THE PROPHETIC DREAM.THE PROPHETIC DREAM.
Theci-devantshepherd now betook himself all alone to the open plain, and began to strike his sword here and there in the ground, and in a few minutes there stood on the plain many thousand well-armed combatants, and the youth himself, richly armed and adorned, sat as their leader on a noble horse decked with gold embroidered housings and a lustrous bridle. The young general led his troops against the foe, and a bloody battle was fought. Unceasing death-shots thundered from the commander's hat, and his sword called up one regiment after another from the ground, so that in a few hours the enemy was vanquished and scattered, and the flag of victory waved above the conquered camp. The victor pursued and conquered from his foe a considerable portion of his country. Victorious, and crowned with glory, he returned to Spain, where his greatest good fortune still awaited him. The fair daughter of the king had been no less struck by the handsome youth whom she met in the hall, than he had been by her; and the most gracious monarch knew how to value duly the great service rendered to him by the brave young man. He kept his word—gave him his daughter in marriage, and made him heir to his throne.
The nuptials were celebrated with the greatest magnificence, and he who had so shortly before been only a shepherd youth sat now in high estate. Soon after the wedding the old king resigned his crown and sceptre into the hands of his son-in-law, who, seated proudly on the throne, with his beautiful consort beside him, received the oath of allegiance from his people.
Then he thought of his so quickly-fulfilled dream and of his poor parents, and when he was alone with his wife, he thus addressed her: "My beloved, know that I have parents living still, but they are very poor; my father is a village herdsman, dwelling far away in Germany, where I myself, as a boy, looked after cattle, until a marvellous dream revealed to me that I should become king of Spain. Fortune has been favourable to me; I am now a king, but I would willingly see my parents also prosperous, therefore with your kind consent I will return to my former home, and bring my parents hither."
The young queen was well content that her husband should do as he proposed, so he set off and travelled of course very fast, being possessed of the seven-mile boots. On his way the young monarch restored themagical articles which he had taken from the robbers to their rightful owners, retaining only the boots; he carried back with him his parents, who were almost beside themselves for joy, and to the former owner of the boots he gave a dukedom in exchange for them. After that he lived happily and worthily all the rest of his days.