brood of chickens, and to make a good profit of them. And having
one day to go out on some business, she called her son, and said to
him, "My pretty son of your own mother, listen to what I say: keep
your eye upon the hen, and if she should get up to scratch and pick,
look sharp and drive her back to the nest; for otherwise the eggs
will grow cold, and then we shall have neither eggs nor chickens."

"Leave it to me," replied Vardiello, "you are not speaking to deaf
ears."

"One thing more," said the mother; "look-ye, my blessed son, in
yon cupboard is a pot full of certain poisonous things; take care
that ugly Sin does not tempt you to touch them, for they would
make you stretch your legs in a trice."

"Heaven forbid!" replied Vardiello, "poison indeed will not tempt
me; but you have done wisely to give me the warning; for if I had
got at it, I should certainly have eaten it all up."

Thereupon the mother went out, but Vardiello stayed behind; and,
in order to lose no time, he went into the garden to dig holes,
which he covered with boughs and earth, to catch the little thieves
who come to steal the fruit. And as he was in the midst of his
work, he saw the hen come running out of the room, whereupon he
began to cry, "Hish, hish! this way, that way!" But the hen did not
stir a foot; and Vardiello, seeing that she had something of the
donkey in her, after crying "Hish, hish," began to stamp with his
feet; and after stamping with his feet to throw his cap at her, and
after the cap a cudgel which hit her just upon the pate, and made
her quickly stretch her legs.