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How To Find Out A True Friend |
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Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who longed to have
a son. As none came, one day they made a vow at the shrine of St.
James that if their prayers were granted the boy should set out on a
pilgrimage as soon as he had passed his eighteenth birthday. And
fancy their delight when one evening the king returned home from
hunting and saw a baby lying in the cradle.
All the people came crowding round to peep at it, and declared it
was the most beautiful baby that ever was seen. Of course that is
what they always say, but this time it happened to be true. And
every day the boy grew bigger and stronger till he was twelve years
old, when the king died, and he was left alone to take care of his
mother.
In this way six years passed by, and his eighteenth birthday drew
near. When she thought of this the queen's heart sank within her,
for he was the light of her eyes' and how was she to send him forth
to the unknown dangers that beset a pilgrim? So day by day she
grew more and more sorrowful, and when she was alone wept
bitterly.
Now the queen imagined that no one but herself knew how sad she
was, but one morning her son said to her, 'Mother, why do you cry
the whole day long?'
'Nothing, nothing, my son; there is only one thing in the world that
troubles me.'
'What is that one thing?' asked he. 'Are you afraid your property is
badly managed? Let me go and look into the matter.'
This pleased the queen, and he rode off to the plain country, where
his mother owned great estates; but everything was in beautiful
order, and he returned with a joyful heart, and said, 'Now, mother,
you can be happy again, for your lands are better managed than
anyone else's I have seen. The cattle are thriving; the fields are
thick with corn, and soon they will be ripe for harvest.'
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Fairytales 
