. The violet fairy book . o and ask him the reason of this strangefact, but he only laughed and said nothing; and thereason of the deadly enmity between his two eyes was asecret only known to the monarch himself. And all the while the emperors sons were growingup. And such sons! All three like the morning stars inthe sky! Florea, the eldest, was so tall and broad-shoulderedthat no man in the kingdom could approach him. Costan, the second, was quite different. Small ofstature, and slightly built, he had a strong arm andstronger wrist. Petru, the third and youngest, was tall and thin,more like a
. The violet fairy book . o and ask him the reason of this strangefact, but he only laughed and said nothing; and thereason of the deadly enmity between his two eyes was asecret only known to the monarch himself. And all the while the emperors sons were growingup. And such sons! All three like the morning stars inthe sky! Florea, the eldest, was so tall and broad-shoulderedthat no man in the kingdom could approach him. Costan, the second, was quite different. Small ofstature, and slightly built, he had a strong arm andstronger wrist. Petru, the third and youngest, was tall and thin,more like a girl than a boy. He spoke very little, butlaughed and sang, sang and laughed, from morning tillnight. He was very seldom serious, but then he had away when he was thinking of stroking his hair over hisforehead, which made him look old enough to sit in hisfathers council! 166 THE FAIRY OF THE DAWN You are grown up, Florea, said Petru one day to hiseldest brother; do go and ask father why one eye laughsand the other I sne enpEROR wnose RIGTTT eve ioniLe ms Lerr ere\oepr But Florea would not go. He had learnt by ex-perience that this question always put the emperor in a rage. THE FAIRY OF THE DAWN 167 Petru next went to Costan, but did not succeedany better with him. Well, well, as everyone else is afraid, I suppose Imust do it myself, observed Petru at length. No soonersaid than done ; the boy went straight to his father andput his question. May you go blind ! exclaimed the emperor in wrath ;* what business is it of yours ? and boxed Petrus earssoundly. Petru returned to his brothers, and told them whathad befallen him; but not long after it struck him thathis fathers left eye seemed to weep less, and the right tolaugh more. 4 I wonder if it has anything to do with my question,thought he. Ill try again! After all, what do twoboxes on the ear matter ? So he put his question for the second time, andhad the same answer; but the left eye only weptnow and then, while the righ
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