the　world；　but　if　the　Queen　wished　for　the　little　coach；　she　must　allow　her　to　pass　one　night　at　the　door　of　Pintosmalto's　chamber。
  The　Queen　was　amazed　at　the　folly　of　the　poor　girl；　who　although　she　was　all　in　rags　would　nevertheless　give　up　such　riches　for　a　mere　whim；　however；　she　resolved　to　take　the　good　mouthful　offered　her；　and；　by　giving　Pintosmalto　a　sleeping…draught；　　to　satisfy　the　poor　girl　but　pay　her　in　bad　coin。
  As　soon　as　the　Night　was　come；　when　the　stars　in　the　sky　and　the　glowworms　on　the　earth　were　to　pass　in　review；　the　Queen　gave　a　sleeping…draught　to　Pintosmalto；　who　did　everything　he　was　told；　and　sent　him　to　bed。　And　no　sooner　had　he　thrown　himself　on　the　mattress　than　he　fell　as　sound　asleep　as　a　dormouse。　Poor　Betta；　who　thought　that　night　to　relate　all　her　past　troubles；　seeing　now　that　she　had　no　audience；　fell　to　lamenting　beyond　measure；　blaming　herself　for　all　that　she　had　done　for　his　sake；　and　the　unhappy　girl　never　closed　her　mouth；　nor　did　the　sleeping　Pintosmalto　ever　open　his　eyes　until　the　Sun　appeared　with　the　aqua　regia　of　his　rays　to　separate　the　shades　from　the　light；　when　the　Queen　came　down；　and　taking　Pintosmalto　by　the　hand；　said　to　Betta；　〃Now　be　content。〃
  〃May　you　have　such　content　all　the　days　of　your　life！〃　replied　Betta　in　an　undertone；　〃for　I　have　passed　so　bad　a　night　that　I　shall　not　soon　forget　it。〃
  The　poor　girl；　however；　could　not　resist　her　longing；　and　resolved　to　make　trial　of　the　second　saying；　so　she　repeated　the　words；　〃Anola　tranola；　the　fountain　plays！〃　and　instantly　there　appeared　a　golden　cage；　with　a　beautiful　bird　made　of　precious　stones　and　gold；　which　sang　like　a　nightingale。　When　the　ladies　saw　this　they　went　and　told　it　to　the　Queen；　who　wished　to　see　the　bird；　then　she　asked　the　same　question　as　about　the　little　coach；　and　Betta　made　the　same　reply　as　before。　Whereupon　the　Queen；　who　perceived；　as　she　thought；　what　a　silly　creature　Betta　was；　promised　to　grant　her　request；　and　took　the　cage　with　the　bird。　And　as　soon　as　night　came　she　gave　Pintosmalto　a　sleeping…draught　as　before；　and　sent　him　to　bed。　When　Betta　saw　that　he　slept　like　a　dead　person；　she　began　again　to　wail　and　lament；　saying　things　that　would　have　moved　a　flintstone　to　compassion；　and　thus　she　passed　another　night；　full　of　trouble；　weeping　and　wailing　and　tearing　her　hair。　But　as　soon　as　it　was　day　the　Queen　came　to　fetch　her　captive；　and　left　poor　Betta　in　grief　and　sorrow；　and　biting　her　hands　with　vexation　at　the　trick　that　had　been　played　her。
  In　the　morning　when　Pintosmalto　went　to　a　garden　outside　the　city　gate　to　pluck　some　figs；　he　met　a　cobbler；　who　lived　in　a　room　close　to　where　Betta　lay　and　had　not　lost　a　word　of　all　she　had　said。　Then　he　told　Pintosmalto　of　the　weeping；　lamentation；　and　crying　of　the　unhappy　beggar…girl；　and　when　Pintosmalto；　who　already　began　to　get　a　little　more　sense；　heard　this；　he　guessed　how　matters　stood；　and　resolved　that；　if　the　same　thing　happened　again；　he　would　not　drink　what　the　Queen　gave　him。
