gh it should cost me my life."

Now when the time of mourning was over, Trusty John said to him: "It
is time you should see your inheritance. I will show you your ancestral
castle." So he took him over everything, and let him see all the riches
and splendid apartments, only the one room where the picture was he
did not open. But the picture was placed so that if the door opened
you gazed straight upon it, and it was so beautifully painted that
you imagined it lived and moved, and that it was the most lovable and
beautiful thing in the whole world. But the young King noticed that
Trusty John always missed one door, and said: "Why do you never open
this one for me?" "There is something inside that would appall you," he
answered. But the King replied: "I have seen the whole castle, and shall
find out what is in there"; and with these words he approached the door
and wanted to force it open. But Trusty John held him back, and said: "I
promised your father before his death that you shouldn't see what that
room contains. It might bring both you and me to great grief." "Ah!
no," answered the young King; "if I don't get in, it will be my certain
destruction; I should have no peace night or day till I had seen what
was in the room with my own eyes. Now I don't budge from the spot till
you have opened the door."

Then Trusty John saw there was no way out of it, so with a heavy heart
and many sighs he took the key from the big bunch. When he had opened
the door he stepped in first, and thought to cover the likeness so that
the King might not perceive it; but it was hopeless: the King stood on
tiptoe and looked over his shoulder. And when he saw the picture of the
maid, so beautiful and glittering with gold and precious stones, he fell
swooning to the ground. Trusty John lifted him up, carried him to bed,
and thought sorrowfully: "The curse has come upon us; gracious heaven!
what will be the end of it all?" Then he poured wine down his throat
till he came to himself again. The first words he spoke were: "Oh! who
is the original of the beautiful picture?" "She is the Princess of the
Golden Roof," answered Trusty John. Then the King continued: "My love
for her is so great that if all the leaves on the trees had tongues they
could not express it; my very life depends on my winning her. You are my
most trusty John: you must stand by me."

The faithful servant pondered long how they were to set about the
matter, for it was said to be