illed the ogre. Then he took his
sister and a quantity of money, and they went home to their mother, and
are all contented.

* * * * *

Certain traits in the above story, as the size of the hero and the bran
serving to guide the girl to her father, recall somewhat faintly, it is
true, our own "Tom Thumb." It is only recently that a Tuscan version of
"Tom Thumb" has been found.[3] It is called:

LXXVII. LITTLE CHICK-PEA.[L]

Once upon a time there was a husband and wife who had no children. The
husband was a carpenter, and when he came home from his shop he did
nothing but scold his wife because she had no children, and the poor
woman was constantly weeping and despairing. She was charitable, and
had festivals celebrated in the church; but no children. One day a woman
knocked at her door and asked for alms; but the carpenter's wife
answered: "I will not give you any, for I have given alms and had masses
said, and festivals celebrated for a long time, and have no son." "Give
me alms and you will have children." "Good! in that case I will do all
you wish." "You must give me a whole loaf of bread, and I will give you
something that will bring you children." "If you will, I will give you
two loaves." "No, no! now, I want only one; you can give me the other
when you have the children." So she gave her a loaf, and the woman said:
"Now I will go home and give my children something to eat, and then I
will bring you what will make you have children." "Very well."

[Footnote L: _Cecino_, dim. of _Cece_, chick-pea.]

The woman went home, fed her children, and then took a little bag,
filled it with chick-peas, and carried it to the carpenter's wife, and
said: "This is a bag of peas; put them in the kneading-trough, and
to-morrow they will be as many sons as there are peas." There were a
hundred peas, and the carpenter's wife said: "How can a hundred peas
become a hundred sons?" "You will see to-morrow." The carpenter's wife
said to herself: "I had better say nothing about it to my husband,
because if by any mischance the children should not come, he would give
me a fine scolding."

Her husband returned at night and began to grumble as usual; but his
wife said not a word and went to bed repeating to herself: "To-morrow
you will see!" The next morning the hundred peas had become a hundred
sons. One cried: "Papa, I want to drink." Another said: "Papa, I want to
eat." Another: "Papa, take me up."