This beautiful tale by Jean d’Arras narrates the events that took place in the castle of Lusignan, in the French region of Poitou.
 

One day, while our riding, the lord of Lusignan saw a beautiful woman who said her name was Melusine. He instantly fell passionately in love with the unknown woman and asked to marry her: Melusine consented on one condition: the knight should never try to look at her while she was bathing.
 

They lived happily for many years and had many children. Although she seemed totally human, the children born of their union possessed some strange traits, such as huge teeth and usually brilliant eyes.

When the lord of the castle of Lusignan, prompted by a jealous maiden, broke his word and spied on his wife in her bath, he discovered that Melusine changed into a dragon. The knight gave a howl of dismay and the dragon discovered her husband’s betrayal. She fled forever from the castle.
 

From that moment misfortune dogged the Lusignan heirs. Local peasants say that each time a member of Melusine’s family died, a dragon could be seen flying around the castle weeping copious tears.