their food without
trouble,--without gardener to gather it, purchaser to buy it, cook to
prepare it, or carver to cut it up; whilst their skin defends them from
the rain and snow, without the merchant giving them cloth, the tailor
making the dress, or the errand-boy begging for a drink-penny. To man
however, who has intelligence, Nature did not care to grant these
indulgences, since he is able to procure for himself what he wants.
This is the reason that we commonly see clever men poor, and blockheads
rich; as you may gather from the story which I am going to tell you.

Grannonia of Aprano was a woman of a great sense and judgment, but she
had a son named Vardiello, who was the greatest booby and simpleton in
the whole country round about. Nevertheless, as a mother's eyes are
bewitched and see what does not exist, she doted upon him so much, that
she was for ever caressing and fondling him as if he were the
handsomest creature in the world.

Now Grannonia kept a brood-hen, that was sitting upon a nest of eggs,
in which she placed all her hope, expecting to have a fine brood of
chickens, and to make a good profit of them. And having one day to go
out on some business, she called her son, and said to him, "My pretty
son of your own mother, listen to what I say: keep your eye upon the
hen, and if she should get up to scratch and pick, look sharp and drive
her back to the nest; for otherwise the eggs will grow cold, and then
we shall have neither eggs nor chickens."

"Leave it to me," replied Vardiello, "you are not speaking to deaf
ears."

"One thing more," said the mother; "look-ye, my blessed son, in yon
cupboard is a pot full of certain poisonous things; take care that ugly
Sin does not tempt you to touch them, for they would make you stretch
your legs in a trice."

"Heaven forbid!" replied Vardiello, "poison indeed will not tempt me;
but you have done wisely to give me the warning; for if I had got at
it, I should certainly have eaten it all up."

Thereupon the mother went out, but Vardiello stayed behind; and, in
order to lose no time, he went into the garden to dig holes, which he
covered with boughs and earth, to catch the little thieves who come to
steal the fruit. And as he was in the midst of his work, he saw the hen
come running out of the room, whereupon he began to cry, "Hish, hish!
this way, that way!" But the hen did not stir a foot; and Vardiello,
seeing that she had something of the donkey in her, a