ut
of pity he gave her a centavo, and in return she gave him an empty
purse from which he could ask any sum of money he wanted. Cochinango
rode on, delighted with his good fortune, when he met God again, this
time in the form of a jolly young fellow with a small guitar. He asked
Cochinango to exchange his ass for the guitar. At first Cochinango
hesitated; but, when he was told that he could make anybody dance by
plucking its strings, he readily agreed to exchange.

Cochinango now had to proceed on foot, and it took him two days
to reach the gates of the palace. Luckily he arrived on the very
day of the guessing-contest. In spite of his mean dress, he was
admitted. The princess was much astonished at Cochinango's appearance,
and disgusted by his boldness; but she was even more chagrined when he
rightly answered her first question. Yet she denied that his answer
was correct. She asked him two more questions, the most difficult
that she could think of; but Cochinango, with the help of his magic
buyo, answered both. The princess, however, could not admit that his
answers were right. She shrunk from the idea of being married to a
poor, foolish, lowly-born man. So she asked her father the king to
imprison the insolent peasant, which was instantly done.

In the prison Cochinango found many nobles who, like himself, were
victims of the guessing-match. Night came, and they were not given any
food. The princess wanted to starve them to death. Cochinango told them
not to worry; he struck a table with his cane, and instantly choice
food appeared. When this was reported to the princess by the guards,
she went to the prison and begged Cochinango to give her the cane;
but he would not give it up unless she allowed him to kiss her. At
last she consented, and went away with the cane, thinking that this
was the only way by which she could starve her prisoners. The next
day Cochinango asked for a large sum of money from his magic purse. He
distributed it among his companions and among the guards, and they had
no difficulty in getting food. Again the princess went to the prison,
and asked Cochinango for the purse; but he would give it up only on
condition that he be allowed to dine with the king. Accordingly he was
taken to the king's table, where he ate with the king and the princess;
but he was put in prison again as soon as the dinner was over.

At last Cochinango began to be tired of prison life, so he took up his
wonderful guitar a