lita.

The little girl's mother was dead, and her father, the image-maker,
had married a second time. The step-mother was a woman who was
renowned in the city for her great beauty. As her little step-daughter
grew more and more lovely each day of her life she soon became jealous
of the child. Each night she asked the image-maker, "Who is more
beautiful, your wife or your child?"

The image-maker was a wise man and knew all too well his wife's
jealous disposition. He always responded, "You, my wife, are
absolutely peerless."

One day the image-maker suddenly died, and the step-mother and
step-daughter were left alone in the world. They both mourned deeply
the passing of the kind image-maker.

One day as they were leaning over the balcony two passers-by observed
them, and one said to the other, "Do you notice those beautiful women
in the balcony? The mother is beautiful, but the daughter is far more
beautiful." The step-mother had always been jealous of the daughter's
loveliness, but now her jealousy was fanned into a burning flame. The
wise image-maker was no longer there to tell her that she was
peerless.

The next day the mother and daughter again leaned over the balcony.
Two soldiers passed by and one said to the other: "Do you observe
those two beautiful women in the balcony? The mother is beautiful, but
the daughter is far more beautiful." The step-mother flew into a
terrible rage. She now knew that it was true as she had long feared.
The girl was more beautiful than she. Her jealousy knew no bounds. She
seized her step-daughter roughly and shut her up in a little room in
the attic.

The little room in the attic had just one tiny window high up in the
wall. The window was shut, but Angelita climbed up to open it in order
to get a little air. The next afternoon she grew weary of the
confinement of the little room, so she dug a foothold in the wall
where she could stand and look out of the window. Her step-mother was
leaning over the balcony all alone when two _cavalheiros_ passed by.
One said to the other, "Do you observe the beautiful woman in the
balcony?" "Yes," replied the other. "She is a beautiful woman, but the
little maid who is kept a prisoner in the attic is far more
beautiful."

The step-mother became desperate. She ordered the old negro servant to
carry the girl into the jungle and kill her. "Be sure that you bring
back the tip of Angelita's tongue, so that I may know that you have
obeyed my or