or a few weeks to his
own home before venturing to set sail for an island so strange and
distant. Fortunatus agreed to his proposal, and as he was always fond of
anything new, said that he would go with him.

The journey was long, and they had to cross many large rivers, and climb
over high mountains, and find their way through thick woods, before they
reached at length the old man's castle. His wife and children had almost
given up hopes of seeing him again, and crowded eagerly round him.
Indeed, it did not take Fortunatus five minutes to fall in love with the
youngest daughter, the most beautiful creature in the whole world, whose
name was Cassandra.

'Give her to me for my wife,' he said to the old man, 'and let us all go
together to Famagosta.'

So a ship was bought big enough to hold Fortunatus, the old man and his
wife, and their ten children--five of them sons and five daughters. And
the day before they sailed the wedding was celebrated with magnificent
rejoicings, and everybody thought that Fortunatus must certainly be a
prince in disguise. But when they reached Cyprus, he learned to his
sorrow that both his father and mother were dead, and for some time he
shut himself up in his house and would see nobody, full of shame at
having forgotten them all these years. Then he begged that the old man
and his wife would remain with him, and take the place of his parents.

For twelve years Fortunatus and Cassandra and their two little boys
lived happily in Famagosta. They had a beautiful house and everything
they could possibly want, and when Cassandra's sisters married the purse
provided them each with a fortune. But at last Fortunatus grew tired of
staying at home, and thought he should like to go out and see the world
again. Cassandra shed many tears at first when he told her of his
wishes, and he had a great deal of trouble to persuade her to give her
consent. But on his promising to return at the end of two years she
agreed to let him go. Before he went away he showed her three chests of
gold, which stood in a room with an iron door, and walls twelve feet
thick. 'If anything should happen to me,' he said, 'and I should never
come back, keep one of the chests for yourself, and give the others to
our two sons.' Then he embraced them all and took ship for Alexandria.

The wind was fair and in a few days they entered the harbour, where
Fortunatus was informed by a man whom he met on landing, that if he
wished to be