a good guess as to the answer to the riddle.

No one in all the palace could understand Manoel's riddle. "You have
won my daughter as your bride," said the king, after he had used all
his royal wits to solve the riddle and could not do it.

When Manoel explained his riddle to the princess, she said, "_Nossa
Senhora_ herself must have sent you to me. I never could have endured
a stupid husband."

XII

DOMINGO'S CAT

Once upon a time there was a man who was very poor. He was so poor
that he had to sell one thing after another to get food to keep from
starving. After a while there was nothing left except the cat. He was
very fond of his cat, and he said, "O, Cat, let come what will, I'll
never part with you. I would rather starve."

The cat replied, "O good master Domingo, rest in peace. You will never
starve as long as you have me. I am going out into the world to make a
fortune for us both."

The cat went out into the jungle and dug and dug. Every time he dug he
turned up silver pieces. The cat took a number of these home to his
master so that he could purchase food. The rest of the pieces of
silver the cat carried to the king.

The next day the cat dug up pieces of gold and carried them to the
king. The next day he carried pieces of diamonds.

[Illustration: The next day the cat dug up pieces of gold and carried
them to the king]

"Where do you get these rich gifts? Who is sending me such wonderful
presents?" asked the king.

The cat replied, "It is my master, Domingo."

Now the king had a beautiful daughter. He thought that this man
Domingo must be the richest man in the whole kingdom. He decided that
his daughter should marry him at once. He made arrangements for the
wedding through the cat.

"I haven't any clothes to wear at the wedding," said Domingo when the
cat told him that he was to marry the daughter of the king.

"Never mind about that. Just leave it to me," replied the cat.

The cat went to the king and said, "O King, there has been a terrible
fire in the tailor shop where they were making the wedding garments of
my master, Domingo. The tailor and all of his assistants were burned
to death, and the entire outfit of my master Domingo was destroyed.
Hasn't your majesty something which you could lend him to wear at the
wedding?" The king sent the richest garments which his wardrobe
afforded. Domingo was clothed in state ready for the wedding.

"I have no palace to which to take my b