ned her eyes. Her cheeks were fresh and rosy as ever. She stared
about, and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, where am I? Where am I? Am I
dreaming? No, there is my father, there is my mother, there is my
brother." The king was fully satisfied. He embraced his daughter,
and then turned to Juan, saying, "Stranger, can't you favor us now
with your name?"

With all the rustic courtesy he knew, Juan replied to the king,
told his name, and said that he was a poor laborer in a barrio far
away. The king only smiled, and ordered Juan's clothes to be exchanged
for prince's garments, so that the celebration of his marriage with
the princess might take place at once. "Long live Juan! Long live
the princess!" the people shouted.

When Diego and Juan heard the shout, they could not help feeling
cheated. They made their way through the crowd, and said to the king,
"Great Majesty, pray hear us! In the name of justice, pray hear us!"

"Who calls?" asked the king of a guard near by. "Bring him here!" The
guard obeyed, and led the two men before the king.

"What is the matter?" asked the king of the two.

"Your Majesty shall know," responded Diego. "If it had not been for
my book, we could not have known that the princess was dead. Our home
is far away, and it was only because of my magic book that we knew
of the events that were going on here."

"And his Majesty shall be informed," seconded Pedro, "that Juan's
good luck is due to my rain-coat. Neither Diego's book nor Juan's
bottle could have done anything had not my raincoat carried us here
so quickly. I am the one who should marry the princess."

The king was overwhelmed: he did not know what to do. Each of the three
had a good reason, but all three could not marry the princess. Even
the counsellors of the king could not decide upon the matter.

While they were puzzling over it, an old man sprang forth from
the crowd of spectators, and declared that he would settle the
difficulty. "Young men," he said, addressing Juan, Pedro, and Diego,
"none of you shall marry the princess.--You, Juan, shall not marry
her, because you intended to obtain your fortunes regardless of
your companions who have been helping you to get them.--And you,
Pedro and Diego, shall not have the princess, because you did not
accept your misfortune quietly and thank God for it.--None of you
shall have her. I will marry her myself."

The princess wept. How could the fairest maiden of Berengena marry
an old man! "