The Good of a Few Words.
There was one Beppo the Wise and another Beppo the Foolish.
The wise one was the father of the foolish one.
Beppo the Wise was called Beppo the Wise because he had laid up agreat treasure after a long life of hard work.
Beppo the Foolish was called Beppo the Foolish because he spent infive years after his father was gone from this world of sorrow allthat the old man had laid together in his long life of toil.
But during that time Beppo lived as a prince, and the like wasnever seen in that town before or since--feasting and drinking andjunketing and merrymaking. He had friends by the dozen and by thescores, and the fame of his doings went throughout all the land.
While his money lasted he was called Beppo the Generous. It wasonly after it was all gone that they called him Beppo the Foolish.
So by-and-by the money was spent, and there was an end of it.
Yes; there was an end of it; and where were all of Beppo’sfair-weather friends? Gone like the wild-geese in frosty weather.
“Don’t you remember how I gave you a bagful of gold?” says Beppothe Foolish. “Won’t you remember me now in my time of need?”
But the fair-weather friend only laughed in his face.
“Don’t you remember how I gave you a fine gold chain with a diamondpendant?” says Beppo to another. “And won’t you lend me a littlemoney to help me over to-day?”
But the summer-goose friend only grinned.
“But what shall I do to keep body and soul together?” says Beppo toa third.
The man was a wit. “Go to a shoemaker,” said he, “and let himstitch the soul fast;” and that was all the good Beppo had of him.
Then poor Beppo saw that there was not place for him in that town,and so off he went to seek his fortune elsewhither, for he saw thatthere was nothing to be gained in that place.
So he journeyed on for a week and a day, and then towards eveninghe came to the king’s town.
There it stood on the hill beside the river--the grandest city inthe kingdom. There were orchards and plantations of trees along thebanks of the stream, and gardens and summer-houses and pavilions.There were white houses and red roofs and blue skies. Up above onthe hill were olive orchards and fields, and then blue sky again.
Beppo went into the town, gazing about him with admiration. Houses,palaces, gardens. He had never seen the like. Stores and shops fullof cloths of velvet and silk and satin; goldsmiths, silversmiths,jewellers--as though all the riches of the world had been emptiedinto the city. Crowds of people--lords, noblemen, courtiers, richmerchants, and tradesmen.
Beppo stared about at the fine sights and everybody stared atBeppo, for his shoes were dusty, his clothes were travel-stained,and a razor had not touched his face for a week.
The king of that country was walking in the garden under the shadeof the trees, and the sunlight slanted down upon him, and sparkledupon the jewels around his neck and on his fingers. Two dogswalked alongside of him, and a whole crowd of lords and nobles andcourtiers came behind him; first of all the prime-minister with hislong staff.
But for all this fine show this king was not really the king. Whenthe old king died he left a daughter, and she should have beenqueen if she had had her own rights. But this king, who was heruncle, had stepped in before her, and so the poor princess waspushed aside and was nobody at all but a princess, the king’s niece.
She stood on the terrace with her old nurse, while the king walkedin the garden below.
It had been seven years now since the old king had died, and inthat time she had grown up into a beautiful young woman, as wiseas she was beautiful, and as good as she was wise. Few people eversaw her, but everybody talked about her in whispers and praised herbeauty and goodness, saying that, if the right were done, she wouldhave her own and be queen.
Sometimes the king heard of this (for a king hears everything), andhe grew to hate the princess as a man hates bitter drink.
The princess looked down from the terrace, and there she saw Beppowalking along the street, and his shoes were dusty and his clotheswere travel-stained, and a razor had not touched his face for aweek.
“Look at yonder poor man,” she said to her nurse; “yet if I werehis wife he would be greater really than my uncle, the king.”
The king, walking below in the garden, heard what she said.
“Say you so!” he called out. “Then we shall try if what you say istrue;” and he turned away, shaking with anger.
“Alas!” said the princess, “now, indeed, have I ruined myself forgood and all.”
* * * * *
Beppo was walking along the street looking about him hither andthither, and thinking how fine it all was. He had no more thoughtthat the king and the princess were talking about him than the manin the moon.
Suddenly some one clapped him upon the shoulder.
Beppo turned around.
There stood a great tall man dressed all in black.
“You must come with me,” said he.
“What do you want with me?” said Beppo.
“That you shall see for yourself,” said the man.
“Very well,” said Beppo; “I’d as lief go along with you as anywhereelse.”
So he turned and followed the man whither he led.
They went along first one street and then another, and by-and-bythey came to the river, and there was a long wall with a gate init. The tall man in black knocked upon the gate, and some oneopened it from within. The man in black entered, and Beppo followedat his heels, wondering where he was going.
