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326 unjustly accusing her, beat her till he left her for dead in the arms of her women. I was not a little afflicted to see her suffer this unworthy treatment, and what distressed me still more was, that the blows he dealt her seemed to have the power of increasing the affection of that lovely lady.

"Night and day I wished that the fairies who had changed me into a canary bird would come and set to rights such ill-assorted lovers. My desires were at length fulfilled. The fairies suddenly appeared in the apartment just as the furious gallant began his usual uproar. They loaded him with reproaches, and condemned him to become a wolf. As to the patient person who had allowed him to beat her, they turned her into a ewe, and sent her into the Grove of the Mountain. With respect to myself, I easily found means of escape. I wished to see the various courts of Europe. I flew into Italy, and fell into the hands of a man who, having frequent business in the city, and not choosing that his wife, of whom he was very jealous, should see any one in his absence, took care to lock her up from morning till night, so that to me was accorded the honour of amusing this lovely captive; but she had other occupation than attending to me. A certain neighbour, who had long loved her, came in the evening to the top of the chimney, and slid down it into the room, looking blacker than a devil. The keys which the jealous husband had charge of, served only to keep his mind at ease. I was constantly fearing some fatal catastrophe, when one day the fairies entered by the keyhole, and not a little surprised the two lovers. 'Go and do penance!' said the fairies, touching them with their wands. 'Let the chimney sweeper become a squirrel, and the lady an ape, for she is a cunning one; and the husband, who is so fond of keeping the keys of his house, become a mastiff for ten years.'

"It would be too much to tell you," added the canary, "all the various adventures I met with. I was obliged occasionally to visit the Grove of the Mountain, and I rarely returned to it without finding fresh animals, as the fairies continued to travel, and were incessantly irritated by the numberless faults of mankind; but during your residence here, you will have time enough to divert yourself by listening to the recital of all the adventures of the inhabitants." Several of them