flesh to the children.  The old man, seeing his daughter divide the fowl in this manner, turned and looked at his wife, for he was ashamed to speak of it before the stranger.  But when they were going to bed he said to his daughter:  ’Why, my child, did you cut up the fowl so badly?  The stranger has gone starving to bed.’  ‘Ah, my father,’ she replied, ’you have not understood it; wait till I explain:  I gave the head to you, because you are the head of this house; to my mother I gave the body, because, like the body of a ship, she has borne us in her sides; I gave the wings to the stranger, because to-morrow he will take his flight and go away; and lastly, to us the children I gave the bits of flesh, because we are the true flesh of the house.  Do you understand it now, my good father?’”—­The remainder of the story is so droll that, though but remotely related to the Capon-carver, I think it worth while to give a translation of it: 

“As the room wherein the girl spoke with her father was adjacent to that in which the stranger lay, the latter heard all that she said.  Great was his joy, and he said to himself that he would well like for wife one who could thus speak figurative language.  And when it was day he rose, took his leave, and went away.  On his return to the palace he called a servant and gave him in a sack containing 31 loaves, a whole cheese, a cock stuffed and roasted, and a skin of wine; and indicating to him the position of the cabin where he had put up, told him to go there and deliver these presents to a young girl of 18 years.

“The servant took the sack and set out to execute the orders of his master.—­But, pardon me, ladies [quoth the story-teller], if I have forgotten to tell you this:  Before setting out, the servant was ordered by the prince to say these words to the young girl:  ’Many, many compliments from my master.  Here is what he sends you:  the month has 31 days; the moon is full; the chorister of the dawn is stuffed and roasted; the he-goat’s skin is stretched and full.’—­The servant then went towards the cabin, but on the way he met some friends.  ’Good day, Michael.  Where are you going with this load, and what do you carry?’ ‘I’m going over the mountain to a cabin where my master sends me.’  ’And what have you got in there?  The smell of it makes our mouths water.’  ’Look, here are loaves, cheese, wine, and a roasted cock.  It’s a present which my master has given me to take to a poor girl.’  ’O indeed, simpleton!  Sit down, that we may eat a little.  How should thy master ever know of it?’ Down they sat on the green mountain sward and fell-to.  The more they ate the keener their appetites grew, so that our fine fellows cleared away 13 loaves, half the cheese, the whole cock, and nearly half the wine.  When they had eaten and drank their fill, the servant took up the remainder and resumed his way to the cabin.  Arrived, he found the young girl, gave her the presents, and repeated the words which his master had ordered him to say.