He was in a garden. There were fruit trees and flowering shrubs andlong marble walks, and away in the distance a great grand palaceof white marble that shone red as fire in the light of the settingsun, but there was not a soul to be seen anywhere.
The tall man in black led the way up the long marble walk, past thefountains and fruit trees and beds of roses, until he had come tothe palace.
Beppo wondered whether he were dreaming.
The tall man in black led the way into the palace, but still therewas not a soul to be seen.
Beppo gazed about him in wonder. There were floors of coloredmarble, and ceilings of blue and gold, and columns of carvedmarble, and hangings of silk and velvet and silver.
Suddenly the tall man opened a little door that led into a darkpassage, and Beppo followed him. They went along the passage, andthen the man opened another door.
Then Beppo found himself in a great vaulted room. There at one endof the room were three souls. A man sat on the throne, and he wasthe king, for he had a crown on his head and a long robe over hisshoulders. Beside him stood a priest, and in front of him stood abeautiful young woman as white as wax and as still as death.
Beppo wondered whether he were awake.
“Come hither,” said the king, in a harsh voice, and Beppo cameforward and kneeled before him. “Take this young woman by thehand,” said the king.
Beppo did as he was bidden.
Her hand was as cold as ice.
Then, before Beppo knew what was happening, he found that he wasbeing married.
It was the princess.
“Now,” said the king to her when the priest had ended, and hefrowned until his brows were as black as thunder--“now you aremarried; tell me, is your husband greater than I?”
But the princess said never a word, only the tears ran one afteranother down her white face. The king sat staring at her andfrowning.
Suddenly some one tapped Beppo upon the shoulder. It was the tallman in black.
Beppo knew that he was to follow him again. This time the princesswas to go along. The tall man in black led the way, and Beppo andthe princess followed along the secret passage and up and down thestairs until at last they came out into the garden again.
And now the evening was beginning to fall.
The man led the way down the garden to the river, and still Beppoand the princess followed him.
By-and
-by they came to the river-side and to a flight of steps, andthere was a little frail boat without sail or oars.
The tall man in black beckoned towards the boat, and Beppo knewthat he and the princess were to enter it.
As soon as Beppo had helped the princess into the boat the tall manthrust it out into the stream with his foot, and the boat driftedaway from the shore and out into the river, and then around andaround. Then it floated off down the stream.
It floated on and on, and the sun set and the moon rose.
Beppo looked at the princess, and he thought he had never seenany one so beautiful in all his life. It was all like a dream, andhe hoped he might never awaken. But the princess sat there weepingand weeping, and said nothing.
The night fell darker and darker, but still Beppo sat looking atthe princess. Her face was as white as silver in the moonlight.The smell of the flower-gardens came across the river. The boatfloated on and on until by-and-by it drifted to the shore again andamong the river reeds, and there it stopped, and Beppo carried theprincess ashore.
“Listen,” said the princess. “Do you know who I am?”
“No,” said Beppo, “I do not.”
“I am the princess,” said she, “the king’s niece; and by rights Ishould be queen of this land.”
Beppo could not believe his ears.
“It is true that I am married to you,” said she, “but never shallyou be my husband until you are king.”
“King!” said Beppo; “how can I be king?”
“You shall be king,” said the princess.
“But the king is everything,” said Beppo, “and I am nothing atall.”
“Great things come from small beginnings,” said the princess; “abig tree from a little seed.”
Some little distance away from the river was the twinkle of alight, and thither Beppo led the princess. When the two came to it,they found it was a little hut, for there were fish-nets hangingoutside in the moonlight.
Beppo knocked.
An old woman opened the door. She stared and stared, as well shemight, to see the fine lady in silks and satins with a gold ringupon her finger, and nobody with her but one who looked like a poorbeggar-man.
“Who are you and what do you want?” said the old woman.
“Who we are,” said the princess, “does not matter, except that weare honest folk in trouble. What we want is shelter for the nightand food to eat, and that we will pay for.”
“Shelter I can give you,” said the old woman, “but little else buta crust of bread and a cup of water. One time there was enough andplenty in the house; but now, since my husband has gone and I amleft all alone, it is little I have to eat and drink. But such as Ihave to give you are welcome to.”
Then Beppo and the princess went into the house.
* * * * *
The next morning the princess called Beppo to her. “Here,” saidshe, “is a ring and a letter. Go you into the town and inquire forSebastian the Goldsmith. He will know what to do.”
