The Emperor thrust his hand into his pocket, and after much fumbling and jingling, pulled out a knife with an artistically carved handle. "Will that do?" said he.
The boy flushed, and one could see how beneath his coarse, torn shirt his heart beat with joy.
"Yes," stammered the boy, "it's beautiful."
"Well, take it and use it diligently," said the Emperor.
The boy took the treasure from the Emperor's hand as carefully as if it were red hot and might burn his fingers.
"I thank you many times!" was all that he could say; but in his dark eyes there beamed a fire of joy whose sparks of love and gratitude electrified the Emperor.
"Would you like to go to your cousins in Nürnberg, and help them in plate-engraving! There's plenty of work there."
"I would like to go to Dürer in Nürnberg, but I don't want to be a plate-engraver. I would rather cut figures that look natural."
"That's right," said the Emperor, "you will be a man, indeed; always hold to that which is natural and you will not fail."
At that moment the Emperor drew a leather bag from his velvet riding jacket and gave it to the boy.