"You are my mother," answered the child; "I will not betray you."
"Only promise me."
"I promise not to betray you."
"Well, know that I am not your mother and my husband is not your father."
The merchant came home from his journey and took the child some food, but he would not eat it.
"Why won't you eat?" asked the merchant. "Could your mother have been here?"
"No," answered the child, "she has not been here."
The merchant went to his wife and said to her, "Could you have gone up to the child's chamber?"
The woman answered, "I did not go up to the room."
The merchant carried food to the child, who said: "For the love of God, I adjure you to tell me if you are my father and if your wife is my mother."