Page:Lands of the Saracen 1859.djvu/446

 houses in the city. Well: this man put a plate, with his name on it, on the door of the great house in which he lived, and the name was this: Don Pedro, without Fear and without Care. Now, when the King was making his paséo, he happened to ride by this house in his carriage, and saw the plate on the door. ‘Read me the name on that plate!' said he to his officer. Then the officer read the name: Don Pedro, without Fear and without Care. ‘I will see whether Don Pedro is without Fear and without Care,' said the King. The next day came a messenger to the house, and, when he saw Don Pedro, said he to him; ‘Don Pedro, without Fear and without Care, the King wants you!' ‘What does the King want with me?' said Don Pedro. ‘He sends you four questions which you must answer within four days, or he will have you shot; and the questions are: — How can the Sierra Nevada be cleared of snow? How can the sea be made smaller? How many arrobas does the moon weigh? And: How many leagues from here to the Land of Heavenly Glory?? Then Don Pedro without Fear and without Care began to sweat from fright, and knew not what he should do. He called some of his arrieros and loaded twenty mules with money, and went up into the Sierra Nevada, where his herdsmen tended his flocks; for, as I said, he had many thousand cattle. ‘God keep you, my master!' said the chief herdsman, who was young, and buen mozo, and had as good a head as ever was set on two shoulders. Anda, hombre! said Don Pedro, ‘I am a dead man;' and so he told the herdsman all that the King had said. ‘Oh, is that all? said the knowing mozo. ‘I can get you out of the scrape. Let me go and answer the questions in your name, my master!' ‘Ah, you fool! what can you do?' said Don Pedro