Don Pedro's lands spread as far as the eye could see. He had farmlands and vineyards, herds of cattle and sheep. He had a house near the seashore and several more all over Spain. His fleets of ships had traveled around the known world, and even to the New World under the banner of the Spanish king. In fact Don Pedro counted the King of Spain among his friends.

Every night, Don Pedro and Doña Caterina would host lavish banquets for the many important people who visited the palace. Diplomats, sea captains, kings and queens -- all of them came to the shimmering palace of the famous Don Pedro. And oh, what evenings they had! They enjoyed the very best food and drink, storytelling, music and dancing.

Young Ricardo loved these feasts. He would stay up late into the night to hear all kinds of tales about the lost lands of Atlantis, the riddles of the sphinx and the pyramids of Egypt. He would drink in stories about the native peoples of the New World, and treasures of gold, colorful birds, and strange ceremonies of hidden civilizations. He loved to hear about the dark continent, Africa, with its many tribes and jungle beasts. The boy would dream about one day seeing those elephants, tigers, and giraffes.

When travelers would tell Ricardo their stories, he would always forget about eating his food. His mother would remind him to eat, but he was really more interested in hearing about magic carpets and genies in a bottle. Little Ricardo's head was so full of stories and he had so many questions! How could his mother expect him to finish his food?
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