ome cares of mine," she answered. "What are
you concerned about?" asked he. "Are you afraid that your farms in the
Plain (of Catania) are badly tilled? Let me go and look after them and
bring you news of them." The queen consented and the prince rode to the
Plain, to the property that belonged to them. He found everything in
good order, and returned to his mother and said: "Dear mother, rejoice,
and cease your care, for everything is going well on your property; the
cattle are thriving; the fields are tilled, and the grain will soon be
ripe." "Very well, my son," answered the queen, but she was not
cheerful, and the next day began to sigh and weep again. Then the prince
said to her: "Dear mother, if you do not tell me why you are so sad, I
will depart, and wander out in the wide world." The queen answered: "Ah,
my dear son, I am sad because you must now part from me. For before you
were born, when I longed for you so much, I vowed to St. James of
Galicia, that if he would grant you to me, you should make a pilgrimage
to his shrine when you were eighteen years old. And now you will soon be
eighteen, and I am sad because you must wander away alone, and be gone
so many years; for to reach the saint, one must journey a whole year."
"Is it nothing but that, dear mother?" asked her son. "Be not so
sorrowful. Only the dead return not. If I live, I will soon come back to
you."

So he comforted his mother, and when he was eighteen he took leave of
the queen, and said: "Now farewell, dear mother, and, God willing, we
shall meet again." The queen wept bitterly, and embraced him with many
tears; then she gave him three apples, and said: "My son, take these
three apples and give heed to my words. You shall not make the long
journey alone. When, however, a youth joins you and wishes to accompany
you, take him with you to the inn, and let him eat with you. After the
meal cut an apple in two halves, one large and the other small, and
offer them to the young man. If he takes the larger half, part from him,
for he will be no true friend to you; but if he takes the smaller half,
regard him as your brother, and share everything that you have with
him." After these words she embraced her son and blessed him, and the
prince departed.

He had already travelled a long time, and no one had met him. One day,
however, he saw a youth coming along the road who joined him and asked:
"Where are you going, handsome youth?" "I am making a pilgrimage t