d, carrying food to the reapers. The bird says to the wolf that
if he will spare his life he will get him something to eat from the
basket. The wolf promises, and the bird alights near the woman, who
tries to catch him; the bird flies on a little way, and the woman puts
down her basket and runs after him. Meanwhile the wolf draws near the
basket and begins eating its contents. When the woman sees that, she
cries: "Help!" and the reapers run up with sticks and scythes, and kill
the wolf, and the animals that he had devoured all came out of his
stomach, safe and sound.[21]

There are two Sicilian versions of the story of "The Cock." One (Pitre,
No. 279), "The Wolf and the Finch," opens like the Venetian. The animals
are: Cock, king; Hen, queen; Viper, chambermaid; Wolf, Pope; and Finch,
keeper of the castle. The wolf then proceeds to confess the others, and
eats them in turn until he comes to the finch, which plays a joke on him
and flies away. The conclusion of the story is disfigured, nothing being
said of the wolf's punishment or the recovery of the other animals.

The other Sicilian version is in Gonzenbach (No. 66). We give it,
however, for completeness and because it recalls a familiar story in
Grimm.[22] It is entitled:

LXXXVIII. THE COCK THAT WISHED TO BECOME POPE.

It occurred once to the cock to go to Rome and have himself elected
Pope. So he started out, and on the way found a letter, which he took
with him. The hen met him, and asked: "Mr. Cock, where are you going?"
"I am going to Rome, to be Pope." "Will you take me with you?" she
asked. "First I must look in my letter," said the cock, and looked at
his letter. "Come along; if I become Pope, you can be the Popess." So
Mr. Cock and Mrs. Hen continued their journey and met a cat, who said:
"Mr. Cock and Mrs. Hen, where are you going?" "We are going to Rome, and
wish to be Pope and Popess." "Will you take me with you?" "Wait until I
look in my letter," said the cock, and glanced at it. "Very well; come
along; you can be our lady's-maid." After a while they met a weasel, who
asked: "Where are you going, Mr. Cock, Mrs. Hen, and Mrs. Cat?" "We are
going to Rome, where I intend to become Pope," answered the cock. "Will
you take me with you?" "Wait until I look in my letter," said he. When
the cock looked in his letter, he said: "Very well; come along."

So the three animals continued their journey together towards Rome. At
night-fall they came to a little ho