ok through a window. "Do you see this
great palace? There are three seats there; one for you, one for your
master, and one for your mistress." After this she took him to the gate.
The horse was no longer there. "Now," said Vincenzo, "how shall I find
my way back? I will follow the tracks of the horse, and so will get
home." The lady answered: "Close your eyes!" Vincenzo closed his eyes,
and found himself behind his master's door. When he entered he told all
that had occurred to his master and mistress. When he had finished his
story all three died and went to paradise.[18]

The most famous story of the class we are now considering is, however,
the one best known by its French title, "_Bonhomme Misere._" The French
version was popular as a chap-book as early as 1719, running through
fifteen editions from that date. The editor of the reprint referred to
in the note, as well as Grimm (II. 451), believed the story to be of
Italian origin and that the original would some day be discovered.[19]
This has proved to be the case, and we have now before us a number of
versions. These may be divided into two classes: one independent, the
other constituting a part only of some other story. The latter class is
generally connected with the cycle of our Lord's journeys upon earth,
and is represented by "The Master Thief" and "Brother Lustig" in
Germany, and "Beppo Pipetta" from Venice. The Sicilian versions which we
shall mention first, although independent stories, are connected with
the cycle of our Lord's journeys upon earth. We give first two versions
from Pitre (Nos. 124, 125).

LXIII. OCCASION.

Once upon a time there was a father and a mother who had a little boy.
They died and the child was left in the street. One of the neighbors had
pity upon him and took him in. The boy throve well and when he had grown
up the one who had sheltered him said: "Come now, Occasion (for this was
the boy's name), you are a man; why do you not think about supporting
yourself and relieving us from that care?" So the lad made up a bundle
and departed. He journeyed and journeyed until his clothes were worn out
and he was almost dead from hunger. One day he saw an inn and entered
it, and said to the innkeeper: "Do you want me for a servant? I wish
only a piece of bread for my wages." The host said to his wife: "What do
you say, Rosella? We have no children; shall we take this lad?" "Yes;"
and so they took him.

The boy was very attentive and did