t this shop
could sell so many eggs as she did, or whence she obtained them, for she
was never seen in the market buying any, nor were they brought to her;
whence they concluded that she was a witch and an egg-maker, and this
scandal was especially spread by her rivals in business. But others
found her a very good person, of kindly manner, and it was noted in time
that she not only did a great deal of good in charity, and that her eggs
were not only always fresh and warm, but that many persons who had drunk
them when ill had been at once relieved, and recovered in consequence.
And the name of this egg-wife was Furicchia.

"Now there was an old lady who had gone down in the world or become poor,
and she too had set up a shop to sell eggs, but did not succeed, chiefly
because everybody went to Furicchia. And this made the former more
intent than ever to discover the secret, and she at once went to work to
find it out.

"Every morning early, when Furicchia rose, she went out of doors, and
then the hen carved over the door came down as a beautiful white fowl,
who told her all the slanders and gossip which people spread about her,
and what effort was being made to discover her secret. And one day it
said:

"'There is the Signora who was once rich and who is now poor, and who has
sworn to find out thy secret how thou canst have so many eggs to sell,
since no one sees thee buy any, and how it comes that invalids and
bewitched children are at once cured by the virtue of those eggs. So she
hopes to bring thee to death, and to get all thy trade.

"'But, dear Furicchia, this shall never be, because I will save thee. I
well remember how, when I was a little chicken, and the poultry dealer
had bought me, and was about to wring my neck--b'r'r'r!--I shudder when I
think of it!--when thou didst save my life, and I will ever be grateful
to thee, and care for thy fortune.

"'Now I will tell thee what to do. Thou shalt to-morrow take a pot and
fill it with good wine and certain drugs, and boil them well, and leave
it all hot in thy room, and then go forth, and for the rest I will
provide. _Addio_, Furicchia!' And saying this, the hen went back into
her accustomed place.

"So the next morning, Furicchia, having left the wine boiling, went forth
at ten o'clock, and she was hardly gone ere the Signora, her rival,
entered the place and called for the mistress, but got no answer. Then
she went into the house, but saw nothing mo