e,
she clad her in a robe that was quite heavy with gold; and placing her
in a magnificent coach, accompanied with a crowd of servants, she
brought her to the King. When the King beheld her, so beautiful and
splendidly attired, he loved her as his own life; blaming himself for
all the misery he had made her endure, but excusing himself on account
of that odious goat-face which had been the cause of it. Thus Renzolla
lived happy, loving her husband, honouring the fairy, and showing
herself grateful to the old man, having learned to her cost that--

"It is always good to be mannerly."

IX

THE ENCHANTED DOE

Great is the power of friendship, which makes us willingly bear toils
and perils to serve a friend. We value our wealth as a trifle and life
as a straw, when we can give them for a friend's sake. Fables teach us
this and history is full of instances of it; and I will give you an
example which my grandmother used to relate to me. So open your ears
and shut your mouths and hear what I shall tell you.

There was once a certain King of Long-Trellis named Giannone, who,
desiring greatly to have children, continually made prayers to the gods
that they would grant his wish; and, in order to incline them the more
to his petition, he was so charitable to beggars and pilgrims that he
shared with them all he possessed. But seeing, at last, that these
things availed him nothing; and that there was no end to putting his
hand into his pocket, he bolted fast his door, and shot with a
cross-bow at all who came near.

Now it happened one day, that a long-bearded pilgrim was passing that
way, and not knowing that the King had turned over a new leaf, or
perhaps knowing it and wishing to make him change his mind again, he
went to Giannone and begged for shelter in his house. But, with a
fierce look and terrible growl, the King said to him, "If you have no
other candle than this, you may go to bed in the dark. The kittens have
their eyes open, and I am no longer a child." And when the old man
asked what was the cause of this change, the King replied, "To further
my desire for children, I have spent and lent to all who came and all
who went, and have squandered all my treasure. At last, seeing the
beard was gone, I stopped shaving and laid aside the razor."

"If that be all," replied the pilgrim, "you may set your mind at rest,
for I promise that your wish shall forthwith be fulfilled, on pain of
losing my ears."

"Be it