her: 'Who would
have thought, my dear daughter, to have found you in such a state? What,
may I ask, has brought you to this pass?'

Cannetella replied: 'That wicked man with the gold head and teeth
treated me worse than a dog, and many a time, since I left you, have I
longed to die. But I couldn't tell you all that I have suffered, for you
would never believe me. It is enough that I am once more with you, and I
shall never leave you again, for I would rather be a slave in your house
than queen in any other.'

In the meantime Scioravante had returned to the stables, and one of the
horses told him that Cannetella had been taken away by a cooper in a
barrel.

When the wicked magician heard this he was beside himself with rage,
and, hastening to the kingdom of Bello Puojo, he went straight to an old
woman who lived exactly opposite the royal palace, and said to her: 'If
you will let me see the king's daughter, I will give you whatever reward
you like to ask for.'

The woman demanded a hundred ducats of gold, and Scioravante counted
them out of his purse and gave them to her without a murmur. Then
the old woman led him to the roof of the house, where he could see
Cannetella combing out her long hair in a room in the top story of the
palace.

The princess happened to look out of the window, and when she saw her
husband gazing at her, she got such a fright that she flew downstairs to
the king, and said: 'My lord and father, unless you shut me up instantly
in a room with seven iron doors, I am lost.'

'If that's all,' said the king, 'it shall be done at once.' And he gave
orders for the doors to be closed on the spot.

When Scioravante saw this he returned to the old woman, and said: 'I
will give you whatever you like if you will go into the palace, hide
under the princess's bed, and slip this little piece of paper beneath
her pillow, saying, as you do so: "May everyone in the palace, except
the princess, fall into a sound sleep."'

The old woman demanded another hundred golden ducats, and then proceeded
to carry out the magician's wishes. No sooner had she slipped the piece
of paper under Cannetella's pillow, than all the people in the palace
fell fast asleep, and only the princess remained awake.

Then Scioravante hurried to the seven doors and opened them one after
the other. Cannetella screamed with terror when she saw her husband, but
no one came to her help, for all in the palace lay as if they were dead.
The