* * *

The next is from the same source.

Once upon a time there was a king, a pope, and a dwarf.... This king,
this pope, and this dwarf....

(Then the story-teller begins again).

* * * * *

But it is time to give some of the stories that are told to the good
children. The first is from Pitre (No. 130) and is called:

LXXVI. DON FIRRIULIEDDU.

Once upon a time there was a farmer who had a daughter who used to take
his dinner to him in the fields. One day he said to her: "So that you
may find me I will sprinkle bran along the way; you follow the bran, and
you will come to me."

By chance the old ogre passed that way, and seeing the bran, said: "This
means something." So he took the bran and scattered it so that it led to
his own house.

When the daughter set out to take her father his dinner, she followed
the bran until she came to the ogre's house. When the ogre saw the young
girl, he said: "You must be my wife." Then she began to weep. When the
father saw that his daughter did not appear, he went home in the
evening, and began to search for her; and not finding her, he asked God
to give him a son or a daughter.

A year after, he had a son whom they called "_Don Firriulieddu_." When
the child was three days old it spoke, and said: "Have you made me a
cloak? Now give me a little dog and the cloak, for I must look for my
sister." So he set out and went to seek his sister.

After a while he came to a plain where he saw a number of men, and
asked: "Whose cattle are these?" The herdsman replied: "They belong to
the ogre, who fears neither God nor the saints, who fears _Don
Firriulieddu_, who is three days old and is on the way, and gives his
dog bread and says: 'Eat, my dog, and do not bark, for we have fine
things to do.'"

Afterwards he saw a flock of sheep, and asked: "Whose are these sheep?"
and received the same answer as from the herdsman. Then he arrived at
the ogre's house and knocked, and his sister opened the door and saw the
child. "Who are you looking for?" she said. "I am looking for you, for I
am your brother, and you must return to mamma."

When the ogre heard that _Don Firriulieddu_ was there, he went and hid
himself up-stairs. _Don Firriulieddu_ asked his sister: "Where is the
ogre?" "Up-stairs." _Don Firriulieddu_ said to his dog: "Go up-stairs
and bark, and I will follow you." The dog went up and barked, and
_Firriulieddu_ followed him, and k