All day and all night the dog howled.  In the morning the old woman brought her some water in a bowl, but nothing more; no soup, no bread.

Another day went by.  Semillante, exhausted, was sleeping.  The following day her eyes were shining, her hair on end and she was pulling wildly at her chain.

All this day the old woman gave her nothing to eat.  The beast, furious, was barking hoarsely.  Another night went by.

Then, at daybreak, Mother Saverini asked a neighbor for some straw.  She took the old rags which had formerly been worn by her husband and stuffed them so as to make them look like a human body.

Having planted a stick in the ground, in front of Semillante’s kennel, she tied to it this dummy, which seemed to be standing up.  Then she made a head out of some old rags.

The dog, surprised, was watching this straw man, and was quiet, although famished.  Then the old woman went to the store and bought a piece of black sausage.  When she got home she started a fire in the yard, near the kennel, and cooked the sausage.  Semillante, frantic, was jumping about, frothing at the mouth, her eyes fixed on the food, the odor of which went right to her stomach.

Then the mother made of the smoking sausage a necktie for the dummy.  She tied it very tight around the neck with string, and when she had finished she untied the dog.

With one leap the beast jumped at the dummy’s throat, and with her paws on its shoulders she began to tear at it.  She would fall back with a piece of food in her mouth, then would jump again, sinking her fangs into the string, and snatching few pieces of meat she would fall back again and once more spring forward.  She was tearing up the face with her teeth and the whole neck was in tatters.

The old woman, motionless and silent, was watching eagerly.  Then she chained the beast up again, made her fast for two more days and began this strange performance again.

For three months she accustomed her to this battle, to this meal conquered by a fight.  She no longer chained her up, but just pointed to the dummy.

She had taught her to tear him up and to devour him without even leaving any traces in her throat.

Then, as a reward, she would give her a piece of sausage.

As soon as she saw the man, Semillante would begin to tremble.  Then she would look up to her mistress, who, lifting her finger, would cry, “Go!” in a shrill tone.

When she thought that the proper time had come, the widow went to confession and, one Sunday morning she partook of communion with an ecstatic fervor.  Then, putting on men’s clothes and looking like an old tramp, she struck a bargain with a Sardinian fisherman who carried her and her dog to the other side of the straits.

In a bag she had a large piece of sausage.  Semillante had had nothing to eat for two days.  The old woman kept letting her smell the food and whetting her appetite.