They say that once there was a king of Portugal who had a beautiful
daughter, and there came a prince to marry her. When the prince saw
how old and feeble the king was, he seized him, and shut him up in
prison, and ordered him to be fed on only bread and water, that he
might die without killing him. 'And then,' he said, 'I shall take
the government.'
Then he would send and ask, 'How does he look today? Does he grow
lean and pale? Does he look like to die?'
But the answer ever was, 'Nay, prince, he looks hale and stout. Every
day his face is fresher and fatter. Every day he seems stronger
and firmer.'
Then the prince grew in despair of ever accomplishing his design,
and he said, 'It cannot be as you say, unless there is treachery,' and
he changed the guards, and set a watch upon them; but the same thing
happened, and the old king continued to grow stouter and stronger. He
made them search the princess, too, when she went to see her father,
and they assured themselves that she took nothing to him. Then he
bade them watch her, and they saw that she placed her breast against
the prison bars, and fed him with her own milk.
For it had been thus, that when she learnt what was the design of
the prince, she was filled with earnest desire to save her father's
life, and prayed so hard that she might have wherewith to support him,
that, young girl as she was, the means was afforded her, and thus by
her devotion she preserved him in life and health.
When the prince heard what she did, he was seized with compunction,
and sent and released the king, and restored him to his throne, and
went his way in shame. But the king sent for him back, and forgave
him: he gave him his daughter also, and when he died he left him the
succession to the kingdom.
['I have no "favole" for you to-day,' was one day my greeting from
an old lady who had given me many, 'but there has just come to mind a
"bell' fatto" (a grand deed), which is better than a "favola" for it
is historic truth.' Then she told me the story in the text, and I was
surprised to find she was positive it was a king of Portugal and that
she never seemed to have heard of the 'Carità Romana.' It is odd that
while so many legends get localised any should get dis-localised.]