_ p. 209.

Another important trait is the following: When after a long search the
wife discovers her husband, it is only to find him in the power of a
second wife, who, however, by various bribes, is induced to permit the
first wife to spend a night in her husband's chamber. She is unable to
awaken her husband, who has been drugged by the second wife. The third
night she succeeds, makes herself known to him, and they escape. As an
example of this trait, we give in full De Gub., _Sto. Stefano_, No. 14,
referred to above.

XX. SIR FIORANTE, MAGICIAN.

A woodman had three daughters. Every morning one after the other, in
turn, carried him his bread to the wood. The father and the daughters
noticed in a thicket a large snake, which one day asked the old man for
one of his daughters in marriage, threatening him with death if none of
them would accept such an offer. The father told his daughters of the
snake's offer, and the first and second immediately refused. If the
third had refused too, there would have been no hope of salvation for
the father; but for his sake she declared at once that snakes had always
pleased her, and she thought the snake proposed by her father very
handsome. At this the snake shook his tail in token of great joy, and
making his bride mount it, carried her away to the midst of a beautiful
meadow, where he caused a splendid palace to arise while he himself
became a handsome man, and revealed himself as Sir Fiorante with the red
and white stockings. But woe to her if she ever disclosed to any one his
existence and name! She would lose him forever, unless, to obtain
possession of him again, she wore out a pair of iron shoes, a staff and
a hat, and filled with her tears seven bottles. The maiden promised; but
she was a woman; she went to visit her sisters; one of them wished to
know her husband's name, and was so cunning that at last her sister told
her, but when the poor girl went back to see her husband, she found
neither husband nor palace. To find him again, she was obliged in
despair to do penance. She walked and walked and walked, and wept
unceasingly. She had already filled one bottle with tears, when she met
an old woman who gave her a fine walnut to crack in time of need, and
disappeared. When she had filled four bottles, she met another old
woman, who gave her a hazel-nut to crack in time of need, and
disappeared. She had filled all seven bottles when a third old woman
appeared to her, and