been sent by her husband, and so had the shepherd.)
The poor girl walked all day, and in the evening came to the shepherd. He received her kindly, gave her supper and a bed, and in the morning made her some coffee and gave her breakfast. Then he said: —
“You see that other hill, over there? Walk all day till you come to it, there you will find my brother” (but really it was himself) “who will be kind to you. And now take this chestnut, but be sure you don’t open it unless you are in great need.”
So the poor thing walked all day until she reached the second hill and found the second shepherd. He gave her supper, a bed, and coffee in the morning, and then said: —
“Go on to the next hill, where you will find a third shepherd, my brother; ask him to take you in. Now take this nut, but be sure you don’t crack it unless you are in great need.”
That evening she reached the third shepherd, who treated her as the others had done. In the morning he said to her: —
“You must pass this first hill, and then you will find another; go up that, and you will come to a palace. In the palace lives a queen, who lost her little son, and who now receives poor women, and has them taken care of for forty days; she will be kind to you.” Then he gave her a walnut, saying: – “Mind you don’t crack it, unless you are in great need.”
So the poor creature walked and walked and walked, and in the evening reached the palace.
The queen received her kindly, and had her taken care of for forty days. Then she sent a servant, who said: —
“The queen says you must be off, she can’t keep you any longer.”
“Oh dear, oh dear,” said the poor woman, “whatever shall I do? I have nowhere to go. I’ll crack the chestnut.”
She did so, and out jumped a lovely little golden dog, which capered about and caressed her and fawned on her. She sent it as a present to the queen, who said: —
“Why, this woman is richer than I am; let her stay forty days more.”
So the poor thing remained forty days longer, and then the servant came again to send her away. This time she cracked the nut, and out came two beautiful golden capons. These, too, she sent to the queen, who said: —
“This is certainly a wonderful woman, let her stay another forty days.”
At the end of the forty days the queen sent the servant again, saying: —
“You’ll eat up all my kingdom. Be off with you.”
Then the woman cracked the walnut, and found a beautiful golden wool-winder, which she sent to the queen.
“I never had such things,” said the queen, “this woman is richer than I am. Let her stop as long as she likes.”
Then the poor woman was glad indeed, and stayed there quietly until she gave birth to a little daughter. The servant took the baby into the kitchen to put on the swaddling-bands; while she was doing so a beautiful white dove alighted on the window-sill, and said: —
“If the cocks no longer sang,
If the bells no longer rang,
If you knew this, oh mother mine,
Lovely you’d be, oh daughter mine.”
Then the servant went to the queen and told her what had happened.
“To-morrow I’ll come myself,” said she, “and see the dove, and hear what it says.”
As soon as she had heard it, she had all the cocks in the town killed, and all the bells tied up: and the next morning she carried the babe into the kitchen herself. No sooner had she sat down than the dove alighted on her shoulder. She unswaddled the baby, and the little thing stretched out its tiny arms in joy at feeling itself free. As it did so, it touched the dove, who was instantly changed into a handsome young man. The queen knew him for her son, the poor woman for her husband, and there was great feasting and joy in all the palace. If they’re not alive, they must be dead: if they’re not dead, they’re still living.
TERESINA, LUISA, AND THE BEAR
Clementina had been doing her shopping in the village and now the two children and I were walking home with her. It was near the time of sunset, and the Apennines, blue-purple as the sun gradually dropped behind them, unrolled themselves before us, chain behind chain, as we advanced along the road with the valley on the left and the chestnut-covered hill on the right.
“A story, nonna mia,” begged I, and “A story,” echoed the children: “tell us the story about Teresina.” So Clementina began: —
Once there was a woman who had two daughters: at least, one was a daughter, and the other a step-daughter. Now the daughter, named Luisa, was ugly and wicked: but the step-daughter, Teresina, was so good and beautiful that everybody loved her. This made Luisa very jealous, and she began to think what she might do to get rid of Teresina. One evening she said to her mother: —
“Mother, send Teresina into the woodhouse to-night, so that the bear may come and eat her while she’s alone in the forest.”
So the mother gave Teresina a piece of dry bread and said to her: —
“Take your distaff and go and spin wool in the woodhouse to-night.”
“Very well,” said Teresina, and went out into the forest; and the dog and the cat went with her.
When she got into the woodhouse she shut the door, pulled out her piece of bread, and began to eat her supper.
“Miaou, miaou,” said pussy, and patted her arm.
“Ah, poor little pussy, are you hungry too? Here’s a piece of bread for you.”
“Bow-wow,” said the dog, and put his front paws on her knee.
“Yes, little one, here’s a piece for you too, you must be hungry, I’m sure.”
When she had finished her bread she began to spin, but she had not been at work long when she heard a knock at the door.
“Who’s there?”
“The bear,” was the answer.
“Oh dear, what shall I do?” said Teresina.
“Tell him you’ll let him in when he brings you a dress like the sun,” said the dog.
So Teresina did as she was advised; and the bear went in a very short time to Paris, and came back with a dress as beautiful as the sun.
“Tell him he must bring one like the moon,” said the cat.
The bear brought that too.
“Now ask for one like the sky with the stars in it,” said the dog: and the bear soon came back with that as well.
“What shall I do now?” asked Teresina.
“You must ask for a nice silk handkerchief for your head.”
So the bear brought the most beautiful that ever was seen.
“What
