THE VEILED MAN
There was once a king and a queen as rich as the sea. The king was a good man. He had killed all his enemies in war, and he maintained peace and justice among the people. The queen was a very pious woman. Every morning, after mass, she gave large alms and saw to it that nothing was lacking for the poor and the sick.
The king and queen had only one son. Until the age of seventeen, this boy led a good life. But then he got lost in bad company. He became a gambler, drunkard, wicked, libertine. It was so bad that the rulers of the land assembled together, and went to the king.
“Hello, King."
"Hello, my friends. What's in it for your service?"
“King, since the age of seventeen your son has been lost in bad company. He has become a gambler, drunkard, wicked, libertine. Some day he will be our master. So have him chastised, so that he may correct himself, and so that we may have a good king when you are dead.
"Thank you, my friends. I stand for informed. Go back in peace."
Then the king inquired and knew that the rulers of the land had told him the truth. He immediately summoned his son and the executioner.
“Bad subject, since the age of seventeen you have lost yourself in bad company. You have become a gambler, drunkard, wicked, libertine.— Executioner, give him a hundred lashes."
The executioner did his job.
"And now, bad subject, you're going to rot in prison for three years. — Executioner, take my son to the jailer."
What was said was done. For three years, the king's son rots in prison. But he did not correct himself, and he went out more gambling, more drunk, more wicked, more libertine than ever. It came to a point, that the rulers of the land assembled again, and returned to the king.
“Hello, King."
"Hello my friends. What's in it for your service?"
"King, your son is out of prison, more gambling, more drunk, more wicked, more libertine than ever. Some day he will be our master. Have him punished again, so that he may correct himself, and that we may have a good king when you are dead."
"Thank you, my friends. I stand for informed. Go back in peace."
Then the king inquired and knew that the rulers of the land had told him the truth. Immediately, he locked himself in his room, and he remained there for three days and three nights, without seeing anyone, and without doing anything, only to think, cry, and pray to God. Finally, he called a valet.
"Valet, go tell my wife to come."
The servant obeys.
"Woman," said the king, "I have great sorrow, and I want to tell it to you. Our son is a bad subject. Nothing will fix it. I don't want him to torment the people when I'm dead. Tomorrow morning, have this worthless son go to confession. I will summon the executioner, with his well-sharpened cutlass.
“King, you will be obeyed."
The queen went to find her son.
“Listen, unhappy man. You have done so much that your father disowns you. Tomorrow morning he will summon the executioner for you, with his well-sharpened cutlass. Save your life. Hold. Here are some shirts. Here is a thousand gold coins. Take your sword, and go down to the stable. Saddle and bridle the best horse, and go fast, fast, at full gallop."
The king's son did as his mother had said. When he was far, far away, the queen went to find the king.
“King, I have disobeyed you. I warned our son. Now he is so far, so far, that no one can reach him.
"Woman, I don't blame you. The country is delivered from a bad subject. If this nothing that is worth ever comes back, it is I who will recommend him to the executioner."
Meanwhile, the king's son was still running away fast, fast, at the full gallop of his horse. At sunset, he came to a wood. There he dismounted, sat down at the foot of a tree, and began to think.
“Bad companies have ruined me. I am a bad subject, a worthless nothing. But, by my soul, I have finished doing wrong, and I will try to prove it."
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