Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/353

Rh my kingdom." "Nay," replied the old man, "this is not a thing that requires payment in wealth, but being an affair of life it must be paid for with as much again of life."

Then the king, partly out of the love he bore Jennariello, and partly from hearing himself reproached with the injury he had done him, answered, "Believe me, my good sir, I would give my own life for his life; and provided that he came out of the stone, I should be content to be enclosed in a stone."

Hearing this the old man said, "Without putting your life to this risk,—since it takes so long to rear a man,—the blood of these your two little boys, smeared upon the marble, would suffice to make him instantly come to life." Then the king replied, "Children I may have again, but I have a brother, and another I can never more hope to see." So saying, he made a pitiable sacrifice of two little innocent kids before an idol of stone, and besmearing the statue with their blood, it instantly became alive; whereupon the king embraced his brother, and their joy is not to be told. Then they had those poor little creatures put into a coffin, in order to give them burial with all due honour; but just at that instant the queen returned home, and the king, bidding his brother hide himself, said to his wife, "What would you give, my heart, to