ed his head.[12]

* * * * *

There are other versions from Florence (_Nov. fior._ p. 551), Bologna
(Coronedi-Berti, X. p. 16), and Venice (Bernoni, Punt. III. p. 74),
which do not call for any detailed notice. In the Florentine version a
cock gives a peck at a mouse's head and the mouse cries out: "Where must
I go to be cured?" Then follow the various objects which are almost
identical with those in the other versions. The mouse, however, is
killed by the ox, to which he goes last. The Venetian version is the
most elaborate; in it the cock and mouse go nutting together, and while
the former flies up into the tree and throws the nuts down, the mouse
eats them all up. When the cock comes down he flies into a passion and
gives the mouse a peck at his head. The mouse runs off in terror, and
the rest of the story is as above until the end. The last person the
mouse calls on is a cooper, to make him a bucket to give to the well, to
get water, etc. The cooper asks for money, which the mouse finds after a
while. He gives the money to the cooper and says: "Take and count it;
meanwhile I am going to drink, for I am dying of thirst." As he is going
to drink he sees Friend Cock coming along. "Ah, poor me," says he to
himself, "I am a dead mouse!" The cock sees him and goes to meet him
and says: "Good day, friend, are you still afraid of me? Come, let us
make peace!" The mouse then takes heart and says: "Oh, yes, yes! let us
make peace!"

So they made peace, and Friend Mouse said to Friend Cock: "Now that you
are here you must do me the favor to hold me by the tail while I hang
over the ditch to drink, and when I say _slapo, slapo_, pull me back."
The cock said: "I will do as you wish."

Then the mouse went to the ditch and Friend Cock held him by the tail.
After the mouse had drunk his fill, he said: "Friend, _slapo, slapo_!"
The cock answered: "Friend, and I let you go by the tail!" And in truth
he did let go his tail, and the poor mouse went to the bottom and was
never seen or heard of more.[13]

The following story from Sicily (Pitre, No. 132) belongs also to a class
of tales very popular and having only animals for its actors. It is
called:

LXXXI. GODMOTHER FOX.[O]

Once upon a time there was Godmother Fox and Godmother Goat.[P] The
former had a little bit of a house adorned with little chairs, cups, and
dishes; in short, it was well furnished. One day Godmother Goat went out
and carri