“Se un dievele ti disprezza,
Tu guent un dievele e mezza,
E quan e lup la e tu agnel,
L’ e temp et tolá su pel.”“If a devil should injure thee,
Doubly a devil thou shouldst be;
And if a wolf thy lamb should win,
’Tis time for thee to take his skin.”
Matteo had learned that the thief, whose name was Bandelone, was in the habit of sitting by a pool or pond, and whenever any traveller came by he would cry that he had let fall a bag of gold into the water, and, being very lame and ill, could not dive for it. So he would promise a great reward to him who would recover it.
Then the traveller, deluded by the tale, would strip himself and dive into the pool, which was very deep, with steep banks. And while he was under water the crafty thief would seize on his clothes, arms, and money, mount his horse, and ride away.
Matteo reflected on this. Then he got a small bag and filled it with nails, so that it seemed to be heavy, as if with money. So he went to the pool, where Bandelone was waiting like a spider for flies, and seeing Matteo, whom he did not recognise, because the latter was disguised, he began to cry:
“Oh, kind sir, have pity on a poor man who has lost his whole fortune!” And so he went on to tell how he had dropped his bag full of gold in the water, and was too weak to dive for it, with all the rest of the tale.
Then Matteo consented to dive for the purse; but first of all put his horse, with all his arms and clothes, on the opposite bank, where they would be in safety.
Bandelone was angry enough at this, and cried:
“Why do you do that? Do you think I am a thief?”
“No, friend,” answered Matteo. “But if a thief should come to take my things thou wouldst be too weak to defend them, and he might do thee harm. It is all for thy good that I take such care.”
Bandelone wished all this kind care to the devil, but he had to submit. Then Matteo dived twice or thrice, and then came out of the water as if overjoyed, crying, as he held his bag of nails [196] on high: