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Page 16
And then he unbound the fifty-nine honest men and took the ropes from
their necks. As nightfall was fast approaching the new servants set
to work to prepare a great feast in honor of their master. It was
laid in the middle of the grassy clearing, that all might sit around
and celebrate the joyous occasion.
"Do you think you can trust these men?" asked Nerle, suspiciously.
"Why not?" replied the prince. "They have been exceedingly wicked, it
is true; but they are now intent upon being exceedingly good. Let us
encourage them in this. If we mistrusted all who have ever done an
evil act there would be fewer honest people in the world. And if it
were as interesting to do a good act as an evil one there is no doubt
every one would choose the good."
6. The Troubles of Nerle
That night Prince Marvel slept within the cave, surrounded by the
fifty-nine reformed thieves, and suffered no harm at their hands. In
the morning, accompanied by his esquire, Nerle, who was mounted upon a
spirited horse brought him by Wul-Takim, he charged the honest men to
remember their promises, bade them good by, and set out in search of
further adventure.
As they left the clearing by the narrow passage that led between the
overhanging rocks, the prince looked back and saw that the sign above
the gate of the cave, which had told of the thieves' treasure house,
had been changed. It now read as follows:
WUL-TAKIM
KING OF HONEST MEN
-------
HIS PLEASURE HOUSE
WALK IN
"That is much better," laughed the prince. "I accomplished some good
by my adventure, anyway!"
Nerle did not reply. He seemed especially quiet and thoughtful as he
rode by his master's side, and after they had traveled some distance
in silence Prince Marvel said:
"Tell me how you came to be in the cave of thieves, and perched upon
the casks where I found you."
"It is a sad story," returned Nerle, with a sigh; "but since you
request me to tell it, the tale may serve to relieve the tedium of
your journey.
"My father is a mighty baron, very wealthy and with a heart so kind
that he has ever taken pleasure in thrusting on me whatever gift he
could think of. I had not a single desire unsatisfied, for before I
could wish for anything it was given me.
"My mother was much like my father. She and her women were always
making jams, jellies, candies, cakes and the like for me to eat; so I
never knew the pleasure of hunger. My clothes were the gayest satins
and velvets, richly made and sewn with gold and silver braid; so it
was impossible to wish for more in the way of apparel. They let me
study my lessons whenever I felt like it and go fishing or hunting as
I pleased; so I could not complain that I was unable to do just as I
wanted to. All the servants obeyed my slightest wish: if I wanted to
sit up late at night no one objected; if I wished to lie in bed till
noon they kept the house quiet so as not to disturb me.
"This condition of affairs, as you may imagine, grew more and more
tedious and exasperating the older I became. Try as I might, I could
find nothing to complain of. I once saw the son of one of our
servants receive a flogging; and my heart grew light. I immediately
begged my father to flog me, by way of variety; and he, who could
refuse me nothing, at once consented. For this reason there was less
satisfaction in the operation than I had expected, although for the
time being it was a distinct novelty.
"Now, no one could expect a high-spirited boy to put up with such a
life as mine. With nothing to desire and no chance of doing anything
that would annoy my parents, my days were dreary indeed."
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