Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/350

318 right and left with a Damascus blade which he had hidden under his cloak, and he struck one blow so furiously that it cut in halves a post of the king's bed; at which noise the king awoke, and the dragon disappeared.

When Milluccio saw the sword in his brother's hand, and the bedpost cut in two, he set up a loud cry, "Help here! hola! help! this traitor of a brother is come to kill me!" Whereupon hearing the cries, a number of servants who slept in the antechamber came running up, and the king ordered Jennariello to be bound, and sent him the same hour to prison.

The next morning, as soon as the Sun opened his bank, to deliver the deposit of light to the creditors of the Day, the king summoned the council; and when he told them what had passed, confirming the wicked intention shown in killing the falcon and the horse, on purpose to vex him, they judged that Jennariello deserved to die. The prayers of Liviella were all unavailing to soften the heart of the king, who said, "You do not love me, wife; for you have more regard for your brother-in-law than for my life. You have seen with your own eyes this dog of an assassin come with a sword that would cut a hair in the air to kill me; and if the bedpost (the column of my life) had not protected me, you