remembering his vacation in the sack, had prudently
left the order that in case a certain Beppo Pipetta should come, he was
to be beaten soundly; an order which was executed punctiliously. Beaten
and cast out by Death, he went sadly to hell; but there the Devil had
given the porter orders to show him the same attention that he had
received at Death's abode, and that command also was conscientiously
obeyed.

Smarting from the blows he had received, and vexed that neither Death
nor the Devil wanted him, he went to paradise. Here he announced himself
to St. Peter, but the saint thought that he had better first consult the
Lord.

Meanwhile Beppo threw his cap over the wall into paradise. After he had
waited a while, St. Peter reappeared and said: "I am very sorry, but our
Lord doesn't want you here." "Very well," said Beppo, "but you will at
least let me get my cap," and with that he slipped through the gate and
sat down on the cap. When St. Peter commanded him to get up and begone,
he replied, composedly: "Gently, my dear sir! at present I am sitting on
my own property, where I do not receive orders from any one!"

And so he remained in paradise.[25]

* * * * *

The story known to our readers from the Grimm collection, "Godfather
Death," is found in Sicily and Venice. The version from the latter place
given in Bernoni (_Trad. pop._ p. 6) is as follows:

LXVII. THE JUST MAN.

Once upon a time there was a peasant and his wife who had a child that
they would not baptize until they could find a just man for his
godfather. The father took the child in his arms and went into the
street to look for this just man. After he had walked along a while, he
met a man, who was our Lord, and said to him: "I have this child to
baptize, but I do not want to give him to any one who is not just; are
you just?" The Lord answered: "But--I don't know whether I am just."
Then the peasant passed on and met a woman, who was the Madonna, and
said to her: "I have this child to baptize and do not wish to give him
to any one who is not just; are you just?" "I don't know," said the
Madonna; "but go on, for you will find some one who is just." He went
his way and met another woman, who was Death, and said to her: "I have
been sent to you, for I have been told that you are just, and I have
this child to baptize, and do not wish to give it to one who is not
just; are you just?" Death said: "Yes, I believe I am just