as as good as new. Abadeja took the mat and went across the river,
crying. The beautiful woman met her again, and, taking her by the hand,
led her to her home among the high trees. Then she asked Abadeja what
she wanted. Abadeja told her friend that her step-mother had ordered
her to repair the mat so that it would be as good as new. The woman
took the mat from the girl and waved it in the air. Immediately it
became a whole mat again. Then she gave Abadeja a beautifully-colored
chicken. Abadeja thanked her for her help and her gift, and hurried
home, for she knew that her step-mother would be waiting to scold
her if she were late.

The next day when Abadeja was away from the house, her cruel
step-mother took the chicken, killed it, and cooked it. When the girl
returned, only the feet of her chicken were left. She cried over
her loss, and ran to the river to ask the beautiful woman what she
should do. The beautiful woman, when she heard what had happened,
told the girl to take the chicken's feet and plant them in the
forest. Abadeja went home, took the feet, and carried them with her
to the forest. There she made a little garden, in which she planted
the right foot toward the east, and the left foot toward the west.

A month later she visited her garden in the woods, and was astonished
to see that the feet had grown up into the air, and that they bore
pearls, diamonds, gold dresses, rings, bracelets, shoes, necklaces,
and ear-rings. She was delighted, but she did not tell her step-mother
about her garden.

One day the son of the richest man in Baybay came across this
little garden in the forest. He picked off a ring and put it on his
finger. When he reached home, his finger began to swell. His father
called in all the best physicians, but they could not remove the
ring. Then he called in all the girls of the town, and said that the
one who could take the ring from the finger of his son should be his
son's wife. All the girls of the town tried except Abadeja. She did
not try, because her mother would not allow her to go. At last some
one told the rich man that there was still a girl who had not tried,
and that it was Abadeja: so he sent for her. Now, her step-mother
did not dare refuse to let her go. Abadeja ran to her little garden,
put on one of the gold dresses, and went to the rich man's house. As
soon as she touched the ring, it slid off.

The next day Abadeja was married to the son of the rich man. The
beautifu