THE CHASTISED QUEEN
"... Tomorrow evening, we are all leaving for your beauty's castle. In a week, I want her to order here."
“Thank you, father. May the Good Lord bless you!"
The queen listened without saying a word. She left, and returned a moment later. Father and son clinked glasses, laughing.
"Let's go ! my friend. To the health of your princess."
"King," said the queen, "why don't you toast to my health?"
“To your health, woman."
“To your health, mother."
"Thank you. Let's toast again."
All three emptied their glasses. Five minutes later, the king turned green as grass.
“What is the matter, father? »
The king fell under the table. He was dead.
He was buried the next day. His son gave a lot of gold and silver, for alms and prayers. On his return from the cemetery, he said to the people of the castle:
"Servants, make my bed in my poor father's room."
“King, you will be obeyed."
The new king locked himself in his poor father's room. He knelt down and prayed to God for a long time. This done, he threw himself, fully dressed, on the bed, and fell asleep. The first stroke of midnight woke him. A ghost looked at him without saying anything.
The dead man took his son by the hand, and led him, in the night, to the other end of the castle. There he opened a hiding place, and pointed to a half-full vial.
“Your mother poisoned me. You are king. Do me justice."
The dead man closed the hiding place and left. The king was sweating with fear. Yet he was a strong and bold man. Slowly, very slowly, he went down to the stable, saddled his best horse, and galloped off into the dark night.
At the crack of dawn, he secretly knocked on the door of his dearest friend.
"Listen. Misfortune is upon me. I'm going I don't know where. Tomorrow, go find my princess, in her father's castle, and tell her: "The misfortune is on your friend. He went I don't know where. His wife, you will never, never be. Still, he's done talking to the girls, and he won't forget you. Retreat to a convent. Take the black veil, and pray to God for your friend, until they take you to the cemetery."
“King, you will be obeyed."
The king galloped off into the dark night. The next day he was in a city seven times the size of Toulouse. There he sold his sword, his fine clothes, his horse, gave the money to the poor, and went off like a beggar, stick in hand, bag on his back. Finally, he arrived on a mountain so high, so high, that only eagles could fly there. On this mountain, the king built himself a hut. If he was thirsty, he drank from the springs. If he was hungry, there was plenty of herbs and wild fruits.
One evening, the king was praying to God in his cabin. He prayed a long, long time and fell asleep.
When he awoke, the stars marked midnight. A ghost was watching him.
“Your mother poisoned me. You are king. Do me justice."
The dead man left. The king was sweating with fear. Yet he was a strong and bold man. So he fled into the dark night. At the crack of dawn, he was at the bottom of the mountain. For a whole year the poor man walked, always walking straight ahead, without ever asking the way. Finally, he arrived in his country, and came in the evening to knock in secret at the door of his dearest friend.
"Good evening my friend. Don't you recognize me?"
“You are the king."
“Yes, I am the king. Give me news of my princess."
"Your princess died in her convent."
“Tell me about my mother."
“Your mother is still in the castle, and she has made herself mistress, to the misfortune of the country."