The Taming of the Shrew

I am dedicating this book to the people of Sremski Karlovci and to my whole family.

At the beginning of 20th century in Sremski Karlovci lived a family of Austro-Hungarian counts called Trific family, which has two members: the wife, Countess Sultana Trific and the husband, Count Janosh Trific. In that time the rulers of the Kingdom of Serbia were King Milan Obrenovic and Queen Natalia Keska. They married in 1874 in Belgrade, where King Milan had built the first royal palace in Serbia. However, at that time Sremski Karlovci belonged to the Austria-Hungary Empire, whose ruler was Kaiser Franc Josef.
Countess Sulatana was a grumpy, evil, unhappy woman who hated her servants and used to hit, punch and scold them with great anger. On the other hand, her husband, Count Janosh, was very kind to the two servants, Stevo and Persida, who were greatly in love and were planning to get married, but unfortunately they couldn’t afford it because they were too poor to organize a wedding. The Count and the Countess also had a shoemaker in their service, whose name was Vuk. However, shoemaker and his wife Bella were not the servants. They were master craftsman of their trade, who had a small workshop in the town. They lived upstairs in one small room.
One day, Vuk came to the great mansion where the Count and Countess lived, and he brought a new boots for the Count. They had a nice chat while the Count was trying the boots, until Countess Sultana came in and saw them talking. She got very upset and started insulting Vuk. Vuk didn’t get offended, he just said, “Oh my! Here a man needs to be harder than a stone, save me, Lord, from this evil woman.” On these words the Countess got extremely mad, and she wished to hit Vuk, but luckily he got away from the mansion and went towards his small workshop, where he and his wife Bella lived. Count Janos couldn’t stand his wife any more that day so he went for horseback riding in the hills next to the town. Sultana was very mad at Vuk and she made a plan, which was to exchange clothes with Bella, because people of the town always said that two of them were looking alike. She decided to take revenge on Vuk by pretending to be his wife expecting that she will pick on him just as she was picking on her husband every day. That night she called Bella to come to the mansion. When Bella came and said, “Good evening, my Lady,” the Countess answered, “Bella, I have a plan and I need you to help me.” Bella said in a surprised voice, “Me?” The Countess said, “Yes, you! People said that we look alike.” Bella said in a happy voice, “Yes, I know and I am happy for it.” The Countess commanded to Bella to take a bath so she could get clean and look more like the Countess. Bella was surprised and happy in the same time,”Oh, I am delighted to be as you are, I am very happy that we look alike”. After the bath they switched clothes and Bella went to the mansion while the Countess, instead of going straight to the town stumbled to the backyard and fell asleep in the carriage, not knowing that she has just drank a sleeping potion mixed with the lemonade that her servant, Persida made for her. Persida did it because she wanted to stay undisturbed that evening, as she planned to spend some time with her beloved Stevo. Not knowing for Persida’s plan, Stevo saw the Countess in Bella’s clothes and thought that that was Bella sleeping in the carriage. Frightened, Stevo whispered,” Bella! Bella! Go home, Vuk will kill you.” But the Countess didn’t move, as she was in a very deep sleep. Stevo then got an idea and grabbed the Countess’s legs and started dragging her to Vuk’s house. In the morning, Bella got dressed in the most beautiful dresses and had put the nicest perfumes, so she looked just like the Countess, but she didn’t know how to behave and command. Persa, the servant, had come and started excusing herself why she was late to work. Bella said, “Oh, common, Persa, why are you so scared?” Surprised and confused, Persa said,” Do you command something?” Pela answered, “Why would I need to command anything? Here everything is clean, nice and neat like in a castle.” Persa, even more confused, asked. “Would you like to have a breakfast?” Bella answered, “Well, child, I am hungry.” Persa said, “Right away, my Lady, I will bring café-late and croissant.” Persa runs off to the kitchen and starts making coffee, while Pela was sitting near the mirror and wondering about how is it to be a countess. Bella was thinking,” Hmm, it is perfect to be a countess! You can do whatever you want, you have servants, you have a carriage… by the way, and I would really like to have a ride in a carriage. ” Persa entered the room, bringing café late and croissants. She said in a frighten voice, “Here is the breakfast Countess, just the milk isn’t very fresh.” Bella answered,” It’s all right, Persa it is important that we could afford it. Tell me, child, could I have a ride in the carriage today.” Persa answered, “Of course, Countess, the horses are ready, just tell me would you like to do it in the afternoon or before noon?” Bella answered, “Well, I would like it right now.” Persa said, “All right then, and what would you like to have for lunch? What should I cook? I thought that I should cook that rabbit that we got today.” Bella’s mouth started watering, “ Persa, how would I refuse a rabbit for lunch! And please, Persa don’t forget to bake me a pie.” Persa nodded and gave Bella and parasol and the fur coat. Bella came out and set in the carriage. The coachman, Laza, stirred the horses and the carriage moved on.
