Oldal 73 [73]
FAITHFUL JOHN. 45
hide the picture from him, but that was no good, the King
stood on tiptoe, and looked over his shoulder. And when he
saw the image of the lady that was so wonderfully beautiful,
and so glittering with gold and jewels, he fell on the ground
powerless. Faithful John helped him up, took him to his
bed, and thought with sorrow, "Ah me! the evil has come
to pass; what will become of us?" —
Then he strengthened the King with wine, until he came to —
himself. The first words that he said were,
“ Oh, the beautiful picture ! whose portrait is it?”
“Tt is the portrait of the Princess of the Golden Palace,”
answered Faithful John. Then the King said,
“My love for her is so great that if all the leaves of the
forest were tongues they could not utter it! I stake my life
on the chance of obtaining her, and you, my Faithful John,
must stand by me.”
The faithful servant considered for a long time how the
business should be begun ; it seemed to him that it would be
a difficult matter to come only at a sight of the Princess. At
last he thought out a way, and said to the King,
“ All that she has about her is of gold—tables, chairs, dishes,
_drinking-cups, bowls, and all the household furniture ; in your
treasury are five tons of gold, let the goldsmiths of your king¬
dom work it up into all kinds of vessels and implements, into
all kinds of birds, and wild creatures, and wonderful beasts,
such as may please her ; then we will carry them off with us,
and go and seek our fortune.”
The King had all the goldsmiths fetched, and they worked
day and night, until at last some splendid things were got
ready. When a ship had been loaded with them, Faithful John
put on the garb of a merchant, and so did the King, so as the
more completely to disguise themselves. Then they jour¬
neyed over the sea, and went so far that at last they came to
the city where the Princess of the Golden Palace dwelt.
Faithful John told the King to stay in the ship, and to wait
for him.
" Perhaps,” said he, "I shall bring the Princess back with
me, so take care that everything is in order; let the golden
vessels be placed about, and the whole ship be adorned.”
Then he gathered together in his apron some of the gold