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<h2> The Ogre </h2>
<p>There lived, once upon a time, in the land of Marigliano, a poor woman
called Masella, who had six pretty daughters, all as upright as young
fir-trees, and an only son called Antonio, who was so simple as to be
almost an idiot. Hardly a day passed without his mother saying to him,
'What are you doing, you useless creature? If you weren't too stupid to
look after yourself, I would order you to leave the house and never to let
me see your face again.'</p>
<p>Every day the youth committed some fresh piece of folly, till at last
Masella, losing all patience, gave him a good beating, which so startled
Antonio that he took to his heels and never stopped running till it was
dark and the stars were shining in the heavens. He wandered on for some
time, not knowing where to go, and at last he came to a cave, at the mouth
of which sat an ogre, uglier than anything you can conceive.</p>
<p>He had a huge head and wrinkled brow—eyebrows that met, squinting
eyes, a flat broad nose, and a great gash of a mouth from which two huge
tusks stuck out. His skin was hairy, his arms enormous, his legs like
sword blades, and his feet as flat as ducks'. In short, he was the most
hideous and laughable object in the world.</p>
<p>But Antonio, who, with all his faults, was no coward, and was moreover a
very civil-spoken lad, took off his hat, and said: 'Good-day, sir; I hope
you are pretty well. Could you kindly tell me how far it is from here to
the place where I wish to go?'</p>
<p>When the ogre heard this extraordinary question he burst out laughing, and
as he liked the youth's polite manners he said to him: 'Will you enter my
service?'</p>
<p>'What wages do you give?' replied Antonio.</p>
<p>'If you serve me faithfully,' returned the ogre, 'I'll be bound you'll get
enough wages to satisfy you.'</p>
<p>So the bargain was struck, and Antonio agreed to become the ogre's
servant. He was very well treated, in every way, and he had little or no
work to do, with the result that in a few days he became as fat as a
quail, as round as a barrel, as red as a lobster, and as impudent as a
bantam-cock.</p>
<p>But, after two years, the lad got weary of this idle life, and longed
desperately to visit his home again. The ogre, who could see into his
heart and knew how unhappy he was, said to him one day: 'My dear Antonio,
I know how much you long to see your mother and sisters again, and because
I love you as the apple of my eye, I am willing to allow you to go home
for a visit. Therefore, take this donkey, so that you may not have to go
on foot; but see that you never say "Bricklebrit" to him, for if you do
you'll be sure to regret it.'</p>
<p>Antonio took the beast without as much as saying thank you, and jumping on
its back he rode away in great haste; but he hadn't gone two hundred yards
when he dismounted and called out 'Bricklebrit.'</p>
<p>No sooner had he pronounced the word than the donkey opened its mouth and
poured forth rubies, emeralds, diamonds and pearls, as big as walnuts.</p>
<p>Antonio gazed in amazement at the sight of such wealth, and joyfully
filling a huge sack with the precious stones, he mounted the donkey again
and rode on till he came to an inn. Here he got down, and going straight
to the landlord, he said to him: 'My good man, I must ask you to stable
this donkey for me. Be sure you give the poor beast plenty of oats and
hay, but beware of saying the word "Bricklebrit" to him, for if you do I
can promise you will regret it. Take this heavy sack, too, and put it
carefully away for me.'</p>
<p>The landlord, who was no fool, on receiving this strange warning, and
seeing the precious stones sparkling through the canvas of the sack, was
most anxious to see what would happen if he used the forbidden word. So he
gave Antonio an excellent dinner, with a bottle of fine old wine, and
prepared a comfortable bed for him. As soon as he saw the poor simpleton
close his eyes and had heard his lusty snores, he hurried to the stables
and said to the donkey 'Bricklebrit,' and the animal as usual poured out
any number of precious stones.</p>
<p>When the landlord saw all these treasures he longed to get possession of
so valuable an animal, and determined to steal the donkey from his foolish
guest. As soon as it was light next morning Antonio awoke, and having
rubbed his eyes and stretched himself about a hundred times he called the
landlord and said to him: 'Come here, my friend, and produce your bill,
for short reckonings make long friends.'</p>
<p>When Antonio had paid his account he went to the stables and took out his
donkey, as he thought, and fastening a sack of gravel, which the landlord
had substituted for his precious stones, on the creature's back, he set
out for his home.</p>
<p>No sooner had he arrived there than he called out: 'Mother, come quickly,
and bring table-cloths and sheets with you, and spread them out on the
ground, and you will soon see what wonderful treasures I have brought
you.'</p>
<p>His mother hurried into the house, and opening the linen-chest where she
kept her daughters' wedding outfits, she took out table-cloths and sheets
made of the finest linen, and spread them flat and smooth on the ground.