Beppo took the ring and the letter and started off to town, and itwas not hard for him to find the man he sought, for every one knewof Sebastian the Goldsmith. He was an old man, with a great whitebeard and a forehead like the dome of a temple. He looked at Beppofrom head to foot with eyes as bright as those of a snake; then hetook the ring and the letter. As soon as he saw the ring he raisedit to his lips and kissed it; then he kissed the letter also; thenhe opened it and read it.
He turned to Beppo and bowed very low. “My lord,” said he, “I willdo as I am commanded. Will you be pleased to follow me?”
He led the way into an inner room. There were soft rugs upon thefloor, and around the walls were tapestries. There were couches andsilken cushions. Beppo wondered what it all meant.
Sebastian the Goldsmith clapped his hands together. A door opened,and there came three black slaves into the room. The Goldsmithspoke to them in a strange language, and the chief of the threeblack slaves bowed in reply. Then he and the others led Beppo intoanother room where there was a marble bath of tepid water. Theybathed him and rubbed him with soft linen towels; then they shavedthe beard from his cheeks and chin and trimmed his hair; then theyclothed him in fine linen and a plain suit of gray and Beppo lookedlike a new man.
Then when all this was done the chief of the blacks conducted Beppoback to Sebastian the Goldsmith. There was a fine feast spread,with fruit and wine. Beppo sat down to it, and Sebastian theGoldsmith stood and served him with a napkin over his arm.
Then Beppo was to return to the princess again.
A milk-white horse was waiting for him at the Goldsmith’s door, aservant holding the bridle, and Beppo mounted and rode away.
When he returned to the fisherman’s hut the princess was waitingfor him. She had prepared a tray spread with a napkin, a cup ofmilk, and some sweet cakes.
“Listen,” said she; “to-day the king hunts in the forest overyonder. Go you thither with this. The king will be hot and thirsty,and weary with the chase. Offer him this refreshment. He will eatand drink, and in gratitude he will offer you something in return.Take nothing of him, but ask him this: that he allow you once everythree days to come to the palace, and that he whisper these wordsin your ear so that no one else may hear them--‘A word, a word,only a few words; spoken ill, they are ill; spoken well, they aremore precious than gold and jewels.’”
“Why should I do that?” said Beppo.
“You will see,” said the princess.
Beppo did not understand it at all, but the princess is a princessand must be obeyed, and so he rode away on his horse at her bidding.
It was as the princess had said: the king was hunting in theforest, and when Beppo came there he could hear the shouts of themen and the winding of horns and the baying of dogs. He waitedthere for maybe an hour or more, and sometimes the sounds werenearer and sometimes the sounds were farther away. Presently theycame nearer and nearer, and then all of a sudden the king cameriding out of the forest, the hounds hunting hither and thither,and the lords and nobles and courtiers following him.
The king’s face was flushed and heated with the chase, and hisforehead was bedewed with sweat. Beppo came forward and offered thetray. The king wiped his face with the napkin, and then drank themilk and ate three of the cakes.
“Who was it ordered you to bring this to me?” said he to Beppo.
“No one,” said Beppo; “I brought it myself.”
The king looked at Beppo and was grateful to him.
“Thou hast given me pleasure and comfort,” said he; “ask what thouwilt in return and if it is in reason thou shalt have it.”
“I will have only this,” said Beppo: “that your majesty will allowme once every three days to come to the palace, and that then youwill take me aside and will whisper these words into my ear sothat no one else may hear them--‘A word, a word, only a few words;spoken ill, they are ill; spoken well, they are more precious thangold and jewels.’”
The king burst out laughing. “Why,” said he, “what is this foolishthing you ask of me? If you had asked for a hundred pieces of goldyou should have had them. Think better, friend, and ask somethingof more worth than this foolish thing.”
“Please your majesty,” said Beppo, “I ask nothing else.”
The king laughed again. “Then you shall have what you ask,” saidhe, and he rode away.
* * * * *
The next morning the princess said to Beppo: “This day you shallgo and claim the king’s promise of him. Take this ring and thisletter again to Sebastian the Goldsmith. He will fit you withclothes in which to appear before the king. Then go to the king’spalace that he may whisper those words he has to say into your ear.”
Once more Beppo went to Sebastian the Goldsmith, and the Goldsmithkissed the princess’s ring and letter, and then read what she hadwritten.
Again the black slaves took Beppo to the bath, only this time theyclad him in a fine suit of velvet and hung a gold chain about hisneck. After that Sebas
tian the Goldsmith again served a feast toBeppo, and waited upon him while he ate and drank.
In front of the house a noble horse, as black as jet, was waitingto carry Beppo to the palace, and two servants dressed in velvetlivery were waiting to attend him.
