Giucca.
One day Giucca’s mother said to him, “I want this cloth sold, but if I let you take it to the market you will be at your old tricks again.”
“No, mother; you shall see I will do it all right. Tell me how much you want for it.”
“Ten crowns; and mind you sell it to a person who does not talk much.”
Giucca took the cloth, and went away. He met a peasant, who said to him, “Giucca, are you going to sell this cloth? How much do you want for it?”
“Ten crowns.”
“No, that is too much.”
“Now, look here—I can’t let you have it at all, because you talk too much.”
“Why, do you want to sell your goods without people’s saying anything?”
“Oh! I can’t let you have it.”
Giucca went on. When he had gone a little further, he came to a statue of plaster of Paris.
“Oh! good woman, do you want to buy some cloth?”
The statue said nothing.
Said Giucca: “This is just right. Mother told me to sell the cloth to some one who does not talk. I couldn’t do better than this. I say, good woman! I want ten crowns for it”—and he threw the cloth at her; “to-morrow I will come and fetch them.”
And he went home, well pleased. His mother said, “Giucca, have you sold the cloth?”
“Yes,” said Giucca; “they told me I was to come and fetch the money to-morrow.”
“But tell me—did you give it to a trustworthy person?”
“I think so. She was a good sort of woman, you may believe that!”
Let us leave Giucca, and go back to the statue, which was hollow, and was the place where some robbers hid their money. In the evening they came with some more money to put away inside the image.
“Look,” they said, “some one has left this cloth; let us keep it.” They hid the money and carried off the cloth.
In the morning, when Giucca got up, he said, “Mother, I am going to fetch that money.”
“Very good; be quick about it, and mind they give you the whole of it.”
Giucca went to the statue. “Hallo, mistress, I’ve come for the money!”
The statue said nothing.
“Oh! look here! It must not be the same as yesterday; to-day I want the money. I see you have used the cloth. Give me the money, or let me have the cloth back.”
So he picked up a stone and threw it at her. And then the statue was broken, and all the money began to fall out. Giucca was well pleased; he picked up the money and went home.
“Look, mother, how much money I have brought you! I told you she was a good sort of woman. First she did not want to give it me, but then I threw stones at her, and she gave me all this.”
“But tell me, Giucca, what have you done?”
“Why, don’t you know her?—the creature who has been standing there bolt upright for ever so long!”
“Oh! you rascal! what have you done? Dear me! dear me! With all this money I had better find you a wife to look after you!”