Antonio placed the donkey on them, and called out 'Bricklebrit.' But this
time he met with no success, for the donkey took no more notice of the
magic word than he would have done if a lyre had been twanged in his ear.
Two, three, and four times did Antonio pronounce 'Bricklebrit,' but all in
vain, and he might as well have spoken to the wind.</p>
<p>Disgusted and furious with the poor creature, he seized a thick stick and
began to beat it so hard that he nearly broke every bone in its body. The
miserable donkey was so distracted at such treatment that, far from
pouring out precious stones, it only tore and dirtied all the fine linen.</p>
<p>When poor Masella saw her table-cloths and sheets being destroyed, and
that instead of becoming rich she had only been made a fool of, she seized
another stick and belaboured Antonio so unmercifully with it, that he fled
before her, and never stopped till he reached the ogre's cave.</p>
<p>When his master saw the lad returning in such a sorry plight, he
understood at once what had happened to him, and making no bones about the
matter, he told Antonio what a fool he had been to allow himself to be so
imposed upon by the landlord, and to let a worthless animal be palmed off
on him instead of his magic donkey.</p>
<p>Antonio listened humbly to the ogre's words, and vowed solemnly that he
would never act so foolishly again. And so a year passed, and once more
Antonio was overcome by a fit of home-sickness, and felt a great longing
to see his own people again.</p>
<p>Now the ogre, although he was so hideous to look upon, had a very kind
heart, and when he saw how restless and unhappy Antonio was, he at once
gave him leave to go home on a visit. At parting he gave him a beautiful
table-cloth, and said: 'Give this to your mother; but see that you don't
lose it as you lost the donkey, and till you are safely in your own house
beware of saying "Table-cloth, open," and "Table-cloth, shut." If you do,
the misfortune be on your own head, for I have given you fair warning.'</p>
<p>Antonio set out on his journey, but hardly had he got out of sight of the
cave than he laid the table-cloth on the ground and said, 'Table-cloth,
open.' In an instant the table-cloth unfolded itself and disclosed a whole
mass of precious stones and other treasures.</p>
<p>When Antonio perceived this he said, 'Table-cloth, shut,' and continued
his journey. He came to the same inn again, and calling the landlord to
him, he told him to put the table-cloth carefully away, and whatever he
did not to say 'Table-cloth, open,' or 'Table-cloth, shut,' to it.</p>
<p>The landlord, who was a regular rogue, answered, 'Just leave it to me, I
will look after it as if it were my own.'</p>
<p>After he had given Antonio plenty to eat and drink, and had provided him
with a comfortable bed, he went straight to the table-cloth and said,
'Table-cloth, open.' It opened at once, and displayed such costly
treasures that the landlord made up his mind on the spot to steal it.</p>
<p>When Antonio awoke next morning, the host handed him over a table-cloth
exactly like his own, and carrying it carefully over his arm, the foolish
youth went straight to his mother's house, and said: 'Now we shall be rich
beyond the dreams of avarice, and need never go about in rags again, or
lack the best of food.'</p>
<p>With these words he spread the table-cloth on the ground and said,
'Table-cloth, open.'</p>
<p>But he might repeat the injunction as often as he pleased, it was only
waste of breath, for nothing happened. When Antonio saw this he turned to
his mother and said: 'That old scoundrel of a landlord has done me once
more; but he will live to repent it, for if I ever enter his inn again, I
will make him suffer for the loss of my donkey and the other treasures he
has robbed me of.'</p>
<p>Masella was in such a rage over her fresh disappointment that she could
not restrain her impatience, and, turning on Antonio, she abused him
soundly, and told him to get out of her sight at once, for she would never
