he innkeeper asks first for the faculty of
always winning at cards; and second, that any one who climbs his
fig-tree must stay there. When Death comes the host asks her (Death is
feminine in Italian) to climb the tree and pick him a few figs. When
once up the tree, the host refuses to let her down until she promises
him four hundred years of life. Death has to consent and the host in
turn promises to go quietly with her when she comes again. At the end of
the four hundred years Death takes the host to paradise. They pass by
hell on the way and the host proposes to the devil to play for the newly
received souls. The host wins fifteen thousand, which he carries with
him to paradise. St. Peter objects to letting the "rabble" in, and Jesus
Christ himself says: "The host may come in himself, but he has no
business with the others." Then the host says that he has made no
difficulty about numbers when Christ has come to his inn With as many as
he pleased. "That is true! that is right!" answered Jesus Christ. "Let
them all in! let them all in!"[21]

In the other story, a priest, Pret' Olivo, received from the Lord, in
reward for his hospitality, the favor of living a hundred years, and
that when Death came to fetch him he should be able to give her what
orders he pleased, and that she must obey him. Death called at the end
of the hundred years, and Pret' Olivo made her sit by the fire while he
said a mass. The fire grew hotter and hotter, but Death could not stir
until Pret' Olivo permitted her to, on condition that she should leave
him alone a hundred years. The second time Death called, Pret' Olivo
asked her to gather him some figs and commanded her to stay in the tree.
So Death a second time was obliged to promise him a respite of a hundred
years. The next time Death called, Pret' Olivo put on his vestments and
a cope, and took a pack of cards in his hand and went with Death. She
wanted to take him directly to paradise, but he insisted on going around
by the way of hell and playing a game of cards with the Devil. The
stakes were souls, and as fast as Pret' Olivo won, he hung a soul on his
cope until it was covered with them; then he hung them on his beretta,
and at last was obliged to stop, for there was no more room to hang any
souls. Death objected to taking all these souls to paradise, but could
not take Pret' Olivo without them. When they arrived at paradise St.
Peter made some objection to admitting them, but the Master