references see Oesterley's _Gesta Rom._ cap. 106.

[17] There are several literary Italian versions of this story: one in
Casalicchio, VI., I., VI.; and in Cintio, _Ecatommiti_, I. 3. There is
another popular version in Imbriani's _Nov. fior._ p. 616, "The Three
Friends."

[18] See _Disc. Cler._ ed. Schmidt, pp. 50 and 128. The version in the
_Cento nov. ant._ ed. Gualt, No. 31, is as follows: Messer Azzolino had
a story-teller, whom he made tell stories during the long winter nights.
It happened one night that the story-teller had a great mind to sleep,
and Azzolino asked him to tell stories. The story-teller began to relate
a story about a peasant who had a hundred bezants. He went to market to
buy sheep, and had two for a bezant. Returning home with his sheep, a
river that he had crossed was greatly swollen by a heavy rain that had
fallen. Standing on the bank he saw a poor fisherman with an exceedingly
small boat, so small that it would only hold the peasant and one sheep
at a time. Then the peasant began to cross with one sheep, and began to
row: the river was wide. He rows and crosses. And the story-teller
ceased relating. Azzolino said: "Go on." And the story-teller answered:
"Let the sheep cross, and then I will tell the story." For the sheep
would not be over in a year, so that meanwhile he could sleep at his
leisure.

The story passed from the _Disc. Cler._ into the Spanish collection _El
Libro de los Enxemplos_, No. 85. A similar story is also found in Grimm,
No. 86, "The Fox and the Geese."

[19] The word translated bank (_bancu_) is here used to indicate a
buried treasure. The most famous of these concealed treasures was that
of Ddisisa, a hill containing caves, and whose summit is crowned by the
ruins of an Arab castle. This treasure is mentioned also in Pitre, No.
230, "The Treasure of Ddisisa," where elaborate directions are given for
finding it.

[20] See Pitre, vol. IV. p. 401, and _Nov. fior._ p. 572.

[21] See _Disc. Cler._ ed. Schmidt, pp. 64 and 147, where the story is
as follows: A certain tailor to the king had, among others, an
apprentice named Nedui. On one occasion the king's officers brought warm
bread and honey, which the tailor and his apprentices ate without
waiting for Nedui, who happened to be absent. When one of the officers
asked why they did not wait for Nedui, the tailor answered that he did
not like honey. When Nedui returned, and learned what had taken place,
he determined t