w to suffer a constant want of bread; for
it is the will of Heaven that--

"He who shows no pity finds none."

XXIV

THE SEVEN DOVES

He who gives pleasure meets with it: kindness is the bond of friendship
and the hook of love: he who sows not reaps not; of which truth Ciulla
has given you the foretaste of example, and I will give you the
dessert, if you will bear in mind what Cato says, "Speak little at
table." Therefore have the kindness to lend me your ears awhile; and
may Heaven cause them to stretch continually, to listen to pleasant and
amusing things.

There was once in the county of Arzano a good woman who every year gave
birth to a son, until at length there were seven of them, who looked
like the pipes of the god Pan, with seven reeds, one larger than
another. And when they had changed their first teeth, they said to
Jannetella their mother, "Hark ye, mother, if, after so many sons, you
do not this time have a daughter, we are resolved to leave home, and go
wandering through the world like the sons of the blackbirds."

When their mother heard this sad announcement, she prayed Heaven to
remove such an intention from her sons, and prevent her losing seven
such jewels as they were. And when the hour of the birth was at hand,
the sons said to Jannetella, "We will retire to the top of yonder hill
or rock opposite; if you give birth to a son, put an inkstand and a pen
up at the window; but if you have a little girl, put up a spoon and a
distaff. For if we see the signal of a daughter, we shall return home
and spend the rest of our lives under your wings; but if we see the
signal of a son, then forget us, for you may know that we have taken
ourselves off."

Soon after the sons had departed it pleased Heaven that Jannetella
should bring forth a pretty little daughter; then she told the nurse to
make the signal to the brothers, but the woman was so stupid and
confused that she put up the inkstand and the pen. As soon as the seven
brothers saw this signal, they set off, and walked on and on, until at
the end of three years they came to a wood, where the trees were
performing the sword-dance to the sound of a river which made music
upon the stones. In this wood was the house of an ogre whose eyes
having been blinded whilst asleep by a woman, he was such an enemy to
the sex that he devoured all whom he could catch.

When the youths arrived at the ogre's house, tired out with walking and
exhausted with