Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/28

 Having heard everything, he sent for the owner of the vineyard.

When he came before him, he asked if that vineyard which he managed had originally been a vineyard, or if it only recently had been covered with buildings, or uncultivated fields that were being cultivated. He understood that, while currently it was a vineyard which produced precious wine, two hundred years before it had been a cemetery with graves of dead bodies.

In view of having established and verified that what the young man had said was true, he also wished to ascertain what the second brother had recounted. A and as for the account of the third brother, it was not necessary that anyone questioned it, knowing himself that the son of his counselor had been killed for his misdeeds. And having ordered that the shepherd of his flock should be called in, he asked him with what type of pasture he had fattened the lamb, which that day had been slaughtered for the table. He turned pale and started to tremble and he replied that the lamb, which was still tender, had not been fed with pasture but only with the milk of the mother. But the Emperor saw from the fear in the shepherd that he had not told him the truth, and he said to him, "I really know that you are lying, therefore I affirm to you, that if you do not tell me now the obvious truth, you will instantaneously die a cruel, and bitter death.” "I pray thee Sire," replied the shepherd, "if you please give me life, I will really tell you everything."