Chapter One

The Old King's Secret There was once an old King.In fact, the young King was so fascinated with beautiful objects that be wanted more of them He sent merchants to India to bay ivory and jade He sent men to Peria for slk carpets, and others to find amber in the north He sent servants to look for green turquorse in the magic tombs of the Egyptian kin

The young King thought about all these things but most of all he thought about his

coronation robe

He was sixteen and it was his coronation day the next day He was very happy because he had a beautiful coronation robe of gold, a crown of rubics and a scepter of"Find boy and bring him here. The scrvants found the boy and brought him to the palace. When the boy arrived he was very happy He immediately fell in love with all the beautiful things around him He tock off his old leather tunic and put on his fine new clothes. Then he began to explore the castle He ran froen room to rocen admiring all the beautifal statues, paintings and jewels in the palace The people of the city talked about him: "The young King spends all his time admiring statues," they said "Beauty and art are the most important things for him."The men left the baby with a very poor family, This poor famity lived in the forest and the boy became a shepherd.But before the King died he Revealed a secret: his only daughter, the Princess, had a child.Some people said her husband was an artist and some people

said be was a musician.Some people said for sadness.Other poople said someone gave her poison in a cup of wine.He looked after goats all day.He had no son to be King when he died.His people were

very worried."Who will be the next King?"they asked.