THE TRADE THAT NO ONE KNOWS.
A LONG while ago there lived a poor old couple, who had an only son. The old man and his wife worked very hard to nourish their child well and bring him up properly, hoping that he, in return, would take care of them in their old age.
When, however, the boy had grown up, he said to his parents, ‘I am a man now, and I intend to marry, so I wish you to go at once to the king and ask him to give me his daughter for wife.’ The astonished parents rebuked him, saying, ‘What can you be thinking of? We have only this poor hut to shelter us, and hardly bread enough to eat, and we dare not presume to go into the king’s presence, much less can we venture to ask for his daughter to be your wife.’
The son, however, insisted that they should do as he said, threatening that if they did not comply with his wishes he would leave them, and go away into the world. Seeing that he was really in earnest in what he said, the unhappy parents promised him they would go and ask for the king’s daughter. Then the old mother made a wedding cake in her son’s presence, and, when it was ready, she put it in a bag, took her staff in her hand, and went straight to the palace where the king lived. There the king’s servants bade her come in, and led her into the hall where his Majesty was accustomed to receive the poor people who came to ask alms or to present petitions.
The poor old woman stood in the hall, confused and ashamed at her worn-out, shabby clothes, and looking as if she were made of stone, until the king said to her kindly, ‘What do you want from me, old mother?’
She dared not, however, tell his Majesty why she had come, so she stammered out in her confusion, ‘Nothing, your Majesty.’
Then the king smiled a little and said, ‘Perhaps you come to ask alms?’
Then the old woman, much abashed, replied, ‘Yes, your Majesty, if you please!’
Thereupon the king called his servants and ordered them to give the old woman ten crowns, which they did. Having received this money, she thanked his Majesty, and returned home, saying to herself, ‘I dare say when my son sees all this money he will not think any more of going away from us.’