The king drank, and soon after fell asleep. Then the queen ordered her carriage, and carried the king away with her to the cottage.
Next morning, when the king awoke in the cottage and saw where he was, he exclaimed, ‘Who brought me here?’
The queen answered, ‘I brought you.’
Then the king asked, ‘How have you dared to do so? Did I not tell you I will not have you any longer for my wife?’
But the queen took out the king’s written promise, and said, ‘Yes, indeed, you told me so; but see, you have written and promised that I “shall be allowed to take with me from the palace that which I like best, whenever I must leave the court.”’
The king, seeing the paper, kissed his wife, and returned with her to the palace.
GOOD DEEDS ARE NEVER LOST.
IN days gone by there lived a married couple who had one only son. When he grew up they made him learn something which would be of use to him in after-life. He was a kind, quiet boy, and feared God greatly. After his schooling was finished his father gave him a ship, freighted with various sorts of merchandise, so that he might go and trade about the world, and grow rich, and become a help to his parents in their old age. The son put to sea, and one day the ship he was in met with a Turkish vessel in which he heard great weeping and wailing. So he demanded of the Turkish sailors, ‘Pray, tell me why there is so much wailing on board your ship?’ and they answered, ‘We are carrying slaves which we have captured in different countries, and those who are chained are weeping.’
Then he said, ‘Please, brothers, ask your captain if he would give me the slaves for ready cash?’