ome by the Pope." "Just see, friend," said the hen, "whether I am there
too." "Wait a bit." Then he turned the letter, and saw written there:
"Cock, steward; Hen, stewardess." "Come, friend, for you are there too."
"Very well!"

Then the two started off, and soon met the goose, who said: "Where are
you going, Friend Cock and Friend Hen?" "I flew," said the cock, "upon
an arbor, and I found a letter, and this letter said that we were
invited to Rome by the Pope." "Just look, friend, whether I am there
too." Then the cock opened the letter, read it, and saw that there was
written: "Cock, steward; Hen, stewardess; Goose, abbess." "Come, come,
friend; you are there too." So they took her along, and all three went
their way.

[After a time they found the duck, and the cock saw written in the
letter: "Cock, steward; Hen, stewardess; Goose, abbess; Duck, countess."
They next met a little bird, and found he was down in the letter as
"little man-servant." Finally they came across the wood-louse, whom they
found mentioned in the letter as "maid-servant." On their journey they
came to a forest, and saw a wolf at a distance. The cock, hen, goose,
and duck plucked out their feathers and built houses to shelter
themselves from the wolf. The poor bug, that had no feathers, dug a hole
in the ground and crept into it. The wolf came, and as in the last
story, blew down the four houses and devoured their occupants. Then he
tried to get at the bug in the same way; but blew so hard that he burst,
and out came the cock, hen, goose, and duck, safe and sound, and began
to make a great noise. The bug heard it and came out of her hole, and
after they had rejoiced together, they separated and each returned home
and thought no more of going to Rome to the Pope.]

* * * * *

There is a version from the Marches (Gianandrea, p. 21), called, "The
Marriage of Thirteen." The animals are the same as in the last story. On
their journey they meet the wolf, who accompanies them, although his
name is not in the letter. After a time the wolf becomes hungry, and
exclaims: "I am hungry." The cock answers: "I have nothing to give you."
"Very well; then I will eat you;" and he swallows him whole. And so he
devours one after the other, until the bird only remains. The bird flies
from tree to tree and bush to bush, and around the wolf's head, until he
drives him wild with anger. At last along comes a woman with a basket on
her hea