There was once a King's son who went out into the world, and he was full of thought and sad. He looked at the sky, which was so beautifully pure and blue, then he sighed, and said, "How well must all be with one up there in heaven!" Then he saw a poor gray-haired man who was coming along the road towards him, and he spoke to him, and asked, "How can I get to heaven?" The man answered, "By poverty and humility. Put on my ragged clothes, wander about the world for seven years, and get to know what misery is, take no money, but if thou art hungry ask compassionate hearts for a bit of bread; in this way thou wilt reach heaven."
Then the King's son took off his magnificent coat, and wore in its place the beggar's garment, went out into the wide world, and suffered great misery. He took nothing but a little food, said nothing, but prayed to the Lord to take him into his heaven. When the seven years were over, he returned to his father's palace, but no one recognized him. He said to the servants, "Go and tell my parents that I have come back again." But the servants did not believe it, and laughed and left him standing there. Then said he, "Go and tell it to my brothers that they may come down, for I should so like to see them again." The servants would not do that either, but at last one of them went, and told it to the King's children, but these did not believe it, and did not trouble themselves about it. Then he wrote a letter to his mother, and described to her all his misery, but he did not say that he was her son. So, out of pity, the Queen had a place under the stairs assigned to him, and food taken to him daily by two servants. But one of them was ill-natured and said, "Why should the beggar have the good food?" and kept it for himself, or gave it to the dogs, and took the weak, wasted-away beggar nothing but water; the other, however, was honest, and took the beggar what was sent to him. It was little, but he could live on it for a while, and all the time he was quite patient, but he grew continually weaker. As, however, his illness increased, he desired to receive the last sacrament. When the host was being elevated down below, all the bells in the town and neighbourhood began to ring. After mass the priest went to the poor man under the stairs, and there he lay dead. In one hand he had a rose, in the other a lily, and beside him was a paper in which was written his history.
Then the King's son took off his magnificent coat, and wore in its place the beggar's garment, went out into the wide world, and suffered great misery. He took nothing but a little food, said nothing, but prayed to the Lord to take him into his heaven. When the seven years were over, he returned to his father's palace, but no one recognized him. He said to the servants, "Go and tell my parents that I have come back again." But the servants did not believe it, and laughed and left him standing there. Then said he, "Go and tell it to my brothers that they may come down, for I should so like to see them again." The servants would not do that either, but at last one of them went, and told it to the King's children, but these did not believe it, and did not trouble themselves about it. Then he wrote a letter to his mother, and described to her all his misery, but he did not say that he was her son. So, out of pity, the Queen had a place under the stairs assigned to him, and food taken to him daily by two servants. But one of them was ill-natured and said, "Why should the beggar have the good food?" and kept it for himself, or gave it to the dogs, and took the weak, wasted-away beggar nothing but water; the other, however, was honest, and took the beggar what was sent to him. It was little, but he could live on it for a while, and all the time he was quite patient, but he grew continually weaker. As, however, his illness increased, he desired to receive the last sacrament. When the host was being elevated down below, all the bells in the town and neighbourhood began to ring. After mass the priest went to the poor man under the stairs, and there he lay dead. In one hand he had a rose, in the other a lily, and beside him was a paper in which was written his history.
When he was buried, a rose grew on one side of his grave, and a lily on the other.
Bir zamanlar bir kral oğlu vardı. Bir gün kırlara çıktı; düşünceli ve üzgündü. Gökyüzüne baktı; o kadar güzel ve maviydi ki, içini çekerek kendi kendine, "Yukarıda cennette insan kim bilir ne kadar rahattır!" diye düşündü.
Birden, oradan geçmekte olan yaşlı ve fakir bir adama rastladı. Onunla konuşmaya başladı ve "Ben nasıl cennete gidebilirim?" diye sordu ona. Adam cevap verdi: "Fakirlik ve alçakgönüllülükle. Benim yırtık pırtık elbisemi giy, yedi yıl boyunca dünyayı dolaş, dünyadaki sefaleti gör. Yanına para alma, karnın acıktığı zaman kendini açındırarak bir dilim ekmek iste, işte o zaman cennete yaklaşırsın."
Bunun üzerine oğlan gösterişli ceketini çıkardı, onun yerine dilencinin elbisesini giyerek dünyayı dolaşmaya başladı ve çok büyük sefaletlere katlandı. Az yemekle yetindi, hemen hemen hiç konuşmadı. Sadece kendini cennete alması için Tanrı'ya yalvarıp durdu.
Yedi yıl sonra babasının sarayına geri döndü, ama kimse onu tanımadı. Hizmetçilerine, "Gidip anne ve babama benim geri döndüğümü söyleyin" dedi. Ama hizmetçiler ona inanmadı, gülüp geçerek onu olduğu yerde bıraktılar. Bu kez, "Gidip kardeşlerime haber verin, buraya gelsinler, onları bir daha görmek isterim" dedi. Bunu da yapmadılar. Yalnızca içlerinden biri gidip kralın öbür oğullarına haber verdi; ama kardeşleri de ona inanmayıp boş verdiler.
Bu kez oğlan annesine bir mektup yazarak içine düştüğü sefaleti tek tek anlattı, ancak onun oğlu olduğunu söylemedi. Kraliçe acıyarak ona merdiven altında bir yer gösterdi ve iki hizmetçiyle günlük yemeğini göndertti. Ancak hizmetçilerden biri kötü kalpliydi. "Bir dilenciye böyle güzel bir yemek verilir mi hiç!" diyerek, yemekleri ya kendi yedi ya da köpeklere yedirdi. Bir deri bir kemik kalmış zavallı oğlana da sudan başka bir şey vermedi.
Öbür hizmetçi daha vicdanlıydı ve oğlana ne yemek verildiyse onu götürdü. Bu yemek az olsa da, oğlan bir süre bununla idare etti. Tüm bu süre içinde hep sabırlı davrandı, ama gitgide güçten düştü. Sağlığı iyice bozulduğunda ise Kutsal Yemeğe katılmakla onurlandırıldı. Bu ayin sırasında şehirdeki tüm kilise çanları kendiliğinden çalmaya başladı. Kilisenin papazı ayinden sonra merdiven altında yatan zavallı adamın yanma vardı. Ama oğlan ölmüştü; bir elinde bir gül, öbür elinde bir zambak tutuyordu. Yanı başında da tüm öyküsünü yazdığı bir kâğıt duruyordu. Gömüldükten sonra mezarının bir ucunda gül, öbür ucunda da zambak açtı.