Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/83

 And when asked about her situation she answered that she was a poor stranger who was looking for a master in the area. So, the peasant was moved to compassion, and noticing that the young woman was beautiful in appearance, willingly received her, and as he perceived every day her many virtues, he began loving her greatly and accepted her as a daughter. And he went to the villages with his monkey to earn a living and lovingly nurtured her together with his dependents.

Now, not long afterwards, the King returned to the royal city and heard from the counselor that his order had been carried out. He had already greatly regretted his cruel order and his life passed by in misery and sorrow and he was overcome by a serious illness for which no remedy could be found and signs of an inevitable death became evident.

This news became known in the villages near the city and reached the ears of the Queen who was living in the peasant's house. Because she knew that she was the reason for everything that had happened to the King, her husband, whom she loved dearly, she thought that she wanted to find a remedy for him. And she made the peasant understand that she wanted the King to recover, and that thereby he could earn a large sum of money.

"Go to the court," she told him "and make the barons understand that, while until now no remedy has been found for his illness, you will certainly return him to his previous state of health."