So Beppo rode away, and many people stopped to look at him.
He came to the palace, and the king was giving audience. Beppo wentinto the great audience-chamber. It was full of people--lords andnobles and rich merchants and lawyers.
Beppo did not know how to come to the king, so he stood there andwaited and waited. The people looked at him and whispered to oneanother: “Who is that young man?” “Whence comes he?” Then onesaid: “Is not he the young man who served the king with cakes andmilk in the forest yesterday?”
Beppo stood there gazing at the king. By-and-by the king suddenlylooked up and caught sight of him. He gazed at Beppo for a momentor two and then he knew him. Then he smiled and beckoned to him.
“Aye, my foolish benefactor,” said he, aloud, “is it thou, and artthou come so soon to redeem thy promise? Very well; come hither, Ihave something to say to thee.”
Beppo came forward, and everybody stared. He came close to theking, and the king laid his hand upon his shoulder. Then he leanedover to Beppo and whispered in his ear: “A word, a word, only a fewwords; if they be spoken ill, they are ill; if they be spoken well,they are more precious than gold and jewels.” Then he laughed. “Isthat what you would have me say?” said he.
“Yes, majesty,” said Beppo, and he bowed low and withdrew.
But, lo and behold, what a change!
Suddenly he was transformed in the eyes of the whole world. Thecrowd drew back to allow him to pass, and everybody bowed low as hewent along.
“Did you not see the king whisper to him,” said one. “What couldit be that the king said?” said another. “This must be a newfavorite,” said a third.
He had come into the palace Beppo the Foolish; he went forthBeppo the Great Man, and all because of a few words the king hadwhispered in his ear.
* * * * *
Three days passed, and then Beppo went again to the Goldsmith’swith the ring and a letter from the princess. This time Sebastianthe Goldsmith fitted him with a suit of splendid plum-coloredsilk and gave him a dappled horse, and again Beppo and his twoattendants rode away to the palace. And this time every one knewhim, and as he went up the steps into the palace all present bowedto him. The king saw him as soon as he appeared, and when he caughtsight of him he burst out laughing.
“Aye,” said he, “I was looking for thee to-day, and wondering howsoon thou wouldst come. Come hither till I whisper something inthine ear.”
Then all the lords and nobles and courtiers and ministers drewback, and Beppo went up to the king.
The king laughed and laughed. He laid his arm over Beppo’sshoulder, and again he whispered in his ear: “A word, a word, onlya few words; if they be spoken ill, they are ill; if they be spokenwell, they are more precious than gold and jewels.”
Then he released Beppo, and Beppo withdrew.
* * * * *
So it continued for three months. Every three days Beppo went tothe palace, and the king whispered the words in his ear. Beppo saidnothing to any one, and always went away as soon as the king hadwhispered to him.
Then at last the princess said to him: “Now the time is ripe fordoing. Listen! To-day when you go to the palace fix your eyes,when the king speaks to you, upon the prime-minister, and shakeyour head. The prime-minister will ask you what the king said. Saynothing to him but this: ‘Alas, my poor friend!’”
It was all just as the princess had said.
The king was walking in the garden, with his courtiers andministers about him. Beppo came to him, and the king, as he alwaysdid, laid his hand upon Beppo’s shoulder and whispered in his ear:“A word, a word, only a few words; if they be spoken ill, they areill; if they be spoken well, they are more precious than gold andjewels.”
While the king was saying these words to Beppo, Beppo was lookingfixedly at the prime-minister. While he did so he shook his headthree times. Then he bowed low and walked away.
He had not gone twenty paces before some one tapped him upon thearm; it was the prime-minister. Beppo gazed fixedly at him. “Alas,my poor friend!” said he.
The prime-minister turned pale. “It was, then, as I thought,” saidhe. “The king spoke about me. Will you not tell me what he said?”
Beppo shook his head. “Alas, my poor friend!” said he, and then hewalked on.
The prime-minister still followed him.
“My lord,” said he, “I have been aware that his majesty has notbeen the same to me for more than a week past. If it was about theprincess, pray tell his majesty that I meant nothing ill when Ispoke of her to him.”
Beppo shook his head. “Alas, my poor friend!” he said.
The prime-minister’s lips trembled. “My lord,” said he, “I havealways had the kindest regard for you, and if there is anything inmy power that I can do for you I hope you will command me. I knowhow much you are in his majesty’s confidence. Will you not speak afew words to set the matter straight?”
Beppo again shook his head. “Alas, my poor friend!” said he, andthen he got upon his horse and rode away.
Three days passed.
