Name : Artamevi Sofia
Class : X-Science 3
The Faithful John
Once upon
a time an old king who was ill and thought to himself 'I am lying on what must
be my deathbed.' Then he said 'tell faithful John to come to me.' Faithful John
was his favorite servant, and was so called, because he had for his whole life
long been so true to him.
When
therefore he came beside the bed, the king said to him ‘I feel my end
approaching, and have no anxiety except about my son. He is still of
tender age, and cannot always know how to guide himself. If you do not
promise me to teach him everything that he ought to know, and to be his
foster-father, I cannot close my eyes in peace.' Then answered faithful John 'I
will not forsake him, and will serve him with fidelity, even if it should cost
me my life.'
At this,
the old king said 'now I die in comfort and peace.'after my death, you shall
show him the whole castle , but the last chamber in the long gallery, which is
the picture of the princess of the golden dwelling, shall you not show.
If he sees that picture, he will fall in love with her, and will go through
great danger for her sake, you must protect
him from that.' And when faithful John had once more given his promise to the
old king about this, the king said no more, but laid his head on his pillow,
and died.
When the old king had been carried
to his grave, faithful John told the young king all that he had promised his
father on his deathbed, When the mourning was over, faithful John said to him
'it is now time that you should see your inheritance. I will show you
your father's palace.' Then he took him about everywhere, and let him see all
the riches, only there was one room which he did not open, that in which hung
the dangerous picture.
The
young king noticed, and said 'why do you never open this one for me.' 'There is
something within it, he replied, 'which would terrify you.' But the king
answered 'I have seen all the palace, and I want to know what is in this room
also, and he went and tried to break open the door by force. Then
faithful John held him back and said 'I promised your father before his death
that you should not see that which is in this chamber, it might bring the greatest
misfortune on you and on me.’
Ah, no, replied the young king, 'if I do not go in, it will be my certain
destruction. I should have no rest day or night until I had seen it with
my own eyes. I shall not leave the place now until you have unlocked the
door
Then faithful John saw that there
was no help for it now, and with a heavy heart and many sighs he opened the
door .And when he saw the portrait of the maiden, which was so magnificent and
shone with gold and precious stones, he fell fainting to the ground.
Faithful John took him up, carried him to his bed, and sorrowfully thought 'the
misfortune has befallen us, Lord God, what will be the end of it.'
Then he strengthened him with
wine, until he came to himself again The first words the king said were 'ah,
the beautiful portrait. Whose it it.' 'That is the princess of the golden
dwelling, answered faithful John. Then the king continued 'my love for
her is so great, that if all the leaves on all the trees were tongues, they
could not declare it. I will give my life to win her. You are my
most faithful John, you must help me.
Soure
: wikipedia
