Masama, in great envy, went to the king, and said, “Master, Mabait, your favorite slave, has a friend. This friend is a duende, which will be injurious to us if you let it live here. As Mabait said, it will be the means of his acquiring all of your wealth and taking your daughter for his wife.”
The king, in great rage, summoned Mabait, and punished him severely by beating his palms with a piece of leather. Then he ordered his servants to find the duende and kill it. The duende hid in a small jar. Masama saw it, and covered the mouth of the jar with a saint’s dress. The duende was afraid of the dress, and dared not come out. “Open the jar, and I will give you ten isabels,” said the little man.
“Give me the money first.”
After Masama received the money, he went away to the cockpit without opening the jar. On his way there he lost his money. He went back to the duende, and said, “Friend, give me ten isabels more, and I will open the jar.”
“I know that you will cheat me,” answered the duende. “Just let me come out of the jar, and I promise that you shall have the princess here for your wife.”
“What! Will the princess be my wife?”
“Yes.”
“How can you make her love me?”
“I will enter the princess’s abdomen. I will talk, laugh, and do everything to make her afraid. I will not leave her for anybody but you.”
“Good, good!” Masama opened the jar, and the duende, flew a way to the princess’s tower.