ace before she descends. The treacherous brothers now destroy
Juan's means of escape, and make off with the three maidens, leaving
him on the tower. He mounts one of the winged horses, and it flies
with him to a distant country. Making his way back to Syria on foot,
he exchanges clothes with a drover, and appears in Clotaldo's kingdom
in disguise, pretending to be simple-minded. The king has already
married his two older daughters to Juan's treacherous brothers, and
is now trying to persuade his youngest daughter to marry: but she
wishes only her rescuer. She paints a necklace in every respect like
the one which she gave Juan, and says that she will marry only when a
person is found who can make a necklace exactly like the picture. The
king sends the painting to an alchemist in the city, and orders him,
under penalty of death if he falls, to produce the necklace in two
months. He is unable to do so, and becomes downcast. Juan, who has
been in service as a porter, and is the one who carried the command
of the king to the alchemist, asks him why he is sad. He tells the
reason. Juan gives the alchemist his necklace. [The rest is practically
as in our story.]

There is a sequel to this ballad, No. 1264, which has a close
resemblance to the Tagalog "Juan Tinoso," already summarized in the
notes to No. 36.

The Spanish story, says the editor of the "Romancero General," is one
of those founded directly on Oriental material which was transmitted
by the Arabs. It is curious that so few of these tales, which have
been preserved for generations as oral tradition, have made their
way into print. The differences noticeable between our Maerchen and
the ballad may be due to a tradition somewhat divergent from that on
which Alonso de Morales's poem is based.

TALE 52

THE POOR MAN AND HIS THREE SONS.

Narrated by Gregorio Velasquez, a Tagalog from Pasig, Rizal. He says,
"This is a primitive Tagalog fable. I think. I heard it from old
people."

Once there lived a poor man who had three sons. When the father was on
his death-bed, he called his sons, and said to them, "My sons, I shall
die very soon; and I shall not be able to leave you much wealth, for
wealth I have not. But I will give each one of you something which,
if you will only be able to find a place in which it has no equal,
will make you happy men." The father then gave to one a rooster,
to another a cat, and to the third a scythe. Then he died.

The owner