Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/51

 The Queen heard this and was immeasurably happy as she believed that, regardless, by taking one of the young men for husband, her country would be forever liberated from the ordeal of the Hand. She made them come before her the next day and addressed them as follows, "Until now, I have held you in great reverence because of your keen foresight and great knowledge, and the great benefit that you have brought to my kingdom, by liberating it from destruction by the Hand. So, now that you have revealed to me to be sons of a great prince, recognizing the nobility of your blood, accompanied by so much wisdom, I honor and revere you above all others, and according to the pact made by me with Beramo, I am obliged to return the Mirror to him, and I must not, nor do I want to fail my word. And whenever you wish, I will deliver it, as always at your pleasure. And since you are of such noble lineage, it cannot be that you are not also endowed with the greatest courtesy. I still want to ask you another favor, worthy of much of your prudence and wisdom. But before I disclose to you, whatever it is, I want you to promise me that you will not refuse me."

After the young men responded that they would be ready to fulfill her command, she added, "When I was still a girl, before the King, my father, blessed be his memory, had passed away,