THE QUEST OF CLEVERNESS

Once long ago there lived a king who had a stupid son. His father sent him to school for many years hoping that he might learn something there. His teachers all gave him up as hopelessly stupid, and with one accord they said, "It is no use trying to teach this lad out of books.

It is just a waste of our valuable time."

At length the king called together all the wisest men of his kingdom to consult with them as to the best way to make the prince wise and clever. They talked the matter over for a year and a day. It was the unanimous opinion of the wise men of the kingdom that the lad should be sent on a journey through many lands. In this way he might learn many of the things which his teachers had not been able to teach him out of books.

Accordingly the prince was equipped for his journey. He was given fine raiment, a splendid black horse upon which to ride, and a great bag full of money. Thus prepared, he started forth from the palace one bright morning with the blessing of the king, his father, and of all the wise men of the kingdom.

The prince journeyed through many lands. In one country he learned one thing, and in another country he learned another thing. There was no country or kingdom so small or poor that it did not have something to teach the prince. And the prince, though he had been so insufferably stupid at his books, learned the lessons of his journey with an open mind.

After long wanderings the prince arrived at a city where there was an auction going on. A singing bird was being offered for sale. "What is the special advantage of this singing bird?" asked the prince.

"This bird, at the command of its owner, will sing a song which will put to sleep any one who listens to it," was the reply.

The prince decided that the bird was worth purchasing.

The next thing which was offered for sale was a beetle. "What is the special advantage of this beetle?" asked the prince.

"This beetle will gnaw its way through any wall in the world," was the reply.

The prince purchased the beetle.

Then a b.u.t.terfly was offered for sale. "What is the special advantage of owning this b.u.t.terfly?" asked the prince.

"This b.u.t.terfly is strong enough to bear upon its wings any weight which is put upon them," was the answer.

The prince bought the b.u.t.terfly. With his bird and beetle and b.u.t.terfly he travelled on and on until he became lost in the jungle.

The foliage was so dense that he could not see his way, so he climbed to the top of the tallest tree he saw. From its summit he spied in the distance what looked like a mountain; but, when he had journeyed near to it, he saw that it was really the wall which surrounds the land of the giants.

A great giant whose head reached to the clouds stood on the wall as guard. A song from the singing bird put this guard to sleep immediately. The beetle soon had gnawed an entrance through the wall.

Through this opening the prince entered the land of the giants.

The very first person whom the prince saw in the land of the giants was a lovely captive princess. The opening which the beetle had made in the wall led directly to the dungeon in which she was confined.

The prince had learned many things on his journey, and among the lessons he had learned was this one: "Always rescue a fair maiden in distress." He immediately asked what he could do to rescue the beautiful captive princess.

"You can never succeed in rescuing me, I fear," replied the princess.

"At the door of this palace there is a giant on guard who never sleeps."

"Never mind," replied the prince. "I'll put him to sleep."

Just at that moment the giant himself strode into the dungeon. He had heard voices there. "Sing, my little bird, sing," commanded the prince to his singing bird.

At the first burst of melody the giant went to sleep there in the dungeon, though he had never before taken a wink of sleep in all his life.

"This beetle of mine has gnawed an entrance through the great wall which surrounds the land of the giants," said the prince to the captive princess. "To escape we'll not have to climb the high wall."

"What of the guard who stands on top of the wall with his head reaching up to the clouds?" asked the princess. "Will he not spy us?"

"My singing bird has put him to sleep, too," replied the prince. "If we hurry out he will not yet be awake."

"I have been confined here in this dungeon so long that I fear I have forgotten how to walk," said the princess.

"Never mind," replied the prince. "My b.u.t.terfly will bear you upon his wings."

With the lovely princess borne safely upon the b.u.t.terfly's wings the prince swiftly escaped from the land of the giants. The giant on the wall yawned in his sleep as they looked up at him. "He is good for another hour's nap," remarked the prince.

[Ill.u.s.tration: With the lovely princess borne safely upon the b.u.t.terfly's wings, the prince swiftly escaped]

The prince returned to his father's kingdom as soon as he could find the way back. He took with him the lovely princess, and the singing bird, and the gnawing beetle, and the strong-winged b.u.t.terfly.

His father and all the people of the kingdom received him with great joy. "Never again will the prince of our kingdom be called stupid,"

said the wise men when they heard the account of his adventures. "With his singing bird and his gnawing beetle and his strong-winged b.u.t.terfly he has become the cleverest youth in the land."

XI

THE GIANT'S PUPIL

Long years ago there lived a little boy whose name was Manoel. His father and mother were so very poor that they could not afford to send him to school. Because he did not go to school he played all day in the fields on the edge of the forest where the giant lived.

One day Manoel met the giant. The giant lived all alone in the forest, so he was very lonely and wished he had a little boy like Manoel. He loved little Manoel as soon as he saw him, and after that they were together every day. The giant taught Manoel all the secrets of the forests and jungles. He taught him all the secrets of the wind and the rain and the thunder and the lightning. He taught him all the secrets of the beasts and the birds and the serpents.

Manoel grew up a wise lad indeed. His father and mother were very proud of him and so was his kind teacher, the giant.

One day the king's messenger rode up and down the kingdom with a message from the king's daughter. The king's daughter, the beautiful princess of the land, had promised to wed the man who could tell her a riddle she could not guess. All the princes who had sung of love beneath the palace window had been very stupid. The princess wished to marry a man who knew more than she did.

When Manoel heard the words of the messenger he said to his father and mother, "I am going to the palace to tell a riddle to the princess. I am sure I can give her one which she cannot guess."

"You are an exceedingly clever lad, I know, my son," replied his mother, "but there will be many princes and handsome _cavalheiros_ at the palace to tell riddles to the princess. What if she will not listen to a lad in shabby clothing!"

"I will make the princess listen to my riddle," replied Manoel.

"What riddle are you going to ask the princess?" asked Manoel's father.

"I do not know yet," replied the lad. "I will make up a riddle on the way to the palace. I am going to start at once."

The kind giant who had been the lad's friend gave him his blessing and wished him luck. The lad's mother prepared a lunch for him to carry with him. His father sat before the door and boasted to all the neighbours that his son was going to wed the king's daughter. Manoel took his dog with him when he went on his journey, because he wanted some one for company.

Manoel journeyed on and on through the forests and jungles and after a time he had eaten all the lunch his mother had given him when he went from home. When he became hungry he spent his last _vintem_ for some bread from a little _venda_ in the town he pa.s.sed through. He went on to the forest to eat the bread, and before he tasted of it himself he gave a piece to his dog. The dog died immediately. The bread was poisoned.

Even as Manoel stood by weeping for his faithful dog, three big black buzzards flew down and devoured the dead beast. They fell dead immediately. Just then the lad heard voices, and soon he saw seven hors.e.m.e.n approaching. The men were robbers, and though they had much gold in their pockets they had no food. "I am hungry enough to eat a dead buzzard," said the captain of the robbers. The robbers greedily seized the three buzzards and devoured them at once. The seven men immediately died from the poison.

"The buzzards stole the body of my dog, so they became mine," said Manoel. "The seven robbers stole my three buzzards, so they became mine, too." He took all the gold from the pockets of the seven robbers and dressed himself in the garments of the captain of the robbers because they were finest. He mounted the horse of the captain of the robbers because that was the best horse.