As the two children sat together, enjoying the happiest moment of their day, one of the King's spies secretly watched and listened.
He heard the Princess Isabella say, "Enough of that for now, Alfonso. Come. Read my favorite book."
Alfonso put down the book which he had been reading, and the spy noted well its title, "The Odyssey (ŏd´ĭ-sĭ)." He also had noted something else. Always before the Prince turned a page, he first moistened his finger with his tongue.
Squinting his eyes, the spy smiled wickedly to himself and stole away.
Several nights later, this same spy crept into the Prince's chamber and, feeling cautiously about, he at last found what he sought. It was a book, "The Odyssey."
Working with agile fingers, he opened the book, and upon each page he smeared a deadly poison. Then he returned the book to its place and left the room as quietly as he had entered.
Now trouble and discontent filled the country. Some of the people were not pleased with King Henry, and they wanted to place young Alfonso upon the throne.
The Prince and his sister began to live through turbulent times, and their peaceful hours together were over. Alfonso was thrown into prison, then suddenly freed again, to become an important figure in the kingdom.
He was told that soon he would be crowned king, for the rebels were going to overthrow his brother Henry. Whispered plans, secret schemes stirred in the air like poisonous insects. And the poisoned book lay where the spy had left it. The Prince found little time for reading.
| AVILA |