While Bella was enjoying the luxury of being the Countess, the Count was in the hills with many other rich people from the town, where they were hunting, drinking and dancing, and enjoying life. Meanwhile, the Countess was sleeping in Vuk’s house when Vuk came in, woke her up and said to her to better get to work, but the Countess didn’t bother listening to him. She was calling Persa for café-late and breakfast. Vuk started making fun of her,“Oh, look at you, you would like to be like our Countess! If I knew that you wanted to be like her I would squish you like a mushroom long time ago”. The Countess got really mad,“ I am not getting to work and I will not work here! Understand?” The Countess started throwing things at Vuk, but Vuk wouldn’t stand it, so he grabbed the Countess, took a belt and started hitting her lower back with the belt as hard as he could. The countess started crying and whimpering and through her sobs she was saying that she will be good from now on. Vuk said, “All right, ‘Madame’, you will work and behave nicely! Do you see these tools here?” The Countess said, “Yes, I see them”. Vuk told her, “Well, you will now work with them! All right, sit down and work”. The Countess said, “But I don’t know how to work with it, this is too complicated for me.” Finally Vuk started to wonder what was suddenly wrong with his wife. At first he thought that she might just been in a bad mood but this was really conspicuous. However, this was his wife; there was no doubt about it, but how come she suddenly does not know how to use the tools she was working with them for years? Vuk was really confused but he couldn’t figure out what else to do so he patiently explained “Bella” how to use the tools, although he was feeling very odd while doing this.
On the over part of the town, while Bella was enjoying picnic, the Count came back home and asked Stevo and Persa how is the Countess. Persa answered,“ Oh, my! She is just wonderful this morning! I am very surprised that she even got dressed up all by herself and didn’t even once shout at me! She was kind to me almost as I was her sister.” The Count got very surprised and didn’t believe in this account, but somehow he accepted the story and said to Stevo and Persa that he will buy them three pairs of clothes and organize a wedding for them, because he thought that his wife’s new attitude has something to do with Persa’s kindness and patience. Sreta and Persa thanked the Count and went to continue with their work. They still couldn’t believe what they have heard, that the Count was so kind to them.
Meanwhile, the real Countess Sultana was cleaning boots in the shoemaker’s house. Vuk told her,“ You know what, sing to me know”. The Countess said,” I don’t know any of your foolish songs, I just know Italian songs.” Vuk questioned ironically,“ Really? All right then, let me hear them.” The Countess started singing in a very quiet voice, “Pinero, Pinero Pinero…” While she was singing, Vuk was frowning and he said in a disappointed way,“ All right, all right, don’t sing that anymore! You can sing those songs when your father leads a bear around the town. For me, sing in Serbian.” The Countess said,“ I don’t know any Serbian songs”. Vuk was again very surprised and answered,“ You don’t know my songs!? Listen! And he started to sing an old teasing song about women. Although the Countess didn’t know the song she understood that it would be the best for her to start pretending and behaving like real Bella in order to avoid provoking Vuk even more because she didn’t want to get beaten ever again in her life. Therefore she decided to behave and wait for her opportunity to flee. Luckily, Vuk soon left because he had to deliver some shoes for rich merchants wedding and he ordered “Bella” to cook the lunch before he came back. As soon as he left the Countess started to run across the town towards the mansion. When she got to the mansion in a quiet and sneaky way so no one could see her, she saw Sreta and Persa who were washing some bed sheets, but the Countess didn’t care, she just took a bed sheet and wiped her face with it and threw it on the ground. At that Stevo said “Don’t touch that, Bella! We have worked very hard on this, so get away from the grounds, and get back to your miserable house in the town!” But the Countess didn’t bother listening, instead she started walking to the entrance of the villa, but Stevo tried to stop her by grabbing her hand and