  Betta　now　wished　to　make　the　third　trial；　so　she　said　the　words；　〃Scatola　matola；　the　sun　shines！〃　and　instantly　there　appeared　a　quantity　of　stuffs　of　silk　and　gold；　and　embroidered　scarfs；　with　a　golden　cup；　in　short；　the　Queen　herself　could　not　have　brought　together　so　many　beautiful　ornaments。　When　the　ladies　saw　these　things　they　told　their　mistress；　who　endeavoured　to　obtain　them　as　she　had　done　the　others；　but　Betta　replied　as　before；　that　if　the　Queen　wished　to　have　them　she　must　let　her　spend　the　night　at　the　door　of　the　chamber。　Then　the　Queen　said　to　herself；　〃What　can　I　lose　by　satisfying　this　silly　girl；　in　order　to　get　from　her　these　beautiful　things？〃　So　taking　all　the　treasures　which　Betta　offered　her；　as　soon　as　Night　appeared；　the　instrument　for　the　debt　contracted　with　Sleep　and　Repose　being　liquidated；　she　gave　the　sleeping…draught　to　Pintosmalto；　but　this　time　he　did　not　swallow　it；　and　making　an　excuse　to　leave　the　room；　he　spat　it　out　again；　and　then　went　to　bed。
  Betta　now　began　the　same　tune　again；　saying　how　she　had　kneaded　him　with　her　own　hands　of　sugar　and　almonds；　how　she　had　made　his　hair　of　gold；　and　his　eyes　and　mouth　of　pearls　and　precious　stones；　and　how　he　was　indebted　to　her　for　his　life；　which　the　gods　had　granted　to　her　prayers；　and　lastly　how　he　had　been　stolen　from　her；　and　she　had　gone　seeking　him　with　such　toil　and　trouble。　Then　she　went　on　to　tell　him　how　she　had　watched　two　nights　at　the　door　of　his　room；　and　for　leave　to　do　so　had　given　up　two　treasures；　and　yet　had　not　been　able　to　hear　a　single　word　from　him；　so　that　this　was　the　last　night　of　her　hopes　and　the　conclusion　of　her　life。
  When　Pintosmalto；　who　had　remained　awake；　heard　these　words；　and　called　to　mind　as　a　dream　all　that　had　passed；　he　rose　and　embraced　her；　and　as　Night　had　just　come　forth　with　her　black　mask　to　direct　the　dance　of　the　Stars；　he　went　very　quietly　into　the　chamber　of　the　Queen；　who　was　in　a　deep　sleep；　and　took　from　her　all　the　things　that　she　had　taken　from　Betta；　and　all　the　jewels　and　money　which　were　in　a　desk；　to　repay　himself　for　his　past　troubles。　Then　returning　to　his　wife；　they　set　off　that　very　hour；　and　travelled　on　and　on　until　they　arrived　at　her　father's　house；　where　they　found　him　alive　and　well；　and　from　the　joy　of　seeing　his　daughter　again　he　became　like　a　boy　of　fifteen　years。　But　when　the　Queen　found　neither　Pintosmalto；　nor　beggar…girl；　nor　jewels；　she　tore　her　hair　and　rent　her　clothes；　and　called　to　mind　the　　saying
  〃He　who　cheats　must　not　complain　if　he　be　cheated。〃
  XXVIII
  THE　GOLDEN　ROOT
  A　person　who　is　over…curious；　and　wants　to　know　more　than　he　ought；　always　carries　the　match　in　his　hand　to　set　fire　to　the　powder…room　of　his　own　fortunes；　and　he　who　pries　into　others'　affairs　is　frequently　a　loser　in　his　own；　for　generally　he　who　digs　holes　to　search　for　treasures；　comes　to　a　ditch　into　which　he　himself　fallsas　happened　to　the　daughter　of　a　gardener　in　the　following　manner。
