` It is not an easy task ; but I will try to finish it in a fortnight , ' replied the youth . A fortnight seemed to the king a long time to make one slipper . But he only said : ` Do you need anything to help you ? ' ` Only a good horse , if your majesty will be kind enough to give me one , ' answered Gilguerillo . And the reply was so unexpected that the courtiers could hardly restrain their smiles , while the king stared silently . ` You shall have the horse , ' he said at last , ` and I shall expect you back in a fortnight . If you fulfil your promise you know your reward ; if not , I will have you flogged for your impudence . ' Gilguerillo bowed , and turned to leave the palace , followed by the jeers and scoffs of everyone he met . But he paid no heed , for he had got what he wanted . He waited in front of the gates till a magnificent horse was led up to him , and vaulting into the saddle with an ease which rather surprised the attendant , rode quickly out of the town amidst the jests of the assembled crowd , who had heard of his audacious proposal . And while he is on his way let us pause for a moment and tell who he is . Both father and mother had died before the boy was six years old ; and he had lived for many years with his uncle , whose life had been passed in the study of chemistry . He could leave no money to his nephew , as he had a son of his own ; but he taught him all he knew , and at his dead Gilguerillo entered an office , where he worked for many hours daily . In his spare time , instead of playing with the other boys , he passed hours poring over books , and because he was timid and liked to be alone he was held by everyone to be a little mad . Therefore , when it became known that he had promised to cure the king 's foot , and had ridden away -- no one knew where -- a roar of laughter and mockery rang through the town , and jeers and scoffing words were sent after him . But if they had only known what were Gilguerillo 's thoughts they would have thought him madder than ever . The real truth was that , on the morning when the princess had walked through the streets before making holiday on the river Gilguerillo had seen her from his window , and had straightway fallen in love with her . Of course he felt quite hopeless . It was absurd to imagine that the apothecary 's nephew could ever marry the king 's daughter ; so he did his best to forget her , and study harder than before , till the royal proclamation suddenly filled him with hope . When he was free he no longer spent the precious moments poring over books , but , like the rest , he might have been seen wandering along the banks of the river , or diving into the stream after something that lay glistening in the clear water , but which turned out to be a white pebble or a bit of glass .
And at the end he understood that it was not by the river that he would win the princess ; and , turning XXXXX his books for comfort , he studied harder than ever .
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