Page:Lange - The Blue Fairy Book.djvu/342

 and not knowing why Trusty John had acted as he did, he flew into a passion, and cried: ‘Throw him into prison.’ On the following morning sentence was passed on Trusty John, and he was condemned to be hanged. As he stood on the gallows he said: ‘Every one doomed to death has the right to speak once before he dies; am I to have this privilege?’ ‘Yes,’ said the King, ‘it shall be granted to you.’ So Trusty John spoke: ‘I am unjustly condemned, for I have always been faithful to you;’ and he proceeded to relate how he had heard the ravens’ conversation on the sea, and how he had to do all he did in order to save his master. Then the King cried: ‘Oh! my most trusty John, pardon! pardon! Take him down.’ But as he uttered the last word Trusty John had fallen lifeless to the ground, and was a stone.



The King and Queen were in despair, and the King spake: ‘Ah! how ill have I rewarded such great fidelity!’ and made them lift up the stone image and place it in his bedroom near his bed. As often as he looked at it he wept and said: ‘Oh! if I could only restore you to life, my most trusty John!’ After a time the Queen