THE VEILED MAN
"Swineherd, fetch some spring water, and baptize me, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
The king's son went to fetch spring water, and baptized the King of Fishes, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
“Swineherd, thank you. In seven years, I will die and go straight to heaven. Porcher, you have done me a great service, and I intend to pay you for it. Listen. When you need me, come back here, before sunrise. Turn towards the great sea, and cry three times: “King of Fishes! King of Fishes! King of Fishes!" You won't wait for me long, and I will put you out of trouble."
And the King of Fishes plunged into the great sea.
In the evening, at supper, the sharecropper, who was returning from the fair, discussed what he had seen and heard there.
“Swineherd, sad things are happening in the kingdom. The Black Death is in this country. Every day, people die there by the thousands and rot in the sun, torn to pieces by dogs and crows. They say that the old king is dying of grief. What to do there? To chase away the Black Death, the Golden Flower, the balsam flower, the flower that sings like a nightingale, should be planted in the king's flowerbed. But this flower, without equal in the world, is on an island in the great sea. Around the island, storms and tempests rumble night and day. The poor sailors who left for this trip never returned."
The king's son pretended to listen out of complacency. Yet he didn't miss a word. When bedtime came, he went to his bed; but he thought all night about what the sharecropper had said.
The next day, the king's son was up before dawn.
“Farewell, master. I'm going on a big trip."
"Swineherd, this is what I owe you. Let us part, good friends. Go, and may the Good Lord lead you. If you want to return here, you will always be well received."
"Thank you, master. Keep that money. If I don't come back in seven months, count me dead. So, spend half of my wages on alms, and the rest on having masses said for me."
"Swineherd, I will do as you said."
"Thank you, master. Farewell."
Seven weeks later, the king's son entered the church, where his sword and black veil were still hidden under the high altar.
“Hello, priest. Give me back my sword and my black veil."
"Poor man, with pleasure. Here they are."
The king's son left again. Seven weeks later, he was at the edge of the great sea, before sunrise.
“King of Fish! King of Fishes! King of Fishes!"
Immediately, the King of Fishes appeared above the great sea.
“Swineherd, you have done me a great service, and I intend to repay you. Swineherd, I know what you want. You want to go to an island in the great sea, to look for the Golden Flower, the balsam flower, the flower that sings like a nightingale. Then, jump on my back. Let's go."
The king's son obeyed, and the King of Fish sped across the waters, as fast as lightning.
“Swineherd, here is the island you are looking for. Jump down. Go get what you need, and come back quickly. I have other business elsewhere."
The king's son obeys. In front of an inn, under the arbor, on the edge of the great sea, six men were drinking, seated at a table with seven beautiful whores.
“Ho! Friend! Come laugh and have fun with us."
"Back up! pimpss. Get the hell out of here, bitches. I'm done doing bad things, and I'm trying to prove it. Bang! bang!"
And the king's son struck down with great blows of his sword on the pimps and the whores.
"Your turn, pig! To you, carrion! Go roast, with the Devils of Hell. Bang! bang!"
So this dirty world perishes. Then the king's son sheathed his sword and plucked the Golden Flower, the balsam flower, the flower that sings like a nightingale.