Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/68

 The people gathered there were amazed at the sentence and could hardly believe what they saw with their eyes, that an animal without reason had pronounced this verdict with such prudence. Because of this the name of the parrot became well-known and famous throughout the city.

When this news reached the ears of the Empress, she judged that the spirit of the Emperor, her husband, dwelt in the animal, endowed with so much reason and prudence, and she ordered that the parrot and the bird-catcher should be brought in front of her immediately. The ministers were tasked to carry out the order and when the bird-catcher arrived at the royal palace, he was brought immediately into the presence of the Empress.

She questioned the bird-catcher for a long time about the capture of the animal and his qualities. She made him understand that if he would sell the bird to her, he would receive such a remuneration that he would no longer have to be a bird-catcher.

After the words spoken by the empress, he said, "Madam, the bird, and I are in your power, and the greatest favor that I can ask of you is that you receive the bird as a gift from me because I esteem your gratitude more than any great wealth I could acquire with it."

The Empress greatly admired these words, and could barely believe that the bird-catcher had been endowed with such a noble soul.