When everything is done perfectly, I will
repay you."

Accordingly the Negro servant killed the tuma. He followed minutely
the king's directions. When the drum was finished, he presented it
to the king. Instead of receiving the promised reward, however, the
poor Negro was instantly put to death, for the king feared that he
might betray the secret.

King Palmarin then summoned all his counsellors. He said to them,
"I want you to spread the news of my desire." Taking out the drum
and putting it on the table, he continued: "Let all the villages,
cities, and kingdoms know of the wager. Any one who can guess of
what skin the covers of this drum are made, be he rich or poor, if
he is unmarried, he shall be my son-in-law. But if he fails to guess
aright, his property shall be forfeited to the crown if he is rich;
he shall lose his head if he is poor."

The counsellors proclaimed the edict. Many rich nobles, lords, princes,
and knights heard of it. All those who ventured lost their fortune,
for they could not guess what the drum was made of. So the king gained
much wealth. Among them there was one particularly rich, who declared
to the king his great desire to win the princess's hand. King Palmarin
said to this knight, "Examine the drum carefully." After looking at
it closely, he said, "This drum is made of sheep's hide."--"Your
observation has deceived you," said the king. "Now all the wealth
you have brought with you shall be mine."

"What can I do if fortune turns against me?" said the knight.

"Let your Majesty send his servants to get all my property from
the ship."

The names of the hides of all known animals were given, but no one
guessed correctly. At last some of those who had been defeated said
to the king, "Of what is the drum made?"

"I cannot tell you yet," replied the king.

In one of the villages where the edict was proclaimed there lived a
young man named Juan. He was an orphan. After the death of his parents,
the property he had inherited from them he gave to the poor. One day
me met the king's messengers, who explained the edict minutely to him,
so that he might tell about it to others. Don Juan then went away. He
was sad, for he had no wealth to take with him to Marsella. Though
he had inherited much property, he had given away most of it, so that
now very little was left to him.

One day, while he was looking about his farm, he saw all of a sudden
some dead persons lying prostrate in the thicket.