lowed for fear. The merchant, who heard
the conversation very attentively, fell into a loud fit of
laughter. His wife was greatly surprised, and asked, "Pray,
husband, tell me what you laugh at so heartily, that I may laugh
with you." "Wife," replied he, "you must content yourself with
hearing me laugh." "No," returned she, "I will know the reason."
"I cannot afford you that satisfaction," he, "and can only inform
you that I laugh at what our ass just now said to the ox. The
rest is a secret, which I am not allowed to reveal." "What,"
demanded she "hinders you from revealing the secret?" "If I tell
it you," replied he, "I shall forfeit my life." "You only jeer
me," cried his wife, "what you would have me believe cannot be
true. If you do not directly satisfy me as to what you laugh at,
and tell me what the ox and the ass said to one another, I swear
by heaven that you and I shall never bed together again."

Having spoken thus, she went into the house, and seating herself
in a corner, cried there all night. Her husband lay alone, and
finding next morning that she continued in the same humour, told
her, she was very foolish to afflict herself in that manner; that
the thing was not worth so much; that it concerned her very
little to know while it was of the utmost consequence to him to
keep the secret: "therefore," continued he, "I conjure you to
think no more of it." "I shall still think so much of it,"
replied she, "as never to forbear weeping till you have satisfied
my curiosity." "But I tell you very seriously," answered he,
"that it will cost me my life if I yield to your indiscreet
solicitations." "Let what will happen," said she, "I do insist
upon it." "I perceive," resumed the merchant, "that it is
impossible to bring you to reason, and since I foresee that you
will occasion your own death by your obstinacy, I will call in
your children, that they may see you before you die." Accordingly
he called for them, and sent for her father and mother, and other
relations. When they were come and had heard the reason of their
being summoned, they did all they could to convince her that she
was in the wrong, but to no purpose: she told them she would
rather die than yield that point to her husband. Her father and
mother spoke to her by herself, and told her that what she
desired to know was of no importance to her; but they could
produce no effect upon her, either by their authority or
intreaties. When her children saw tha