e you not found a cord and bucket?" The devil answered: "No, I
have not found them; but come here, my child, come here." But when she
heard that he had not found her bucket, she said: "No, I will go on."
She knocked at the Madonna's door. "Have you not found a cord and
bucket?" The Madonna said that she had. "I am going away: you will give
my son his broth, and then you will sweep. When I return I will give you
your bucket." Instead of giving the broth to the child, the bad girl
ate it herself. "Oh!" she said, "how good it was!" She swept and found a
great deal of dirt. "Oh, poor me! My sister found so many pretty
things!" The Madonna returned. "Have you done what I told you?" "Yes."
"Do you wish the brass or silver thimble?" "Oh! I want the silver one!"
She gave her the brass one. "Do you want the calico dress or the silk
one?" "Give me the silk dress." She gave her the calico dress. "Here is
your bucket and cord. When you are out of here, look up into the air."
When she was out she looked up into the air and there fell on her
forehead a lump of dirt that soiled her whole face. She went home in a
rage to weep and scold her sister because she had had the star, while
she had that dirt on her face. Her mother began to wash her face and rub
it; and the more she did so the less the dirt went away. Then the mother
said: "I understand; the Madonna has done this to show me that I loved
the bad girl and neglected the good one."[2]

* * * * *

In other versions (mentioned in the note to the above story) the two
sisters receive different gifts from the fairies. In a Sicilian tale
(Pitre, No. 62) it is the children of unlike sisters who receive the
gifts: the one, beauty. When she combs her hair jewels fall from it;
when she washes the water becomes full of fishes; when she opens her
mouth flowers fall out; her cheeks are like apples; and finally she can
finish her work in a short time. The cousin receives, of course, gifts
the very reverse of the above. The story ends with the trait of "True
Bride," mentioned at length in Chapter I.

There is still a third version of the above story, which is popular in
many lands. The following example is from Florence (_Nov. fior._ p.
559), and is entitled:

XXVII. THE TWO HUMPBACKS.

There were once two companions who were humpbacks, but one more so than
the other. They were both so poor that they had not a penny to their
names. One of them said: "I will g