o a palace where they will give her shelter, and where she
will find her husband. The remainder of the story is of no interest
here.[2]

In the second class of stories belonging to this myth it is the
curiosity of the husband which is punished, the best known example of
this class, out of Italy, being the beautiful French legend of
Melusina.[3] A Sicilian story in Gonzenbach, No. 16, "The Story of the
Merchant's Son Peppino," is a very close counterpart of "The King of
Love," above given. Peppino is wrecked on a rock in the sea; the rock
opens, fair maidens come out and conduct Peppino to a beautiful castle
in the cave. There a maiden visits him at night only. After a time
Peppino wishes to see his parents, and his wife allows him to depart,
with the promise to return at a certain date. His parents, after hearing
his story, give him a candle with which to see his wife. Everything
happens as in the first story; the castle disappears, and Peppino finds
himself on the top of a snow-covered mountain. He recovers his wife only
after the lapse of many years and the accomplishment of many difficult
tasks.[4]

The third class, generally known by the title of "Beauty and the Beast,"
is best represented by a story from Montale (near Pistoja), called:

II. ZELINDA AND THE MONSTER.

There was once a poor man who had three daughters; and as the youngest
was the fairest and most civil, and had the best disposition, her other
two sisters envied her with a deadly envy, although her father, on the
contrary, loved her dearly. It happened that in a neighboring town, in
the month of January, there was a great fair, and that poor man was
obliged to go there to lay in the provisions necessary for the support
of his family; and before departing he asked his three daughters if
they would like some small presents in proportion, you understand, to
his means. Rosina wished a dress, Marietta asked him for a shawl, but
Zelinda was satisfied with a handsome rose. The poor man set out on his
journey early the next day, and when he arrived at the fair quickly
bought what he needed, and afterward easily found Rosina's dress and
Marietta's shawl; but at that season he could not find a rose for his
Zelinda, although he took great pains in looking everywhere for one.
However, anxious to please his dear Zelinda, he took the first road he
came to, and after journeying a while arrived at a handsome garden
inclosed by high walls; but as the gate was par