ake me and kill me!" Then he said: "Enough;
I will go ahead." As soon as they saw him they cried: "Stop! Your money
or your life!" The poor fellow said: "Brothers, what would you have me
give you? Money I have not. I am very hungry. I have nothing but these
three birds. If you want them I will give them to you." "Very well,"
they said; "eat and drink; we will eat the birds." They took the birds,
picked them, skinned them, roasted them over the coals, and said to the
youth: "We will not give you any of these; you can eat the others." They
ate them, and all seven fell down dead. When the youth saw that they did
not stir, but were dead, he said: "Well, well! _Bierde dead has killed
three, and these three have killed seven!_" He rose and went away after
he had made a good meal. On the way he felt hungry again, and sat down
under a tree, and began to eat. When he got up he saw a beautiful
canary-bird on the top of another tree. He took up a stone and threw at
it. The bird flew away. Now, behind this tree was a hare, big with
young, and it happened that the stone fell on it and killed it. The
youth went to see where the stone fell, and when he saw the dead hare he
said: "Well, well! _I threw it at the canary-bird and the stone killed
the hare!_ I will take it with me. If I had the fire that those robbers
left I would cook it." He went on until he came to a church, in which he
found a lighted lamp and a missal. So he skinned the hare, and made a
fire with the missal, and roasted and ate the hare. Then he continued
his journey until he came to the foot of a mountain, where the sea was.
On the shore he saw two persons with a boat, who ferried over those who
wished to reach the other shore, because one could not go on foot on
account of the great dust, which was suffocating. The price for crossing
was three _soldi_. The youth said to the owners of the bark: "How much
do you want to set me down on the other bank?" "Three _soldi_." "Take me
across, brothers; I will give you two, for I have no more." They
replied: "_Two do not enter if there are not three._" He repeated his
offer and they made the same answer. Then he said: "Very well. I will
stay here." And he remained there. In a moment, however, there came up a
shower, and laid the dust, and he went on. He reached a city, and found
it in great confusion. He asked: "What is the matter here, that there
are so many people?" They answered: "It is the governor's daughter, who
guesses ev