“Here’s what you most desire.  I hope that they will give you joy.

And may you live in health and may you have a baby boy.”

Her brother was beside himself.  He placed her in a trunk

which he threw into the sea and which he thought would soon be sunk,

but a lowly sailor found her and conveyed her to his home.

“See what a lovely creature I found floating on the foam.

Be kind,” he told his jealous wife, one Nuccia by name.

“Oh, no.  He’ll not deceive me.  I’ll not play my husband’s game.”

As soon as he was gone she threw the trunk back out to sea.

And there poor Penta sobbed as currents swept it aimlessly

until the King of Green Earth saw it from his passing ship.

He had it drawn on board.  And then he said, with trembling lip,

“Poor lovely maid who has no hands, what future can there be?

But never mind. You will survive if you come home with me.

My wife can use a lady’s maid.  It might as well be you.

Poor Penta of the chopped-off hands, we’ll see what you can do.”

What she did with her feet was marvelous, beyond compare.

She threaded needles, used a comb to dress the queen’s long hair.

The queen adored her but, alas, the queen was sickly too.

Before she died she told her husband, “This I ask of you.

Take Penta for your wife and hold her dear as we have been.” 

He promised.  They were married.  And their love was genuine. 

Too soon the king went on another journey in his boat.

When Penta bore a son the news was sent to him by note.