Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/414

402 afterwards marries his mother. Farther than this, the tales have nothing in common, but here is enough to prove imitation.

This incident is purely oriental; and occurs frequently both in the "Arabian Nights' Entertainments," and in the "Persian Tales."

There is a fable of a fisherman piping to the fishes, in the Latin Æsop; but the story is different.

We have here the well-known anecdote of Augustus Cæsar, and of the Roman soldier, who fought in the battle of Actium.

This story is in the, first day, Nov. 3, with some considerable variations.

"There was a very wealthy man who, among other precious jewels of his own, had a goodly ring