Part of a collection of translations of all 12 of Cervantes’ Novelas Ejemplares , this third volume contains three of the novels: The Jealous Old Man from Extremadura , The Illustrious Kitchen-Maid and The Two Damsels Features of each book include individual introductions to the stories by the translators, original Spanish text with facing English translation, and full notes and bibliographies. The Jealous Old Man from Extremadura (El celoso extremeno), one of the most frequently translated of the novelas, treats the theme of jealousy, a favourite one of Cervantes. Felipe de Carrizales marries a young wife of whom he is excessively jealous. His death-bed repentance reinforces Cervantes’s point: it is folly to put your trust in keys and walls and the like, when the will remains free. The Illustrious Kitchen-Maid (La ilustre fregona) has often been paired with The Little Gypsy Girl since it also blends lowlife activities with romance between noble lovers. The story follows the adventures of two noble boys from Burgos, Diego de Carriazo and Tomas de Avendano, who are fascinated by the life of the rogue, or picaro.
The Two Damsels (Las dos doncellas), is a courtly novela about deception and dishonour in noble circles in Andalusia. Teodosia and Leocadia, two beautiful young noblewomen are, without each other’s knowledge, taken in by the same young nobleman, Marco Antonio. The story ends happily (and with a symmetry characteristic of this type of story), since Leocadia finds consolation in marriage to Teodosia’s brother, who has been accompanying his sister on her travels.