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Updated: June 19, 2025
'Cheer up, laughed the horse; 'tell the king you must have some bread and honey, and a purse of gold, and leave the rest to me. Ciccu did as he was bid, and they started at a gallop. After they had ridden some way, they saw a swarm of bees lying on the ground, so hungry and weak that they were unable to fly. 'Get down, and give the poor things some honey, said the horse, and Ciccu dismounted.
The next day, when they were all cutting wood, he said to his brothers, 'That old coverlet and the purse are no use to you; I wish you would give them to me. I have a fancy for them, for the sake of old times. Now Peppe and Alfin were very fond of Ciccu, and never refused him anything, so they let him have the coverlet and the purse without a word.
When they reached the country of the Man-eater, Ciccu made all the church bells toll and a proclamation to be made.
'I have, said he, 'a little house in the village, and over it grows a fig-tree. The house I leave to my sons, who are to live in it together; the fig-tree I divide as follows. To my son Peppe I leave the branches. To my son Alfin I leave the trunk. To my son Ciccu I leave the fruit. Besides the house and tree, I have an old coverlet, which I leave to my eldest son.
'Noble lord, answered Ciccu, 'I am making a coffin for the body of Ciccu, who is dead. 'Don't be in a hurry, answered the Man-eater, who of course did not know whom he was talking to, 'and perhaps I can help you; and they set to work sawing and fitting, and very soon the coffin was finished. Then Ciccu scratched his ear thoughtfully, and cried, 'Idiot that I am! I never took any measures.
'And I five florins and some sweets, which you can divide between you, for the king has taken me into his service. Then Ciccu went back to the Court and served the king, and the king loved him. The other two brothers heard that Ciccu had become quite an important person, and they grew envious, and thought how they could put him to shame.
When he had got them safely Ciccu went on, 'Dear brothers, I am tired of the forest. I want to live in the town, and work at some trade. 'O Ciccu! stay with us, they cried. 'We are very happy here; and who knows how we shall get on elsewhere?
The king had suffered much pain in his absence, thinking that if the Man-eater ate Ciccu, it would be all his fault. And he was so overjoyed to have him safe that he almost forgot the sword which he had sent him to bring. But the two brothers did not love Ciccu any better because he had succeeded when they hoped he would have failed, and one day they spoke to the king.
Ciccu had to wait a little before he gathered the last figs on the tree, and these were not nearly so good as the first set. However, he plucked them, as they had agreed, and set out for the king's palace. The old man was still on the road, and he came up and said to Ciccu, 'What have you got in that basket? 'Figs for the king, answered he. 'Let me have a peep, and Ciccu lifted the lid.
Ciccu was very much surprised at this sudden command, and he walked thoughtfully away to the stables and began to stroke his favourite horse, saying to himself, 'Ah, my pet, we must bid each other good-bye, for the king has sent me away to get the sword of the Maneater. Now this horse was not like other horses, for it was a talking horse, and knew a great deal about many things, so it answered, 'Fear nothing, and do as I tell you.
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