pulling her back. However, the Countess started hitting and punching Stevo, throwing him to the ground, that’s how she was. In that moment the Count came out to ask what the big fuss is all about. Stevo answered,“ Master, the shoemaker’s wife doesn’t want to leave your grounds”. “Bella” replied, “Be quiet, you buffoon! Janosh, don’t you recognize me?” The Count replied, “Darling, please go back to your house, it is not possible that I have two wives at the same time!” At that moment Vuk walked to the grounds half drunk. Stevo shouted, “Aha! Now, Vuk will teach you some knowledge!” The Countess ran to the Count but he moved away from her, saying, “Go please, women, you will make me dirty!” But the Countess didn’t listen to him and hid behind the Count, especially when she saw the belt in Vuk’s hand. They were all chasing each other like that for a while, while the real Bella was having beautiful cakes in the café down town. Unfortunately, she didn’t know how to behave as a countess nor as a lady, so the cakes were splattered the tea was spilled; she didn’t even took a napkin to wipe her lips, instead she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. While she was standing up she knocked down the table and even started singing in front of the whole café, and while leaving she broke a high heel, fell and broke her parasol. When Bella went for a picnic in the hills she ate fried chicken with her fingers but that was not all - she ate it with her gloves. Then she went for fishing and she grabbed the fishing rod and fell in the river. After that she went to a boutique to buy a new hat, and when she put the hat on she just walked away from the shop and went to the fountain to see her in the water, because she wasn’t accustomed to the mirrors, but unfortunately she fell in the fountain and only her legs could be seen. After she got out and paid for the hat she took a ride with a carriage although she was all wet, because she was very keen to try to ride the carriage herself, so she said to the coach man to sit behind her. The ride was good until they found out that she took the road to Sombor and not to Sremski Karlovci. They were travelling one and half hours, while Vuk, the Count, the real Countess, Stevo and Persa were trying to find out who is who. The Count said, “All right, we will now see who is whose wife, because here comes the carriage.” Just at that moment the carriage entered the yard with Bella in it. The Count said, “Come here my dear, Bella wants your place very much.” At that moment Bella said in a frightened voice, “Your excellence, please forgive me. Please don’t get angry, what could I do, Her Excellence commanded me and I had to listen!” Vuk said, ”Bella! Is that you?” The Count said with his usual nice manners, “Let’s go to the house and discuss this problem.” Vuk suddenly started to understand what was really going on and he moved to slap Bella, but she ran away. When the Count calmed him down they all entered the villa and took a seat. The Count said, “All right, now. What happened?” The Countess said, “I’m guilty, I was the one who wanted to make a joke but it turned out all wrong”. The count said, “Oh my darling, I’m so happy that it turned that way. Vuk, God bless you that you have saved my precious wife.” Vuk answered with confusion, “Well I am really puzzled that I didn’t recognize her! I apologize for beating you my lady.” The Countess said, “Oh, Vuk please don’t be sad, I forgive you from the bottom of my heart.” The Count was very pleased and he said, “Ah, folks, this is the funniest and happiest day in my life! Stevo, get up and bring a bottle of black wine!” The Countess interrupted, “No, sit down Stevo, I will get it”. The Countess brought the wine from the cellar and poured each one some wine. Bella was still convincing Vuk that she has had to obey the Countess but Vuk said, “Just obey my rules and everything will be fine.” The Count said to Persa and Stevo, “I will organize your wedding with and give you a monthly check for you to support yourself.”Vuk said, “You know what! A woman is like a river, when she is bad and evil she can carry away the house, but when she is good than it’s like you are in heaven.” The Countess repeated, “Oh, Vuk I will sing the song you thought me every day because I learned that it’s very bad to be naughty.
So all of them went to Stevo’s and Persa’s wedding where they had unforgettable time and they lived happily ever after.