tick has
beaten him. Where is the stick? The fire has burned it. Where is the
fire? The water has quenched it. Where is the water? The ox has drunk
it. Where is the ox? Out in the fields. Who is behind there? My friend
Matthew. What has he in his hand? A piece of bread. What has he on his
feet? A pair of torn shoes. What has he on his back? A whale. What has
he in his belly? A balance. What has he on his head? A cap upside down."

The choice of objects is determined by the rhyme, _e. g._:--

"Cosa g'alo in schena?
Na balena.
Cosa g'alo in panza?
Una balanza."

The second poetical version is from Turin, and is given by Foa, _op.
cit._ p. 5. It begins:--

1. "A j'era' na crava
C' a pasturava,
A m' a rout 'l bout
Oh 'l bon vin c'a j'era' nt 'l me bout
L' e la crava c' a' m l' a rout!

2. "A j'e riva-ie l' luv
L' a mangia la crava
C' a pasturava
C' a m' ha rout 'l bout," etc. (_ut supra._)

The following is a literal prose translation of this curious version.

"There was a goat that was feeding, it has broken my bottle. Oh, the
good wine that was in my bottle, it is the goat that has broken it! Then
came the wolf that ate the goat that was feeding, that broke my bottle,
etc. Then came the dog, that barked at the wolf, that ate the goat, etc.
Then came the stick that beat the dog, that barked at the wolf, etc.
Then came the fire that burned the stick, that beat the dog, etc. Then
came the water that quenched the fire, that burned the stick, etc. Then
came the ox, that drank the water, that quenched the fire, etc. Then
came the butcher that killed the ox, that drank the water, etc. Then
came the hangman that hung the butcher, that killed the ox, etc. Then
came death, and carried away the hangman, that hung the butcher, etc.
Then came the wind, that carried away death, that carried away the
hangman," etc.

A variant of this song reminds one more closely of the prose versions.

"Then came the hangman that hung the butcher, etc. Then came the rat
that gnawed the cord, that hung the butcher, etc. Then came the cat that
ate the rat, that gnawed the cord, etc. Then came the dog that caught
the cat, that ate the rat, that gnawed the cord," etc.

The above Italian version, it will be clearly seen, is only a popular
rendition of the Jewish hymn in the _Sepher Haggadah_. Foa, in the work
above cited, gives another version from Orio Canarese