“This morning,” said the princess, “when you go to the king, lookat the prime-minister when the king speaks to you, and smile. Theprime-minister will again speak to you, and this time say, ‘It iswell, and I wish you joy.’ Take what he gives you, for it will beof use.”
Again all happened just as the princess said.
Beppo came to the palace, and again the king whispered in his ear.As he did so Beppo looked at the prime-minister and smiled, andthen he withdrew.
The prime-minister followed him. He trembled. “It is well,” saidBeppo, “and I wish you joy.”
The prime-minister grasped his hand and wrung it. “My lord,” saidhe, “how can I express my gratitude! The palace of my son thatstands by the river--I would that you would use it for your own, ifI may be so bold as to offer it to you.”
“I will,” said Beppo, “use it as my own.”
The prime-minister wrung his hand again, and then Beppo rode away.
The next time that Beppo spoke to the king, at the princess’sbidding, he looked at the lord-treasurer, and said, as he had saidto the prime-minister, “Alas, my poor friend!”
When he rode away he left the lord-treasurer as white as ashes tothe very lips.
Three days passed, and then, while the king talked to Beppo, Beppolooked at the lord-treasurer and smiled.
The lord-treasurer followed him to the door of the palace.
“It is well, and I wish you joy,” said Beppo.
The treasurer offered him a fortune.
The next time it was the same with the captain of the guards. FirstBeppo pitied him, and then he wished him joy.
“My lord,” said the captain of the guards, “my services are yoursat any time.”
Then the same thing happened to the governor of the city, then tothis lord, and then to that lord.
Beppo grew rich and powerful beyond measure.
Then one day the princess said: “Now we will go into the town, andto the palace of the prime-minister’s son, which the prime-ministergave you, for the time is ripe for the end.”
* * * * *
In a few days all the court knew that Beppo was living like aprince in the prime-minister’s palace. The king began to wonderwhat it all meant, and how all such good-fortune had come toBeppo. He had grown very tired of always speaking to Beppo the samewords.
But Beppo was now great among the great; all the world paid courtto him, and bowed down to him, almost as they did before the king.
“Now,” said the princess, “the time has come to strike. Bid all thecouncillors, and all the lords, and all the nobles to meet herethree days hence, for it is now or never that you shall win all andbecome
king.”
Beppo did as she bade. He asked all of the great people of thekingdom to come to him, and they came. When they were all gatheredtogether at Beppo’s house, they found two thrones set as though fora king and a queen, but there was no sign of Beppo, and everybodywondered what it all meant.
Suddenly the door opened and Beppo came into the room, leading bythe hand a lady covered with a veil from head to foot.
Everybody stopped speaking and stood staring while Beppo led theveiled lady up to one of the thrones. He seated himself upon theother.
The lady stood up and dropped her veil, and then every one knew her.
It was the princess.
“Do you not know me?” said she; “I am the queen, and this is myhusband. He is your king.”
All stood silent for a moment, and then a great shout went up.“Long live the queen! Long live the king!”
The princess turned to the captain of the guards. “You have offeredyour services to my husband,” said she; “his commands and mycommands are that you march to the palace and cast out him who hathno right there.”
“It shall be done,” said the captain of the guards.
* * * * *
All the troops were up in arms, and the town was full of tumult andconfusion. About midnight they brought the false king before KingBeppo and the queen. The false king stood there trembling like aleaf. The queen stood gazing at him steadily. “Behold, this is thehusband that thou gavest me,” said she. “It is as I said; he isgreater than thou. For, lo, he is king! What art thou?”
* * * * *
The false king was banished out of the country, and the poorfisherman’s wife, who had entertained the princess for all thistime, came to live at the palace, where all was joy and happiness.
* * * * *
“_Friend,” said St. George, “I like your story. Ne’th’less, ’tislike a strolling pedler, in that it carries a great pack of illsto begin with, to get rid of ’em all before it gets to the endof its journey. However, ’tis as you say--it ends with everybodymerry and feasting, and so I like it. But now methinks our littlefriend yonder is big with a story of his own;” and he pointed, ashe spoke, with the stem of his pipe to a little man whom I knew wasthe brave Tailor who had killed seven flies at a blow, for he stillhad around his waist the belt with the legend that he himself hadworked upon it._
_“Aye,” piped the Tailor in a keen, high voice, “’tis true I have astory inside of me. ’Tis about another tailor who had a great, big,black, ugly demon to wait upon him and to sew his clothes for him.”_
_“And the name of that story, my friend,” said the Soldier who hadcheated the Devil, “is what?”_
_“It hath no name,” piped the little Tailor, “but I will give itone, and it shall be--”_