  There　was　once　a　gardener　who　was　so　very　very　poor　that；　however　hard　he　worked；　he　could　not　manage　to　get　bread　for　his　family。　So　he　gave　three　little　pigs　to　his　three　daughters；　that　they　might　rear　them；　and　thus　get　something　for　a　little　dowry。　Then　Pascuzza　and　Cice；　who　were　the　eldest；　drove　their　little　pigs　to　feed　in　a　beautiful　meadow；　but　they　would　not　let　Parmetella；　who　was　the　youngest　daughter；　go　with　them；　and　sent　her　away；　telling　her　to　go　and　feed　her　pig　somewhere　else。　So　Parmetella　drove　her　little　animal　into　a　wood；　where　the　Shades　were　holding　out　against　the　assaults　of　the　Sun；　and　coming　to　a　pasture　in　the　middle　of　which　flowed　a　fountain；　that；　like　the　hostess　of　an　inn　where　cold　water　is　sold；　was　inviting　the　passers…by　with　its　silver　tongueshe　found　a　certain　tree　with　golden　leaves。　Then　plucking　one　of　them；　she　took　it　to　her　father；　who　with　great　joy　sold　it　for　more　than　twenty　ducats；　which　served　to　stop　up　a　hole　in　his　affairs。　And　when　he　asked　Parmetella　where　she　had　found　it；　she　said；　〃Take　it；　sir；　and　ask　no　questions；　unless　you　would　spoil　your　good　fortune。〃　The　next　day　she　returned　and　did　the　same；　and　she　went　on　plucking　the　leaves　from　the　tree　until　it　was　entirely　stript；　as　if　it　had　been　plundered　by　the　winds　of　Autumn。　Then　she　perceived　that　the　tree　had　a　large　golden　root；　which　she　could　not　pull　up　with　her　hands；　so　she　went　home；　and　fetching　an　axe　set　to　work　to　lay　bare　the　root　around　the　foot　of　the　tree；　and　raising　the　trunk　as　well　as　she　could；　she　found　under　it　a　beautiful　porphyry　staircase。
  Parmetella；　who　was　curious　beyond　measure；　went　down　the　stairs；　and　walking　through　a　large　and　deep　cavern；　she　came　to　a　beautiful　plain；　on　which　was　a　splendid　palace；　where　only　gold　and　silver　were　trodden　underfoot；　and　pearls　and　precious　stones　everywhere　met　the　eye。　And　as　Parmetella　stood　wondering　at　all　these　splendid　things；　not　seeing　any　person　moving　among　so　many　beautiful　fixtures；　she　went　into　a　chamber；　in　which　were　a　number　of　pictures；　and　on　them　were　seen　painted　various　beautiful　thingsespecially　the　ignorance　of　man　esteemed　wise；　the　injustice　of　him　who　held　the　scales；　the　injuries　avenged　by　Heaventhings　truly　to　amaze　one。　And　in　the　same　chamber　also　was　a　splendid　table；　set　out　with　things　to　eat　and　to　drink。
  Seeing　no　one；　Parmetella；　who　was　very　hungry；　sat　down　at　a　table　to　eat　like　a　fine　count；　but　whilst　she　was　in　the　midst　of　the　feast；　behold　a　handsome　Slave　entered；　who　said；　〃Stay！　do　not　go　away；　for　I　will　have　you　for　my　wife；　and　will　make　you　the　happiest　woman　in　the　world。〃　In　spite　of　her　fear；　Parmetella　took　heart　at　this　good　offer；　and　consenting　to　what　the　Slave　proposed；　a　coach　of　diamonds　was　instantly　given　her；　drawn　by　four　golden　steeds；　with　wings　of　emeralds　and　rubies；　who　carried　her　flying　through　the　air　to　take　an　airing；　and　a　number　of　apes；　clad　in　cloth　of　gold；　were　given　to　attend　on　her　person；　who　forthwith　arrayed　her　from　head　to　foot；　and　adorned　her　so　that　she　looked　just　like　a　Queen。
  When　night　was　come；　and　the　Sundesiring　to　sleep　on　the　banks　of　the　river　of　India　untroubled　by　gnatshad　put　out　the　light；