acknowledge him as a son of hers again. The poor boy was very depressed by
her words, and slunk back to his master like a dog with his tail between
his legs. When the ogre saw him, he guessed at once what had happened. He
gave Antonio a good scolding, and said, 'I don't know what prevents me
smashing your head in, you useless ne'er-do-well! You blurt everything
out, and your long tongue never ceases wagging for a moment. If you had
remained silent in the inn this misfortune would never have overtaken you,
so you have only yourself to blame for your present suffering.'</p>
<p>Antonio listened to his master's words in silence, looking for all the
world like a whipped dog. When he had been three more years in the ogre's
service he had another bad fit of home-sickness, and longed very much to
see his mother and sisters again.</p>
<p>So he asked for permission to go home on a visit, and it was at once
granted to him. Before he set out on his journey the ogre presented him
with a beautifully carved stick and said, 'Take this stick as a
remembrance of me; but beware of saying, "Rise up, Stick," and "Lie down,
Stick," for if you do, I can only say I wouldn't be in your shoes for
something.'</p>
<p>Antonio took the stick and said, 'Don't be in the least alarmed, I'm not
such a fool as you think, and know better than most people what two and
two make.'</p>
<p>'I'm glad to hear it,' replied the ogre, 'but words are women, deeds are
men. You have heard what I said, and forewarned is forearmed.'</p>
<p>This time Antonio thanked his master warmly for all his kindness, and
started on his homeward journey in great spirits; but he had not gone half
a mile when he said 'Rise up, Stick.'</p>
<p>The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stick rose and began to
rain down blows on poor Antonio's back with such lightning-like rapidity
that he had hardly strength to call out, 'Lie down, Stick;' but as soon as
he uttered the words the stick lay down, and ceased beating his back black
and blue.</p>
<p>Although he had learnt a lesson at some cost to himself, Antonio was full
of joy, for he saw a way now of revenging himself on the wicked landlord.
Once more he arrived at the inn, and was received in the most friendly and
hospitable manner by his host. Antonio greeted him cordially, and said:
'My friend, will you kindly take care of this stick for me? But, whatever
you do, don't say "Rise up, Stick." If you do, you will be sorry for it,
and you needn't expect any sympathy from me.'</p>
<p>The landlord, thinking he was coming in for a third piece of good fortune,
gave Antonio an excellent supper; and after he had seen him comfortably to
bed, he ran to the stick, and calling to his wife to come and see the fun,
he lost no time in pronouncing the words 'Rise up, Stick.'</p>
<p>The moment he spoke the stick jumped up and beat the landlord so
unmercifully that he and his wife ran screaming to Antonio, and, waking
him up, pleaded for mercy.</p>
<p>When Antonio saw how successful his trick had been, he said: 'I refuse to
help you, unless you give me all that you have stolen from me, otherwise
you will be beaten to death.'</p>
<p>The landlord, who felt himself at death's door already, cried out: 'Take
back your property, only release me from this terrible stick;' and with
these words he ordered the donkey, the table-cloth, and other treasures to
be restored to their rightful owner.</p>
<p>As soon as Antonio had recovered his belongings he said 'Stick, lie down,'
and it stopped beating the landlord at once.</p>
<p>Then he took his donkey and table-cloth and arrived safely at his home
with them. This time the magic words had the desired effect, and the
donkey and table-cloth provided the family with treasures untold. Antonio
very soon married off his sister, made his mother rich for life, and they
all lived happily for ever after.</p>
<p>[From the Italian, Kletke.]</p>
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