“He noticed an old man on the shore”
Meanwhile, the king’s unhappy son-in-law sat on the rock, and lived on the moss which grew there, and was scorched by the hot sun, from which he had no shelter; his garments were soiled and torn, and no one would have recognised him. Still not a living soul was to be seen anywhere to help him. At last, after fifteen days and fifteen nights, he noticed an old man on the shore, leaning on a staff, and engaged in fishing. Then the king’s heir shouted to the old man, and begged him to help him off the rock. The old fisherman consented—
“If you will pay me for it,” said he.
“How can I pay you when, as you see, I have nothing, and even my clothes are only rags?” answered the young man sadly.
“Oh, that matters nothing,” exclaimed the old man; “I have here pen and paper, so, if you know how to [[43]]use them, write a promise to give me half of everything you may ever possess, and then sign the paper.”
To that the young man gladly consented; so the old man walked through the water to him, and he signed the paper, and then the old man took him over to the shore. After that he journeyed from village to village, barefoot, hungry, and sorrowful, and begged some garments to cover him.
After thirty days’ wandering his good luck led him to the city of the king, and he went and sat at the door of the palace, wearing on his finger his wedding-ring, on which were his own name and the name of his wife. At eventide the king’s servants took him into the courtyard, and gave him to eat what remained of their supper. Next morning he took his stand by the garden-door, but the gardener came and drove him away, saying that the king and his family were soon coming that way. So he moved away a little, and sat down near a corner of the garden, and shortly afterwards he saw the king walking with his mother, his father leading the queen, and his wife walking with the minister, his great enemy. He did not yet desire to show himself to them, but as they passed near him and gave him alms, his wife saw the wedding-ring on a finger of the hand which he held out to take the money. Still she could not think the beggar could be her husband, so she said:
“Let me see the ring you have on your finger.”
The minister, who was walking by her, was a little frightened, and said: [[44]]