d at her feet.

Over them was spread a superb awning to shelter them from the rays of
the sun, and the vessel glided about over the vast expanse of water, now
in one direction, now in another, as if the breeze blew to suit the
sails.

Pedro was so astonished at what he saw that at last he got frightened,
and, being young and nimble, he soon lost sight of the ship; but at
every pace he seemed to hear a voice saying, "Run not away, future king
of Aragon!"

Pedro continued running till he left the beach far behind, and was now
in the pine-forest; nor did he stop till he was in the densest part,
when, for very fatigue, he threw himself on the ground, and then he
distinctly heard a voice say, "Pedro, you are destined to be King of
Aragon; but tell no one."

Not till then had he discovered that he was no longer dressed in
fisherman's attire, but that his clothes were of the finest cloth
fringed with gold lace.

Pedro, on seeing this, said, "I am enchanted. That princess is indeed a
mermaid, and has cast a spell over me. I am undone, my eyes deceive me,
and what I take for so much grandeur is but a deception." Saying which,
he started to his feet, and hurried towards his village as fast as his
legs would carry him.

Arrived at the fishing hamlet, all his old companions paid him such
deference that he tried to get out of their way, thinking they did but
laugh at him, and, arriving at the door of his widowed mother's cottage,
he ran into the kitchen. His mother happened to be frying some fish, and
when she saw a grand gentleman enter the apartment she took the pan off
the fire, and, bowing low, said, "My noble sir, this house is too humble
for such as you; allow me to conduct you to his reverence's house, for
there you will find accommodation more suited to your high estate."

Pedro would have replied to his mother, and sought to kiss her hand and
ask her blessing, after the custom of the country; but, on attempting to
speak, his tongue hung out of his mouth, and he made so strange a noise
and so gesticulated that his mother was glad to get out of the house,
followed, however, by her son and a large crowd of villagers who had
congregated to see the grand stranger.

As soon as it was known throughout the village of the arrival of the
grand stranger the church bells pealed, and the parish priest mingled
with the crowd desirous of seeing the new arrival; but as soon as Pedro
commenced gesticulating as before, the priest a