uld Beppo
let him out again. "Just wait, fellow! I'll teach you how to insult
soldiers," said he to the landlord, as he went out.

Tired and hungry after a long walk, Beppo again turned into an inn.
There he saw a man who was continually emptying a purse, but never
finished, for it always became full again. He quickly snatched the purse
out of the man's hand, and ran out of the inn, but no less quickly did
the owner run after him; and since he had not walked as far as Beppo,
who had been wandering about all day, he soon caught up with him. Then
Beppo cried: "Jump in!" and the owner was in the sack. "Listen," said
Beppo, after he had somewhat recovered his breath, "listen and be
reasonable. You have had the purse long enough; give it to me now, or
else you shall always stay in the sack." What could the man do?
Willingly or unwillingly, he had to give up the purse in order to get
out of the accursed sack.

For two years Beppo stayed at home, doing much good with the purse, and
much mischief with the sack, until at last he began to long for the
capital again, and returned there; but what was his astonishment at
seeing everything hung with black, and everybody in mourning. "Do you
not know what the trouble is?" he was asked, in reply to his questions
as to the cause of this sorrow; "don't you know that to-morrow the Devil
is going to carry away the king's daughter, on account of a foolish vow
that her father once made?" Then he went directly to the king, in order
to console him, but the latter would not put any faith in him. "Your
Majesty," said he, "you do not know what Beppo Pipetta can do. Only let
me have my own way."

Then he prepared, in a room of the palace, a large table, with paper,
pen, and ink, while the princess, in the next room, awaited her sad fate
in prayer. At midnight a fearful noise was heard, like the roaring of
the tempest; and at the last stroke of the clock, the Devil came through
the window into--the sack which Beppo held open for him, crying, "Jump
in!" "What are you doing here?" asked Beppo of the raging Devil. "How
does that concern you?" "I have my reasons," was the bold reply. "Wait a
little, you rascal!" cried Beppo; "I'll teach you manners!" and he
seized a stick and belabored the sack until the Devil in anguish called
upon all the saints. "Are you going to carry off the princess, now?"
"No, no; only let me out of this infamous sack!" "Do you promise never
to molest her?" "I promise, only l