Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/19

 And he called them the following day, pretending to be seriously angry, and showing that he was very upset, because none of them wanted to obey him in accepting the care of his state, he spoke to them using these words, "Since none of you has shown a willingness to carry out my command which I never could have believed would happen, make sure that, within a week, you will be beyond the borders of my empire: for as you are disobedient and wicked children, I do not want you to dwell in it any longer".

The sons were deeply saddened by this incident: and having understood their father's wishes, they immediately set off on a peregrination. Having left his kingdom, they arrived in the state of a great and powerful emperor, named Beramo. There, on the road, not far from the imperial city, they encountered one day a camel driver, from whom one of the camels had fled, and who asked them if by chance they had seen it on their way. Because they had seen tracks and pawprints of such an animal, they thought to tell him that they had found it on their way. And to make it more believable, as they were prudent and wise, and had seen many clues of the lost camel, the eldest brother told him immediately, "Tell me brother, was the camel you lost not blind in one eye?"

To which the camel driver replied that it was true.