Long, long before the Spaniards came, there lived a man who had a beautiful, virtuous¹, and, above all, clever daughter. He was a servant of the king. Marcela, the daughter, loved her father devotedly², and always helped him with his work. From childhood she had manifested a keen wit and undaunted spirit. She would even refuse to obey unjust orders from the king. [54]No question was too hard for her to answer, and the king was constantly being surprised at her sagacity.

 

One day the king conceived a plan by which he might test the ingenious Marcela. He bade his servants procure³ a tiny bird and carry it to her house. “Tell her,” said the king, “to make twelve dishes out of that one bird.”

 

The servants found Marcela sewing. They told her of the order of the king. After thinking for five minutes, she took one of her pins, and said to the servants, “If the king can make twelve spoons out of this pin, I can also make twelve dishes out of that bird.” On receiving the answer, the king realized that the wise Marcela had gotten the better of him; and he began to think of another plan to puzzle her.

 

Again he bade his servants carry a sheep to Marcela’s house. “Tell her,” he said, “to sell the sheep for six reales, and with the money this very same sheep must come back to me alive.”

 

At first Marcela could not make out what the king meant for her to do. Then she thought of selling the wool only, and not the whole sheep. So she cut off the wool and sold it for six reales, and sent the money with the live sheep back to the king. Thus she was again relieved from a difficulty.

 

The king by this time realized that he could not beat Marcela in points of subtlety⁴. However, to amuse himself, he finally thought of one more scheme to test her sagacity. It took him two weeks to think it out. Summoning a messenger, he said to him, “Go to Marcela, and tell her that I am not well, and that my physician has advised me to drink a cup of bull’s milk. Therefore she must get me this medicine, or her father will lose his place in the palace.” The king also issued an order that no one was to bathe or to wash anything in the river, for he was going to take a bath the next morning.

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