Once upon a time a poor woman lived in a tiny village with her only son, Paulo. Paulo was a loving son, but he could be very foolish and lazy.
As Paulo grew older, he grew more foolish. At last his mother came to the end of her patience. "Go away and learn your lessons on your own!" she cried one day.Paulo walked for a long time, though he had no idea where he was going or what he ought to do. After a while he could not even remember why he had left home. As he stood trying to remember, he suddenly heard a rustling sound in the grass. When he looked around, he saw an ogre. The creatures head was enormous and wrinkled, with a long pointed nose and eyes so tiny that Paulo had to squint to see them. His arms were thick and hairy, hanging almost to the ground. His skinny legs were supported by enormous webbed feet. When the ogre saw Paulo, he let out a deep growl.
Paulo scratched his head. "You're no dog or cat or lion," he said.
"I am most certainly not," the ogre replied. "I'm an ogre. Why have you come to my cave?"
And that was when Paulo noticed that he was standing outside a cave.
Now Paulo was no coward, and he was not unkind. Seeing that he had trespassed upon the ogre's land, he lifted his cap and bowed low. "Forgive me, sir. I certainly didn't mean to disturb your home," he said politely.
"That's good," said the ogre. He liked the boy's fine manners.
"It is very cold outside, though, don't you think?" Paulo asked. For by now the autumn wind was blowing hard and the sky was getting dark, and he was shivering and tired. "Could you tell me how far it is from here to the place I am going?"
The ogre had never heard such a foolish question, but he was kindhearted, and so he invited the boy inside his cave. Inside Paulo found a very nice home, even if it was almost as strange-looking as the ogre, with mossy walls and odd furniture.
Paulo and the ogre drank hot cocoa and told each other a few stories. The ogre laughed a great deal, for nearly everything Paulo said was more foolish than the thing he'd said before. Still, the ogre liked the boy. At last he said, "Why don't you stay here and work for me? If you serve me well, I'll pay you the wage you deserve."
That sounded just fine to Paulo. The ogre treated him well and gave him little work. Paulo grew fat from the feasts the ogre cooked for him. And he grew cocky and bold.
After one year Paulo became homesick. The ogre said to him, "Because I love you, I will allow you to return to your mother for a visit. But promise me you'll return."
"Oh, I will," Paulo promised, though he was not certain that he would.
"Take this donkey," the ogre said. "But Paulo, whatever you do, do not say the word `October' to the donkey before you arrive safely home."
Paulo did not even thank the ogre. He jumped onto the donkey's back and with a wave of his hand set off for his home. He hadn't gone far when he dismounted and looked into the donkey's eyes. "Well, now, it's October," he said. For Paulo had no patience at all and could not wait to see what would happen when he said the word.
The donkey opened his mouth when Paulo spoke, and out poured diamonds and emeralds. Paulo filled his satchel with the jewels, mounted the donkey, and rode on until nightfall when he came to an inn. He went straight to the innkeeper and asked for a room. "Take my donkey," he said. "Give him plenty of oats to eat. But make sure you never say `October' to him. Here, take my satchel and hide it."
The innkeeper was no fool. He peeked into the satchel and saw the precious jewels. He quickly fed Paulo a heavy supper and made up a nice bed for him. As soon as the boy was asleep, he hurried to the stables. "October," he said to the donkey. The donkey opened his mouth and still more jewels poured out.
At dawn Paulo woke and paid the innkeeper. Then he saddled up his donkey and set off for home.
No sooner had he arrived at his mother's than he said, "Quickly, Mother, bring some sheets and spread them on the ground, and you shall see the riches I have brought you."
His mother spread her linen sheets on the frosty ground. Paulo led the donkey to them and said, "October!" But the donkey just stood there and did nothing. You see, the innkeeper had stolen the magical donkey and replaced him with another, but Paulo was too foolish to notice. Paulo tried again. "October, I said!" The donkey yawned. Paulo reached out to whip him, but the donkey reared and kicked until the linen sheets were torn to shreds.
Paulo's mother began to weep. "You made a fool of me - leave at once!" she cried. Paulo turned around and sadly rode back to the ogre's cave.
When the ogre saw Paulo on this strange gray donkey, he knew at once what had happened. "My boy," he said, "you are a fool." But because the ogre was so kind, he took Paulo in once again. Another year passed. Then the ogre saw that the boy again seemed sad and homesick.
"Go home for another visit," said the ogre. And this time he handed Paulo a stick. "Whatever you do, remember you have behaved very foolishly in the past. If you had remained silent and done as I asked, you would not have lost your magical donkey. Now remember never to say to this stick, Rise up stick; lie down, stick; for if you do, I can only say I wouldn't wish to be you.
This time Paulo set out on foot, carrying his stick. "I'm no fool," he said to himself, though he was impatient once again. Before he had gone even half a mile, he set the stick upon the ground and said, "Rise up, stick."
The words were barely out of his mouth when the stick rose up and began to chase him. Paulo ran as fast as he could, and as he ran he called out breathlessly, "Lie down, stick!" The stick immediately fell to the ground and lay still.
Paulo smiled to himself. "I believe I have learned my lesson," he said to himself, and he walked on, whistling and smiling. At last he came to the inn.
He greeted the innkeeper and handed him the stick. "I would like a room, sir, and please, keep my stick for me. But whatever you do, do not say, `Rise up, stick.' "
The innkeeper remembered Paulo, and thinking he would once again find riches galore, fed Paulo a rich meal and made up a nice warm bed for him. When Paulo was asleep, the innkeeper fetched the stick. "Rise up, stick!" he said, and at once the stick began to chase and hit the innkeeper.
Paulo was not really asleep. He sat up and looked out the window and laughed at the sight before him. "You have learned a lesson, too!" he called to the innkeeper. "If you give me back my magical donkey, I will make my stick stop."
The innkeeper ran at once to the stables, followed by the stick, and led the donkey back to Paulo. Paulo called, "Lie down, stick." The stick fell to the ground.
Paulo rode home with his donkey, which he gave to his mother in thanks for all her kindness. Certain his mother was taken care of, he returned to the ogre and worked hard for one whole year to repay his friend. And afterward Paulo was not so foolish, and was kind to his family and friends. He returned each year to the ogre to thank him for the lessons he had taught a once lazy and foolish boy.