When the old King had been carried to his grave, Faithful John told the young King all that he had promised his father on his deathbed, and said, "This will I assuredly perform, and will be faithful to thee as I have been faithful to him, even if it should cost me my life." When the mourning was over, Faithful John said to him, "It is now time that thou shouldst see thine inheritance. I will show thee thy father's palace." Then he took him about everywhere, up and down, and let him see all the riches, and the magnificent apartments, only there was one room which he did not open, that in which hung the dangerous picture. The picture was, however, so placed that when the door was opened you looked straight on it, and it was so admirably painted that it seemed to breathe and live, and there was nothing more charming or more beautiful in the whole world. The young King, however, plainly remarked that Faithful John always walked past this one door, and said, "Why dost thou never open this one for me?" - "There is something within it," he replied, "which would terrify thee." But the King answered, "I have seen all the palace, and I will know what is in this room also," and he went and tried to break open the door by force. Then Faithful John held him back and said, "I promised thy father before his death that thou shouldst not see that which is in this chamber, it might bring the greatest misfortune on thee and on me." - "Ah, no," replied the young King, "if I do not go in, it will be my certain destruction. I should have no rest day or night until I had seen it with my own eyes. I shall not leave the place now until thou hast unlocked the door."
老国王被安葬之后,忠实的约翰把老国王临终前的一切嘱托和自己的誓言都告诉了年青的国王,并说道:
"
我一定会忠实地执行自己的诺言,对你就像对你的父亲一样忠诚不二,即使献出自己的生命也在所不辞。
"
年青的国王哭泣着说:
"
我永远也不会忘记你的忠心。
"
丧事办完以后,忠实的约翰对他的小主人说:
"
现在你应该看看你所继承的财产了,我带你去你父亲的宫殿里看看吧。
"
接着他引导小主人在王宫上上下下的各个地方都巡视了一遍,让他看过了所有的财富和豪华的房厅,唯独挂着图像的那间房子没有打开。
因为
,那里面挂着的画像只要门一打开就看得见。
那画像画得实在是太美了,让人看了会有种呼之欲出的感觉,世界上再也没有什么东西比画上的女子更可爱、更美丽了。
年青的国王发现忠实的约翰总是直接走过这间房子,却并不打开房门,就问道:
"
你为什么不打开这间房子呢?
"
他回答说:
"
里面有会使你感到恐惧的东西。
"
但国王说:
"
我已把整个王宫看完了,也想知道这里面是什么。
"
说完,他走上去用力要打开那扇房门,可忠实的约翰拉着他的后背说:
"
在你父亲临终前我发过誓,无论如何也不能让你走进这间房子,否则你和我都会大难临头的。
"
年青的国王固执地说道:
"
对我来说,最大的不幸就是不能进去看看,只要没有进去看,我就会日夜不得安宁,所以你不打开它,我就不走。
"