Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/102

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But I know that I would greatly offend you and not be committed to your honor if I did not reveal a serious misdeed to you."

When the Sultan heard these words from his counselor, he insisted that he immediately tell him everything.

"If that is your wish," said the counselor, "I have to obey." You should therefore know, that I have noticed frequently that your son is greatly enamored of the Sultana. And very often, I have seen with my own eyes that in order to be intimate with her, he has relentlessly pursued her. And it was only yesterday when I observed a terrible quarrel between them about this. And to better ascertain this, you can go to the Sultana, and I am sure, when you ask her, she will immediately reveal to you everything I have seen, so that she does no longer has to suffer the insolence of this wicked young man.

And when the counselor had finished his account, the Sultan's heart was full of rage because of the offense his son had attempted to commit against him. He hurried to the room of his wife who started to cry incessantly and he asked for the reason of her sorrow. She pretended that she did not want to reveal it to him and asked him to leave her alone to let her remain in her miserable state. But the Sultan who had heard the reason for her distress from his counselor, comforted her with sweet words and asked her affectionately to tell him about her troubles.