THE LEGEND OF MICHAEL SCOT — CONCLUSION 225 



thee."^ She straightway sought a witch, said 

 to be more powerful than Mengot himself, and, 

 telling what had happened, promised her gold by 

 handfuls if she would revenge her on the wizard. 

 The woman told her to be easy, for she would 

 arrange the matter. She paid Mengot a visit 

 as if to take his advice, and, stealing his magic 

 rod, struck the ground three times, whereupon 

 Mengot was turned into a hare, and fled from 

 his habitation. Having foreseen, however, by 

 his art that such danger might arise, Mengot 

 had prepared a pool of enchanted water at his 

 door. Into this he now leaped, and by its 

 virtue was able to resume his proper form. The 

 first thing he did was to seek the magic rod, and, 

 finding it still in his house, he struck the witch on 

 the head. She became a skinless^ cat, and in that 

 form haunted the guilty Princess for her sins ; 

 while Mengot was ever afterwards distinguished 

 by the name of Scot.' 



The second tale is to this effect : 



' Michael Scotti the wizard was a mighty master 

 of witchcraft. There came to him one day a young 

 lady, richly dressed, and wearing a thick veil. She 

 told him that she wished to become a witch that 

 she might cast a spell upon the child of a man who 

 had forsaken her for another woman, now his wife ; 

 for she said that to bewitch this child would be the 

 best revenge she could have. Michael was willing' 

 to content her ; but we must here remark that 

 wizards and witches gain their power, either at 



^ ' M'hai scottato me, ma ora scotto te.' This play on words is 

 the turning-point of the tale. 



2 ' Scorticata.' It may be that a play on words is intended here also. 



P 



