?" Pedro asked the landlord.

"One hundred pesos, no more, no less."

"Of what value is it?" said Pedro.

"It will take you wherever you wish to go." So Pedro paid the price,
took the rain-coat, and returned.

Diego, who took the middle road, arrived at another house. The owner
of this house was selling a book. "How much does your book cost?" Diego
inquired of the owner.

"One hundred pesos, no more, no less."

"Of what value is it?"

"It will tell you what is going on in all parts of the world." So
Diego paid the price, took the book, and returned.

Juan, who took the third road, reached still another house. The owner
of the house was selling a bottle that contained some violet-colored
liquid. "How much does the bottle cost?" said Juan.

"One hundred pesos, no more, no less."

"Of what value is it?"

"It brings the dead back to life," was the answer. Juan paid the price,
took the bottle, and returned.

The three travellers met again in the same place where they had
separated; but the old man was now nowhere to be found. The first to
tell of his adventure was Diego. "Oh, see what I have!" he shouted
as he came in sight of his companions. "It tells everything that is
going on in the world. Let me show you!" He opened the book and read
what appeared on the page: "'The beautiful princess of Berengena is
dead. Her parents, relatives, and friends grieve at her loss.'"

"Good!" answered Juan. "Then there is an occasion for us to test
this bottle. It restores the dead back to life. Oh, but the kingdom
of Berengena is far away! The princess will be long buried before we
get there."

"Then we shall have occasion to use my rain-coat," said Pedro. "It
will take us wherever we wish to go. Let us try it! We shall receive
a big reward from the king. We shall return home with a casco full
of money. To Berengena at once!" He wrapped the rain-coat about all
three of them, and wished them in Berengena. Within a few minutes
they reached that country. The princess was already in the church,
where her parents were weeping over her. Everybody in the church wore
deep mourning.

When the three strangers boldly entered the church, the guard at the
door arrested them, for they had on red clothes. When Juan protested,
and said that the princess was not dead, the guard immediately took
him to the king; but the king, when he heard what Juan had said,
called him a fool.

"She is only sleeping," said Juan. "Let me wake her up!"