King, "to free you from the claws of this
syren?"

"The way," replied Marziella, "would be to cut this chain with a smooth
file, and to loose me from it."

"Wait till to-morrow morning," answered the King; "I will then come
with all that is needful, and take you home with me, where you shall be
the pupil of my eye, the core of my heart, and the life of my soul."
And then exchanging a shake of the hands as the earnest-money of their
love, she went back into the water and he into the fire--and into such
a fire indeed that he had not an hour's rest the whole day long. And
when the black old hag of the Night came forth to have a country-dance
with the Stars, he never closed an eye, but lay ruminating in his
memory over the beauties of Marziella, discoursing in thought of the
marvels of her hair, the miracles of her mouth, and the wonders of her
feet; and applying the gold of her graces to the touchstone of
judgment, he found that it was four-and-twenty carats fine. But he
upbraided the Night for not leaving off her embroidery of the Stars,
and chided the Sun for not arriving with the chariot of light to enrich
his house with the treasure he longed for--a mine of gold which
produced pearls, a pearl-shell from which sprang flowers.

But whilst he was thus at sea, thinking of her who was all the while in
the sea, behold the pioneers of the Sun appeared, who smooth the road
along which he has to pass with the army of his rays. Then the King
dressed himself, and went with Ciommo to the seashore, where he found
Marziella; and the King with his own hand cut the chain from the foot
of the beloved object with the file which they had brought, but all the
while he forged a still stronger one for his heart; and setting her on
the saddle behind him, she who was already fixed on the saddle of his
heart, he set out for the royal palace, where by his command all the
handsome ladies of the land were assembled, who received Marziella as
their mistress with all due honour. Then the King married her, and
there were great festivities; and among all the casks which were burnt
for the illuminations, the King ordered that Troccola should be shut up
in a tub, and made to suffer for the treachery she had shown to
Marziella. Then sending for Luceta, he gave her and Ciommo enough to
live upon like princes; whilst Puccia, driven out of the kingdom,
wandered about as a beggar; and, as the reward of her not having sown a
little bit of cake, she had no