ABSTRACT
There was a merchant of Ascoli whose name was Simon Adam. He was a very rich man, and did no little business in the Abruzzi countryside. Now it happened once that going into these parts to collect his monies, he pushed on his horse hard so as to reach Aquila before nightfall. But it came on to rain, and he arrived at a river so swollen with water that he could not ford it. He looked around, and saw a poor peasant's house standing on a little hillock near-by. He went and asked for hospitality, which was at once given him. Dismounting, he gave his horse to the peasant, bidding him care for it. Then he went and dried his clothes by the fire, while his money-bags, which contained much money, he kept under his feet. The Abruzzi. folk are men who, owing to their strange manner of dress, their speech, and their rough manners seem at first glance desperate and evil persons.
