THE VEILED MAN
The golden-crowned Flying Serpent spat out the young man, red with blood, and fell dead.
Then the king's son tore off the golden crown of the Flying Serpent, covered his face with the black veil, and set out for his father's castle.
“Hello, King."
“Hello, Veiled Man. What do you want from me?"
“King, I have killed the Flying Serpent. Here is his golden crown."
“Thank you, Veiled Man. You will be paid two hundred thousand pistoles for your service and your golden crown."
"King, I don't work for money. If these two hundred thousand pistoles bother you, you must give them in alms."
"Veiled Man, you act and say like a man of great blood. No doubt you are the son of some king. Show your face."
"King, it's true. I am a man of great blood. I am the son of a king like you. But I am commanded not to show my face."
"Veiled Man, as you wish. Your father is very happy to have a wise, strong, bold son like you. Mine went I don't know where. He's a scoundrel, not worth the rope to hang him with. Listen, Veiled Man. I am old. Stay with me. You will order in my place."
"King, I know your son. Do not be in a hurry to condemn him. He has long since stopped doing bad things, and he is trying to prove it. Do you want me to go and tell him to come back with you, to order in your place?"
"Veiled Man, I don’t think so. If this worthless thing ever comes back, it is I who will recommend it to the executioner."
The king's son bowed to his father and went out. At the castle gate, the queen gave alms to the poor.
“Hello, queen. Help these poor people quickly, and let them go away. I want to speak to you in great secret."
When the poor were assisted and left, the king's son took off his black veil."
“Hello, queen. Do you recognize me?
"You are my son!" You are my son!"
“Silence, Mother. If, unfortunately, the king heard you, he would recommend me to the executioner. However, I have finished doing badly, and I am trying to prove it. Through me, the kingdom is delivered from the Fog Giant and the Flying Serpent crowned with gold. Farewell, mother. May the Good Lord and the Blessed Virgin keep you. My father will never, ever see me again."
The king's son greeted his mother and returned to find the priest in his church.
“Hello, priest. Here is my sword and my black veil. Hide them under the high altar of your church, and return them to me when I come to ask you for them."
"Poor man, I will do as you said."
The king's son returned to his master to tend, from sunrise to sunset, his herd of a hundred pigs, on the edge of the great sea. It lasted a long, long time.
One day, the king's son was sitting on a rock, facing the great sea, thinking, when he heard a voice rising from the depths of the water, crying out in Latin:
"Swineherd! swineherd!"
The king's son spoke Latin like a priest.
“Fish of the great sea, what do you want from me?"
Then there appeared above the great sea a man with a long beard and a fish's tail.
“Swineherd, I know who you are. Swineherd, I am the King of Fish. Swineherd, there was a time when I was a man like you. So, I lived as a fisherman, in the service of Saint Peter. We both sinned for Our Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, I refused baptism. Then Saint Peter launched me into the great sea and made me King of the Fishes. But it is said that my punishment will end. Seven years after I become a Christian, I will die, to go straight to paradise. Swineherd, fetch some spring water, and baptize me, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."