fine gentleman of fortune.

Don Luzano treated Juan like a son. As time went on, Don Luzano became
so confident in Juan's honesty, that he began to intrust him with the
most precious valuables in the house. One morning Don Luzano went
out hunting. He left Juan alone in the house, as usual. While Juan
was sweeping and cleaning his master's room, he caught sight of a
highly polished box lying behind the post in the corner. Curious to
find out what was inside, he opened the box. There appeared another
box. He opened this box, and another box still was disclosed. One box
appeared after another until Juan came to the seventh. This last one
contained a small triangular-shaped book bound in gold and decorated
with diamonds and other precious gems. Disregarding the consequences
that might follow, Juan picked up the book and opened it. Lo! at once
Juan was carried by the book up into the air. And when he looked back,
whom did he see? No other than Don Luzano pursuing him, with eyes
full of rage. He had an enormous deadly-looking bolo in his hand.

As Don Luzano was a big man, he could fly faster than little Juan. Soon
the boy was but a few yards in front of his antagonist. It should also
be known that the book had the wonderful power of changing anybody
who had laid his hands on it, or who had learned by heart one of
its chapters, into whatever form that person wished to assume. Juan
soon found this fact out. In an instant Juan had disappeared, and in
his place was a little steed galloping as fast as he could down the
street. Again, there was Don Luzano after him in the form of a big
fast mule, with bubbling and foaming mouth, and eyes flashing with
hate. The mule ran so fast, that every minute seemed to be bringing
Juan nearer his grave.

Seeing his danger, Juan changed himself into a bird,--a pretty little
bird. No sooner had he done so than he saw Don Luzano in the form
of a big hawk about to swoop down on him. Then Juan suddenly leaped
into a well he was flying over, and there became a little fish. Don
Luzano assumed the form of a big fish, and kept up the chase; but the
little fish entered a small crack in the wall of the well, where the
big fish could not pursue him farther. So Don Luzano had to give up
and go home in great disappointment.

The well in which Juan found himself belonged to three beautiful
princesses. One morning, while they were looking into the water, they
saw the little fish with its seven-colored sca