it did; and she told the fire to burn, an
it did; and she put the dish in the oven
and ran her hand round inside it, and then
there were the three fishes."

"Of course," interrupted the bride, "we
always did like that, at my father's court
Pray stay, and look on, while I do the
same."

So she called, "Wood, wood!" but it
never came; so she had to put it in the
oven herself. Then she told the flint to
light the fire, but it did nothing of the
kind; so she had to light it herself, and to
fan the fire till it burned brightly. She
then put a dish in the oven, and, when it
was hot she ran her hand round it, but
only burned her hand and screamed. So
her waiting women dressed the injured
hand and put her to bed. When the prince
came home he wondered at the beautiful
fish, and asked who had sent this truly
royal present. And when he was told it was
his first wife, he smiled, and said, "It wa
very civil of her." The second wife had her
arm bound up, but she said not a word of
her disagreeable adventure.

When the servant went home, the wooden
bride questioned him closely. He told all
the particulars to his mistress, and she only
smiled and said, "It is well." Again a
month passed, during which the old king
grew fonder and fonder of his neglected
daughter-in-law. On the thirtieth day, she
called the same servant as before, to witness
her proceedings. So she called out, "Wood,
wood!" and it came. She told it to go into
the oven, and it went. She commanded
the flint to light the fire, and it did; and
commanded the fire to heat the oven,
and it did. When the oven was almost
red-hot, she got into it and walked round
it three times. When she came out, lo!
there were three large cakes of the most
delicate kind, covered with sugar-plums
and pure sugar in beautiful designs. These
she caused to be placed on a salver of
massive gold, ornamented with jewels.

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

After a day's journey, the servant arrived
at the palace. He knocked at the gate,
and had hardly been admitted, when the
young bride, who had recovered from her
burns, came to the window and asked who
it was?

"It is a servant with a present from the
prince's first wife," they answered.

"Wait a moment," she said, and down
she came to hear all about it. "What
beautiful cakes!" she exclaimed. "How
kind of her to send them! I used to make
such cakes at my father's court."

"Indeed," answered the man, "my
mistress told the wood to go into the oven
and it did; and to the flint to light the fire,
and it did. When the oven was red-hot,
she walked round it three times; and, lo
and behold, the three cakes were in the
middle of the oven!"

"Exactly," answered the bride, "exactly
the way in which I made cakes at my
father's house. Wait and see, while I make
three cakes more."

So saying, she told the wood to pile itself
in the oven, but it would not go, so she had
to put it in herself, and she was quite tired
with the exertion. She also had to light
the fire, and to fan the flame, and at last,
when the oven was red-hot, she got in; but
she had hardly got in when, crack! she
died. When the king came home, he was
informed of all the circumstances, and how
his second wife had died from attempting
to imitate his first wife.

"Ah!" said the king, "this second wife
of mine was always a silly creature. I had
better go back to my first wife, for she is
decidedly a very clever woman."

     THE POOR LITTLE MONK.

ONCE upon a time a monk was sitting on
a large stone, not far from a cottage door.
The peasants were busy inside the cottage,
and did not attend to him. It began to
rain. At last, the monk called out in a
melancholy voice:

          Povero fratino, servo di Dio!
          Tutti son dentro fuori che io.

Which, translated literally, would be:

          Poor little monk, servant of God!
          All are in doors except myself.

The farmer's wife said to her husband:
"Let us ask him in. I dare say he is wet
and cold."

The husband went out and asked the
monk to take shelter in the cottage. He
went in, and stood in a humble manner at
the end of the room. After some little time
all the family retired to another room, to
have their dinner. The monk heard the
clatter of plates, so he raised his voice and
exclaimed, as if to himself:

          Povero fratino, servo di Dio!
          Tutti sono a pranzo fuori che io.

Verbatim:

          Poor little monk, servant of God!
          All are at dinner except myself.

The farmer's wife said to her husband:
Poor monk! I dare say he is hungry.