Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino

another.
    â€œThey were used to hold his beard up on his head and make it look like a woman’s hair.”
    Until then the farmers had listened in silence, but when Masino said, “And now, what shall we do with him?” a storm of shouts arose: “Burn him! Skin him alive! String him up for a scarecrow! Seal him in a cask and roll him down the cliff! Sew him up in a sack with six cats and six dogs!”
    â€œHave mercy!” said the count in a voice just above a whisper.
    â€œSpare him,” said Masino, “and he will bring back your cattle and clean your barns. And since he enjoyed going into the woods at night, make him go there every night and gather bundles of firewood for each of you. Tell the children never to pick up the hairpins they find on the ground, for they belong to Micillina the Witch, whose hair and beard will be disheveled from now on.”
    The farmers followed the suggestion, and soon Masino left Pocapaglia to travel about the world. In the course of his travels, he found himself fighting in first one war and another, and they all lasted so long that this saying sprang up:
    Â 
Soldier fighter, what a hard lot!
Wretched food, the ground for a cot.
You feed the cannon powder:
Boom-BOOM! Boom-BOOM! Boom louder!
    Â 
    (
Bra
)

11
The Little Girl Sold with the Pears
    Once a man had a pear tree that used to bear four baskets of pears a year. One year, though, it only bore three baskets and a half, while he was supposed to carry four to the king. Seeing no other way out, he put his youngest daughter into the fourth basket and covered her up with pears and leaves.
    The baskets were carried into the king’s pantry, where the child stayed in hiding underneath the pears. But having nothing to eat, she began nibbling on the pears. After a while the servants noticed the supply of pears dwindling and also saw the cores. “There must be a rat or a mole gnawing on the pears,” they said. “We shall look inside the baskets.” They removed the top and found the little girl.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” they asked. “Come with us and work in the king’s kitchen.”
    They called her Perina, and she was such a clever little girl that in no time she was doing the housework better than the king’s own maidservants. She was so pretty no one could help loving her. The king’s son, who was her age exactly, was always with Perina, and they became very fond of each other.
    As the maiden grew up, the maidservants began to envy her. They held their tongues for a while, then accused Perina of boasting she would go and steal the witches’ treasure. The king got wind of it and sent for the girl. “Is it true you boasted you would go and steal the witches’ treasure?”
    â€œNo, Sacred Crown, I made no such boast.”
    â€œYou did so,” insisted the king, “and now you have to keep your word.” At that, he banished her from the palace until she should return with the treasure.
    On and on she walked until nightfall. Perina came to an apple tree, but kept on going. She next came to a peach tree, but still didn’t stop. Then she came to a pear tree, climbed it, and fell asleep.
    In the morning there stood a little old woman under the tree. “What are you doing up there, my daughter?” asked the old woman.
    Perina told her about the difficulty she was in. The old woman said, “Take these three pounds of grease, three pounds of bread, and three pounds of millet and be on your way.” Perina thanked her very much and moved on.
    She came to a bakery where three women were pulling out their hair to sweep out the oven with. Perina gave them the three pounds of millet, which they then used to sweep out the oven and allowed the little girl to continue on her way.
    On and on she walked and met three mastiffs that barked and rushed at anyone coming their way. Perina threw them the three pounds of bread, and they let her