ood and a shoot of his stem. But the wretched man does not know you,
though the inborn affection he bears you should have betrayed your
kindred. Moreover, the services you have rendered the King, and the
gain to himself of so handsome a son and heir, ought to obtain favour
for unhappy Porziella, your mother, who has now for fourteen years been
buried alive in a garret, where is seen a temple of beauty built up
within a little chamber."

While the fairy was thus speaking, the King, who had heard every word,
stepped forward to learn the truth of the matter better; and finding
that Miuccio was his own and Porziella's son, and that Porziella was
still alive in the garret, he instantly gave orders that she should be
set free and brought before him. And when he saw her looking more
beautiful than ever, owing to the care taken of her by the bird, he
embraced her with the greatest affection, and was never satisfied with
pressing to his heart first the mother and then the son, praying
forgiveness of Porziella for his ill-treatment of her, and of his son
for all the dangers to which he had exposed him. Then he ordered her to
be clothed in the richest robes, and had her crowned Queen before all
the people. And when the King heard that her preservation, and the
escape of his son from so many dangers were entirely owing to the bird,
which had given food to the one and counsel to the other, he offered
her his kingdom and his life. But the bird said she desired no other
reward for her services than to have Miuccio for a husband; and as she
uttered the words she was changed into a beautiful maiden, and, to the
great joy and satisfaction of the King and Porziella, she was given to
Miuccio to wife. Then the newly-married couple, to give still greater
festivals, went their way to their own kingdom, where they were
anxiously expected, every one ascribing this good fortune to the fairy,
for the kindness that Porziella had done her; for at the end of the
end--

"A good deed is never lost."

XXIII

THE TWO CAKES

I have always heard say, that he who gives pleasure finds it: the bell
of Manfredonia says, "Give me, I give thee": he who does not bait the
hook of the affections with courtesy never catches the fish of
kindness; and if you wish to hear the proof of this, listen to my
story, and then say whether the covetous man does not always lose more
than the liberal one.

There were once two sisters, named Luceta and Troccola,