YOUTH WITHOUT AGE, AND LIFE WITHOUT DEATH
Once upon a time there was a great Emperor and
an Empress; both were young and beautiful, and as
they would fain have been blessed with offspring they
went to all the wise men and all the wise women and
bade them read the stars to see if they would have
children or not; but all in vain. At last the Emperor
heard that in a certain village, hard by, dwelt a wiser
old man than all the rest; so he sent and commanded
him to appear at court. But the wise old
man sent the messengers back with the answer that
those who needed him must come to him. So the
Emperor and the Empress set out, with their lords
and their ladies, and their servants and their soldiers,
and came to the house of the wise old man. And
when the old man saw them coming from afar he
went out to meet them.
"Welcome," cried he; "but I tell thee, oh Emperor! that the wish of thy heart will only work thee woe."
