ong ago, a crown and sword were forged from enchanted gold. The crown bestowed its wearer's kingdom with good fortune. The sword bearer's army conquered its enemies. The magic gold reflected the heart of its owner. If their king were merciful they were inlaid with precious jewels. If their king were cruel they were covered with sharp spines. There lived a kindly emperor who carried the sword. His subjects lived happily within his kingdom. In a far distant country a greedy king wore the crown. He cared only for wealth and power.
The greedy king kept a castle on top of a mountain high above a city in the midst of a haunted wood. One day two swindlers arrived who announced that they were tailors and had weaved the most beautiful robe imaginable. "If it pleases Your Majesty," said the tailors, "then we will dress you in the new robe." The ruler stood and the tailors placed themselves around him and put on each part of his new clothing.
"Such a wonderful suit! How splendid it fits!" the king turned and admired himself. "What fabric!" Suddenly the doors of the throne room opened and a farmer burst in holding a pig with bandages wrapped around its cropped ears. The man pointed at the tailors and accused them of passing off the pig's ears as silk and satin. The deceitful pair was carried away to a dark dungeon.
The king sat for some time lost in thought. At last he said, "What value is the finest robe if it can be destroyed by moths? I must have the enchanted sword. Then I will be magnificent beyond compare! Send my spies to find the sword and bring it back to me," he commanded.
After some length the spies found the emperor's palace surrounded by a spacious garden. Then they waited until night. The emperor put the sword inside a crystal case and soon he was asleep. Imagine the despair of the emperor when he awoke and the sword was nowhere to be found! But by that time the spies had disappeared with their prize. The emperor lamented his misfortune loudly.
The emperor's son the prince heard the cries and rushed to his father's chamber. The prince found the emperor's council gathered around in despair. "Oh, do not be downcast," said the prince. "For the kingdom I shall reclaim the sword." The councilors were unsure but the boy was very clever and could do a great deal more than just drive about in a coach. The emperor gave his finest suit of armor to the brave lad.
The next morning, as soon as it was light, the young prince set forth on his quest to regain the enchanted sword, taking with him trackers whose forefathers had been trackers also. For three months and more, they traveled diligently from sunrise to sunset following the spies' trail. Great fear fell upon the trackers at the edge of the haunted forest. The men looked helplessly at each other and said nothing, but at length one old greybeard said, "Truly, Sire, no man ever dares to go there because it is haunted by evil spirits."
