"So enter, side by side, ye two,
             As equal guests; or enter not.
       For here is neither high nor low,
             But unto all one equal lot.

      "And unto each the same degree;
            Nor first nor last, nor great nor small:
       All children of one sire are we,
            Thought is the father of us all!"

         SOME ITALIAN NOVELLE.

   IN TWO CHAPTERS. CHAPTER II.
         THE WOODEN BRIDE.

THERE was once upon a time a man who
had an only daughter who was exceedingly
plain. His one wish in life was to marry
her well, but of this he saw no chance, as
long as she was seen, and as long as suitors
had eyes to see. After much reflection on
the subject, he ordered a wooden case to be
made, quite the shape of her body, only a
better shape; and he likewise ordered an
empty wax head, or rather face, to put on it.
Thus covered, she was to sit at her window
whenever the king's son chanced to pass.
The wax face was a very lovely one. It
had large blue eyes, a tiny red mouth, a
splendid complexion, of course; and from
the head fell a shower of golden hair, which
in the sunlight seemed really threads of
gold. Whenever the king's son passed
under the windows, he would raise his
velvet cap, ornamented by a long white
feather, and the fair lady bowed her head
graciously, and thus the courtship went on.
After a little time, the prince told his father
that he had fallen in love with a most
beautiful girl, and although from the
appearance of her house he thought she
must be poor, yet he knew he would
be happier with her than with any princess.
The old king answered that he could only
give his consent when he had seen the
bride. He therefore asked where the
cottage was, in which she lived, and he went
there very early next morning. Now, the
girl had not yet put on her wax head and
her fine clothes, because she could only
keep them on a certain time; so the king
thought her frightful, and when he returned
home he begged his son most earnestly not
to think of the young woman, assuring
him that, if he thought her beautiful, there
must be some supernatural error in his
sight. The son returned, however, under
the window, and, having satisfied himself
of the lady's beauty, went in and asked her
father for her hand. How readily it was
granted may be imagined. The only
condition made, was, that the bride should
be conveyed in the evening to her future
home. The wedding took place that same
day. The bride looked still more lovely
through her threefold veils, and it was
almost night when she was escorted to the
palace and left there.

The king's son soon found out how he
had been cheated, and without waiting to
hear his father say, "I warned you,
my son," and without scolding his wife, he
simply started off to another palace he
possessed at some miles distance, and there
shortly afterwards married another wife.
The wooden bride was dreadfully vexed at
the turn matters had taken; but as she was
a very sensible woman, and was besides a
little bit of a witch, she said nothing, and
bided her time. In the mean while she made
herself as agreeable as she could to the old
king, and he was quite touched by her
resignation. They lived thus very quietly for one
month; at the end of which the bride went
down to the oven, and, calling one of the
servants, said, "Stay by me, and look on."
She then called out, "Wood, wood!" and the
wood came. "Go into the oven!" and the
wood went. "Flint, flint, light the fire!"
and the flint went and rubbed itself against
the brick walls and lighted the fire. "Fire,
burn!" and the flame burned brightly. She
then took a dish, laid it in the oven, and,
running her hand round the inside of the
dish, presented it to the servant. To his
wonder, he saw that it then contained
three large fish. One was red, and one was
green, and the third was golden.

"Take these," she said, "to the prince,
my husband, and tell him I bear him no
rancour, and I wish him well."

Off started the servant, and, after a day's
journey, arrived at the palace of the
prince. As he knocked at the gate, the
prince's new wife looked out, and asked
whence he came? He uncovered the dish.

"What beautiful fish!" she exclaimed.
"Who sends it?"

"The prince's wife, to the prince."

"Wait a moment; I want to hear all
about it." So down she came. "You say
the prince's first wife sent this? Poor
thing!  It is very kind of her indeed."

"Yes," answered the servant, "and
what is more wonderful, she made them
herself."

"Of course," answered the bride at
once. "Every one knows how to make
them. I often made such fish at my
father's court."

"Yes," continued the servant, "she told
the wood to go into the oven, and it wen;
and she told the flint to light the fire, and