So Luisa opened the door, and the bear came and ate her all up.
But Teresina put on her beautiful dresses when she went out walking: and one day the king’s son saw her, and loved her because she looked so good and beautiful. So Teresina married the prince, and afterwards became queen of the land.
“Are there any bears about the mountains now, nonna?” I asked, when the story was finished.
“No, there are none now. I saw one once, though. A man was leading it about with a chain.”
“I saw one once, too,” said little Elisa. “It was at a fair at that village over there,” pointing to a cluster of houses on the hillside.
“And what was it like?” I asked.
“It was covered with hair, had two legs, the head of a horse and the feet of a Christian.”
And the child really believed she was describing what she had seen.