ve a child at last in our old age."

Poor Juan, torn with fear, hunted the woods for days, but could not
find his little sister. Convinced at last that his search was hopeless,
he went home and worked hard and in a few years became a rich man. Then
he began to consider where he could find a suitable wife. It was told
him that there was an old couple beyond three ranges of mountains
who had a beautiful daughter, and to her he determined to go.

Maria had likewise grown up, and now she was the most beautiful
damsel in many days' journey. When Juan set out on his search, it
was to the house of Maria's foster parents that he was bound.

Arriving there, he called to those within, "Honorable people," and the
old man said, "Come in;" but Juan remained without until the third
invitation. Passing within, he likewise would not sit down till he
had been asked three times.

Seating himself on a bench, he told the old man that he had come to
marry his daughter, and the old man told him he might if he could show
that he had enough money. As Juan was rich, this did not take long
to do, and after a few days Juan and Maria were married, not knowing
their relationship. They lived happily together, and a daughter was
born to them. This child, like her mother, was very beautiful.

One day, as the little girl was playing by the river, a crab came to
the edge of the water and said,--

"Beautiful art thou,
More beautiful than any other,
But thou art the child
Of sister and brother."

Horrified, the child ran to her mother, and then the parents began
to talk over the events of their childhood and found that they were
indeed sister and brother.

They went to Maria's foster father to ask what they must do, and he
told them they must live apart; and then they went to the archbishop,
who told them that they might live lawfully together, as the sacrament
of marriage was above all, but, after much thought, they decided that
they must live apart, and Maria went back to her foster father.

Thus by a sinless crime were their lives saddened forever.

CHAPTER 12

The Fifty-one Thieves.

There were once two brothers, Juan and Pedro. Pedro was rich and was
the elder, but Juan was very poor and gained his living by cutting
wood. Juan became so poor at last that he was forced to ask alms
from his brother, or what was only the same thing, a loan. After
much pleading, Pedro gave his brother enough rice for a single meal,
but repenting of