More quickly than he could have thought possible they reached an inn by the road-side , and turning to his companion the king 's son said , ' I am hungry ; let us go in and have something to eat . ' So they went in and ordered dinner , and when they had finished the king 's son drew out of his pocket the last apple , and cut it into two unequal parts , and held both out to the stranger . And the stranger took the little piece , and the heart of the king 's son was glad within him , for at last he had found the friend he had been looking for . ` Good youth , ' he cried , ` we will be brothers , and what is mine shall be thine , and what is thine shall be mine . And together we will push on to the shrine , and if one of us dies on the road the other shall carry his body there . ' And the stranger agreed to all he said , and they rode forward together . It took them a whole year to reach the shrine , and they passed through many different lands on their way . One day they arrived tired and half-starved in a big city , and said to one another , ` Let us stay here for a little and rest before we set forth again . ' So they hired a small house close to the royal castle , and took up their abode there . The following morning the king of the country happened to step on to his balcony , and saw the young men in the garden , and said to himself , ` Dear me , those are wonderfully handsome youths ; but one is handsomer than the other , and to him will I give my daughter to wife ; ' and indeed the king 's son excelled his friend in beauty . In order to set about his plan the king asked both the young men to dinner , and when they arrived at the castle he received them with the utmost kindness , and sent for his daughter , who was more lovely than both the sun and moon put together . But at bed-time the king caused the other young man to be given a poisoned drink , which killed him in a few minutes , for he thought to himself , ` If his friend dies the other will forget his pilgrimage , and will stay here and marry my daughter . ' When the king 's son awoke the next morning he inquired of the servants where his friend had gone , as he did not see him . ` He died suddenly last night , ' said they , ` and is to be buried immediately . ' But the king 's son sprang up , and cried , ` If my friend is dead I can stay here no longer , and can not linger an hour in this house . ' ` Oh , give up your journey and remain here , ' exclaimed the king , ` and you shall have my daughter for your wife . ' ` No , ' answered the king 's son , ' I can not stay ; but , I pray you , grant my request , and give me a good horse , and let me go in peace , and when I have fulfilled my vow then I will return and marry your daughter . ' So the king , seeing no words would move him , ordered a horse to be brought round , and the king 's son mounted it , and took his dead friend before him on the saddle , and rode away . Now the young man was not really dead , but only in a deep sleep . When the king 's son reached the shrine of St. James he got down from his horse , took his friend in his arms as if he had been a child , and laid him before the altar .
` St. XXXXX , ' he said , ' I have fulfilled the vow my parents made for me .
James apple day hour minutes night poisoned road-side son year