became stone.

The King and Queen had great grief because of this, and the King said,

"Ah, how could I have evil-rewarded such faithfulness!" and he caused
the stone image to be lifted up and put to stand in his sleeping-room by
the side of his bed. And as often as he saw it he wept and said,

"Would that I could bring thee back to life, my Faithful John!"

After some time the Queen bore twins--two little sons--that grew and
thrived, and were the joy of their parents. One day, when the Queen was
in church, the two children were sitting and playing with their father,
and he gazed at the stone image full of sadness, sighed, and cried,

"Oh that I could bring thee back to life, my Faithful John!" Then the
stone began to speak, and said,

"Yes, thou canst bring me back to life again, if thou wilt bestow
therefor thy best-beloved." Then cried the King,

"All that I have in the world will I give up for thee!" The stone went
on to say,

"If thou wilt cut off the heads of thy two children with thy own hand,
and besmear me with their blood, I shall receive life again."

The King was horror-struck at the thought that he must put his beloved
children to death, but he remembered all John's faithfulness, and how he
had died for him, and he drew his sword and cut off his children's heads
with his own hand. And when he had besmeared the stone with their blood
life returned to it, and Faithful John stood alive and well before him;
and he said to the king,

"Thy faithfulness shall not be unrewarded," and, taking up the heads of
the children, he set them on again, and besmeared the wound with their
blood, upon which in a moment they were whole again, and jumped about,
and went on playing as if nothing had happened to them.

Now was the King full of joy; and when he saw the Queen coming he put
the Faithful John and the two children in a great chest. When she came
in he said to her,

"Hast thou prayed in church?"

"Yes," answered she, "but I was thinking all the while of Faithful John,
and how he came to such great misfortune through us."

"Then," said he, "dear wife, we can give him life again, but it will
cost us both our little sons, whom we must sacrifice."

The Queen grew pale and sick at heart, but said,

"We owe it him, because of his great faithfulness."

Then the King rejoiced because she thought as he did, and he went and
unlocked the chest and took out the children and Faithful John, and
said,

"God be pra