Stranica 181 [181]
OCR
PEs LORY OR -COOuURRICO shout, ““Cock-a-doodle-doo!”’ only to enrage the saint and disobey his mother. He had not yet ended his song when one of the pope’s guard, who chanced to hear him, laid hands on the insolent wretch who dared thus to insult the saint, and carried him home in order to roast him for supper. “Quick!” said he to his wife on entering the house, "give me some boiling water; here is a sinner to be punished.”’ “Pardon, pardon, Madame Water!” cried Coquerico. “Oh, good and gentle water, the best and purest thing in the world, do not scald me, I pray you!" " Did you have pity on me when I implored your aid, ungrateful wretch?" answered the water, boiling with indignation. And with a single gush it inundated him irom head to foot, and left not a bit of down on his body. The unhappy Coquerico stripped of all his feathers, the soldier took him and laid him on the gridiron. “Oh, fire, do not burn me!" cried he, in an agony of terror. “Oh, beautiful and brilliant fire, the brother of the sun and the cousin of the diamond, spare an unhappy creature; restrain thy ardor, and soften thy flame; do not roast me!" ‘Did you have pity on me when I implored your aid, ungrateful wretch?” answered the fire, and, fiercely blazing with anger, In an instant it burnt Coquerico to a coal. The soldier, seeing his roast chicken in this deplorable 143
