n that if they would aid him, his
discoveries would bring great honor and riches to their kingdom, and
that they would also become the benefactors of the world by helping to
spread the knowledge of Christ and His religion. Nobody believed in his
theory. Nobody was interested in his plan. He grew poorer and poorer.

At last he turned his back on the great Spanish court, and in silent
despair he took his little son by the hand and walked a long way to a
small seaport called Palos, where there was a queer old convent in which
strangers were often entertained by the kind monks who lived in it.
Weary and footsore he reached the gate of the convent. Knocking upon it
he asked the porter, who answered the summons, if he would give little
Diego a bit of bread and a drink of water. While the two tired travelers
were resting, as the little boy ate his dry crust of bread, the prior of
the convent, a man of thought and learning, whose name was Juan Perez,
came by and at once saw that these two were no common beggars. He
invited them in and questioned Columbus closely about his past life. He
listened quietly and thoughtfully to Columbus and his plan of crossing
the ocean and converting the heathen to Christianity.

Juan Perez had at one time been a very intimate friend of Queen
Isabella; in fact, the priest to whom she told all her sorrows, and
troubles. He was a quiet man and talked but little. After a long
conference with Columbus, in which he was convinced that Columbus was
right, he borrowed a mule and getting on his back rode for many miles
across the open country to the palace in which the Queen was then
staying. I do not know how he convinced her of the truth of Columbus'
plan, when all the ministers and courtiers and statesmen about her
considered it the absurdly foolish and silly dream of an old man; but,
somehow, he did it.

He then returned on his mule to the old convent at Palos, and told
Columbus to go back once more to the court of Spain and again petition
the Queen to give him money with which to make his voyage of discovery.
The State Treasurer said the Queen had no money to spare, but this
noble-hearted woman, who now, for the first time, realized that it was a
grand and glorious thing Columbus wished to do, said she would give her
crown jewels for money with which to start Columbus on his dangerous
journey across the great ocean.

This meant much in those days, as queens were scarcely considered
dignified or res