aluted him, and then said: "Have you fulfilled my command?" "Yes, your
Majesty," answered the abbot, "the stars are all counted."

"Then tell me how many they are." The abbot called his servant, who
brought the hide, and spread it on the ground, while the king, not
knowing how the matter was going to end, continued his questioning.

When the servant had stretched out the hide, the abbot said to the king:
"Your Majesty, during these three days I have gone mad counting the
stars, and they are all counted." "In short, how many are they?" "Your
Majesty, the stars are as many as the hairs of this hide, and those that
were in excess, I have had to cut off, and they are so many hundreds of
millions; and if you don't believe me, have them counted, for I have
brought you the proof."

Then the king remained with his mouth open, and had nothing to answer;
he only said: "Go and live as long as Noah, without thoughts, for your
mind is enough for you;" and so speaking, he dismissed him, thanking
him, and remaining henceforth his best friend.

The abbot returned home with his servant, delighted and rejoicing. He
thanked his servant, made him his steward and intimate friend, and gave
him more than an ounce of money a day to live on.[1]

* * * * *

In another Sicilian version referred to by Pitre, vol. IV., p. 437, the
Pope, instead of the king, wishes to know from the abbot: "What is the
distance from heaven to earth; what God is doing in heaven; what the
Pope is thinking of." The cook, disguised as the abbot, answers: "As
long as this ball of thread. Rewarding the good, and punishing the
wicked. He thinks he is speaking with the abbot, and on the contrary, is
talking to the cook."

The following story from Venice (Bernoni, _Fiabe_, No. 6) is a
combination of the two stories in Grimm, "Clever Alice" and the "Clever
People." It is called:

XCIII. BASTIANELO.

Once upon a time there was a husband and wife who had a son. This son
grew up, and said one day to his mother: "Do you know, mother, I would
like to marry!" "Very well, marry! whom do you want to take?" He
answered: "I want the gardener's daughter." "She is a good girl; take
her; I am willing." So he went, and asked for the girl, and her parents
gave her to him. They were married, and when they were in the midst of
the dinner, the wine gave out. The husband said: "There is no more
wine!" The bride, to show that she was a good housekeeper,