are accustomed not to comb their hair on
Friday.

There is a satirical legend, called "The Lord's Will," which relates
that when Christ came to leave the world, he was in doubt as to whom to
leave all on the earth. If he left it to the gentlemen, what would the
nobility do? if to the nobility, what would become of the gentry, and
the workmen, and the peasants? While He was reflecting, the noblemen
came and asked the Lord to give them everything, which he did. Then the
priests came; and when they were told that everything had been given to
the nobility, "Oh! the devil!" they exclaimed. "Then I leave you the
devil," said the Lord. To the monks, who, when they heard what had been
done, exclaimed, "Patience!" patience was left. The workmen cried: "What
a fraud!" and received that for their share. Finally the peasants came
and said, with resignation: "Let us do the will of God;" and that was
their portion. And this is the reason why in this world the noblemen
command, the priests are helped by the devil, the monks are patient,
workmen fraudulent, and the peasants have to do many things they don't
want to, and are obliged to submit to the will of God.[4]

St. Peter's mother is the subject of a story which has given rise to a
wide-spread proverb. She was, so runs the story, an avaricious woman,
who never was known to do good to any one. In fact, during her whole
life she never gave anything away, except the top of an onion to a
beggar woman. After her death St. Peter's mother went to hell, and the
saint begged our Lord to release her. In consideration of her one
charitable act, an angel was sent to draw her from hell with an
onion-top. The other lost spirits clutched hold of her skirts, in order
to escape with her, but the selfish woman tried to shake them off, and
in her efforts to do so broke the onion-top, and fell back into hell.
This story has given rise to the saying, "Like St. Peter's mamma," which
is found, with slight variations, all over Italy.[5]

A curious version of this story is given in Bernoni (_Leggende fant._
No. 8): After the onion-top was broken and St. Peter's mother had fallen
back into hell, the story continues: "Out of regard, however, for St.
Peter, the Lord permitted her once a year, on St. Peter's day, to leave
hell and wander about the earth a week; and, indeed, she does so every
year, and during this week she plays all sorts of pranks and causes
great trouble."[6]

St. Peter's sisters are the