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THE
PENTAMERONE,
OR,
THE STORY OF STORIES.
INTRODUCTION.
It is an old saying, that he who seeks what he should not, finds what he would not; and every one has heard of the ape, who, in trying to pull on the boots, was caught by the foot. And it happened in like manner to a wretched slave, who, though she never had shoes to her feet, wanted to wear a crown on her head. But as the straight road is the best, and, sooner or later a day comes which settles all accounts, at last, having by evil means usurped what belonged to another, she fell to the ground; and the higher she had mounted, the greater was her fall, as you will presently see.
B
