Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/306



always heard say, that he who gives pleasure finds it: the bell of Manfredonia says, "Give me, I give thee:" he who does not bait the hook of the affections with courtesy, never catches the fish of kindness; and if you wish to hear the proof of this, listen to my story, and then say whether the covetous man does not always lose more than the liberal one.

were once two sisters, named Luceta and Troccola, who had two daughters, Marziella and Puccia. Marziella was as fair to look upon as she was good at heart; whilst, on the contrary, Puccia by the same rule had a face of ugliness and a heart of pestilence; but the girl resembled her parent, for Troccola was a harpy within and a very scarecrow without.

Now it happened that Luceta had occasion to boil some parsnips, in order to fry them with green sauce; so