og, and heard footsteps stirring in the house. Cienzo, who was
bold and venturesome, seized his sword and began to lay about him in
the dark; but perceiving that he was only striking the wind and hit no
one, he turned round again to sleep. After a few minutes he felt
himself pulled gently by the foot. He turned to lay hold again of his
cutlass, and jumping up, exclaimed, "Hollo there! you are getting too
troublesome; but leave off this sport and let's have a bout of it if
you have any pluck, for you have found the last to your shoe!"

At these words he heard a shout of laughter and then a hollow voice
saying, "Come down here and I will tell you who I am." Then Cienzo,
without losing courage, answered, "Wait awhile, I'll come." So he
groped about until at last he found a ladder which led to a cellar;
and, going down, he saw a lighted lamp, and three ghost-looking figures
who were making a piteous clamour, crying, "Alas, my beauteous
treasure, I must lose thee!"

When Cienzo saw this he began himself to cry and lament, for company's
sake; and after he had wept for some time, the Moon having now, with
the axe of her rays broken the bar of the Sky, the three figures who
were making the outcry said to Cienzo, "Take this treasure, which is
destined for thee alone, but mind and take care of it." Then they
vanished. And Cienzo, espying the sunlight through a hole in the wall,
wished to climb up again, but could not find the ladder, whereat he set
up such a cry that the master of the tower heard him and fetched a
ladder, when they discovered a great treasure. He wished to give part
of it to Cienzo, but the latter refused; and taking his dog and
mounting once more on his horse set out again on his travels.

After a while he arrived at a wild and dreary forest, so dark that it
made you shudder. There, upon the bank of a river, he found a fairy
surrounded by a band of robbers. Cienzo, seeing the wicked intention of
the robbers, seized his sword and soon made a slaughter of them. The
fairy showered thanks upon him for this brave deed done for her sake,
and invited him to her palace that she might reward him. But Cienzo
replied, "It is nothing at all; thank you kindly. Another time I will
accept the favour; but now I am in haste, on business of importance!"

So saying he took his leave; and travelling on a long way he came at
last to the palace of a King, which was all hung with mourning, so that
it made one's heart black to look