loving a brother,
he mourned him more than a year, and every time he thought of him he
shed a river of tears.

Meanwhile Liviella gave birth to two sons, who were two of the most
beautiful creatures in the world. And after a few months, when the
Queen was gone into the country for pleasure, and the father and his
two little boys chanced to be standing in the middle of the hall,
gazing with tearful eyes on the statue--the memorial of his folly,
which had taken from him the flower of men--behold a stately and
venerable old man entered, whose long hair fell upon his shoulders and
whose beard covered his breast. And making a reverence to the King, the
old man said to him, "What would your Majesty give to have this noble
brother return to his former state?" And the King answered, "I would
give my kingdom." "Nay," replied the old man, "this is not a thing that
requires payment in wealth; but being an affair of life, it must be
paid for with as much again of life."

Then the King, partly out of the love he bore Jennariello, and partly
from hearing himself reproached with the injury he had done him,
answered, "Believe me, my good sir, I would give my own life for his
life; and provided that he came out of the stone, I should be content
to be enclosed in a stone."

Hearing this the old man said, "Without putting your life to the
risk--since it takes so long to rear a man--the blood of these, your
two little boys, smeared upon the marble, would suffice to make him
instantly come to life." Then the King replied, "Children I may have
again, but I have a brother, and another I can never more hop to see."
So saying, he made a pitiable sacrifice of two little innocent kids
before an idol of stone, and besmearing the statue with their blood, it
instantly became alive; whereupon the King embraced his brother, and
their joy is not to be told. Then they had these poor little creatures
put into a coffin, in order to give them burial with all due honour.
But just at that instant the Queen returned home, and the King, bidding
his brother hide himself, said to his wife, "What would you give, my
heart, to have my brother restored to life?" "I would give this whole
kingdom," replied Liviella. And the King answered, "Would you give the
blood of your children?" "Nay, not that, indeed," replied the Queen;
"for I could not be so cruel as to tear out with my own hands the apple
of my eyes." "Alas!" said the King, "in order to see a brother alive,