hunger, they begged him for pity's sake to give them a
morsel of bread. And the ogre replied that if they would serve him he
would give them food, and they would have nothing else to do but to
watch over him like a dog, each in turn for a day. The youths, upon
hearing this, thought they had found father and mother; so they
consented, and remained in the service of the ogre, who, having gotten
their names by heart, called once for Giangrazio, at another time for
Cecchitiello, now for Pascale, now Nuccio, now Pone, now Pezzillo, and
now Carcavecchia, for so the brothers were named; and giving them a
room in the lower part of the house, he allowed them enough to live
upon.

Meanwhile their sister had grown up; and hearing that her seven
brothers, owing to the stupidity of the nurse, had set out to walk
through the world, and that no tidings of them had ever been received,
she took it into her head to go in search of them. And she begged and
prayed her mother so long, that at last, overcome by her entreaties,
she gave her leave to go, and dressed her like a pilgrim. Then the
maiden walked and walked, asking at every place she came to whether any
one had seen seven brothers. And thus she journeyed on, until at length
she got news of them at an inn, where having enquired the way to the
wood, one morning, at the hour when the Sun with the penknife of his
rays scratches out the inkspots made by Night upon the sheet of Heaven,
she arrived at the ogre's house, where she was recognised by her
brothers with great joy, who cursed the inkstand and the pen for
writing falsely such misfortune for them. Then giving her a thousand
caresses, they told her to remain quiet in their chamber, that the ogre
might not see her; bidding her at the same time give a portion of
whatever she had to eat to a cat which was in the room, or otherwise
she would do her some harm. Cianna (for so the sister was named) wrote
down this advice in the pocket-book of her heart, and shared everything
with the cat, like a good companion, always cutting justly, and saying,
"This for me--this for thee,--this for the daughter of the king,"
giving the cat a share to the last morsel.

Now it happened one day that the brothers, going to hunt for the ogre,
left Cianna a little basket of chick-peas to cook; and as she was
picking them, by ill-luck she found among them a hazel-nut, which was
the stone of disturbance to her quiet; for having swallowed it without
giving hal