "Olio olio per lui, cara Comare!" - "Oil, more oil for him, dear Fairy!"). She informs the ungrateful cobbler that he has not long to live...though Annetta will live long to enjoy his money. Crispino has the gall to try to remove oil from his wife's jar, to add to his own to prolong his own life, and the Fairy exclaims, "Un empio sei!" - "How impious you are!" She orders Crispino to make out his will on the spot, to leave part of his fortune to ten widows, other funds to his fellow cobblers, and the rest to his wife, children, and relatives. Only then does she allow him to see, in a magical mirror, the faithful

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