Diana The Witch

Many years ago, in Castel San Felice, lived a woman with long red hair, Diana of the Hazelnut.
Diana was a woman like many others: neither ugly nor beautiful, neither tall nor short, neither rich nor poor, and she lived with her husband Biagio, known as “Beanpole”, in a modest little house.
Biagio also liked the simple life: he spent his days working his vegetable garden and his small vineyard, and every now and then he would enjoy an evening at the bar with friends for a game of cards and a glass of wine.
During those evenings, however, strange things happened. In between card games, someone would start asking ambiguous questions about Diana. Only a few nights before, for example, Gigetto, had begun: “But… Your wife…”.
Without letting him continue, Biagio spoke up. “My wife is a wonderful woman. She does not let me want foranything, she is quick around the house and showersme with attention. Am I or am I not the luckiest man in the world?”
Gigetto, however, insisted: “Yes, yes. But doesn’t she wander around the meadows down here at night?”
Biagio, who did not like that question at all, stiffened. “How dare you insinuate that my wife does strange things! Diana is always taking care of the house, she only goes out to do her shopping and doesn’t go wandering around, neither during the day nor at night!”
Despite his heartfelt defence, Biagio could not imagine that it had long been rumoured in Castel San Felice that Diana was a witch.
Usually, witches live alone, in dirty, crumbling houses deep in thewoods. They have neither husbands nor children and only go out at night to join other witchesto cast spells and curses. Diana was different: she was married and actedlike a perfect wife, and Biagio had no reason to suspect her. Yet the villagers’ remarks had begun to creep into his mind.
That thought slowly crept in, until one night, on a Tuesday, Biagio woke up to take a sip of water and noticedthat Diana was not beside him. He searched the entire house, but there was no sign of her. The rumors he hadheard at the bar grew louder in his mind. “What if it’s true?” he wondered.

The following day,Biagio decided not to confront his wife right away and to observe her a little longer. For the next two nights, nothing happened, so Biagio began to convince himself that he had imagined everything. But on the third night, a Friday, Diana got out of bed. Biagio spied on her through the slightly opem door and what he saw left him breathless: his wife, completely naked, climbed onto the windowsill and, after uttering the words:

“Against rain and wind, take me to the Benevento walnut tree!”

she leaped into the air and flew off into the darkness of the night. Stunned and incredulous at what he had witnessed, Biagio now had no more doubts: he was married to a witch!

****

In the following days, he said nothing to Diana, trying to figure out how to deal with the situation. Finally, he decided to seek advice from Jolanda, a little old lady with a hunched backwho was rumored to break curses with olive oil and salt and unravel hexes, especially those made with chicken feathers woven into a cross. She was a true expert, certainly the most knowledgeable person in the entire Valnerina about witches.
Summoning his courage, Biagio visited her, bringing her a bottle of olive oil and his best wine as a gift.
“Ah, Biagio!” the old woman greeted him with a wry smile. “You’ve come because you found out that your wife is a witch, haven’tyou?”Biagio, astonishedthat Jolanda already knew everything, merely nodded. “The rumours have been going around the village for a long time, my dear, and the only fool who didn’t know was the one who married her. But don’t despair, there is a solution for everything”, said the old woman.
Jolanda explained to Biagio that witches could fly on Tuesdays and Fridays thanks to a magic ointment, made from herbs such as belladonna, elderberry and mugwort. “If you want to stop her,” Jolanda continued, “you must replace the ointment with pork lard. So the next time she tries to fly, she’ll get quite the surprise”.

***

Back home, Biagionoticedthat Diana was not there: the moment was perfect! He rummaged around and found the ointment under a loose brick. Without wasting any time, he threw away the ointment and replaced it with lard.
That very evening, Diana, unaware of the trick, got out of bed and, as usual, prepared to fly. She pronounced the magic words, jumped from the window… and fell heavilyto the ground.
Biagio immediately ran outside, with a blanket in his hand. “Diana, what happened? How come you jumped out of the window?” he asked her, feigning concern.
Diana, meanwhile, soreand surprised, was muttering: “Poor me, why didn’t it work?”
Biagio then smiled and revealed the trick: “Eh, pork lard won’ttakeyou to the Benevento walnut tree!”
Diana, stunned by the revelation, lowered her gaze. “You have discovered my secret. And with this gesture, you have freed me from the spell. I will never again be forced to fly away at night.”
From that day on, Diana and Biagio lived together in harmony, and the nights of flying became nothing but a distant memory. Their marriage prospered, and soon their home was filled with children and grandchildren.

Even today, in Sant’Anatolia di Narco, the villagerstell this story, reminding men to beware of the witches hiding behind the appearance of perfect wives.