Now the prince had pretended to be ill in order to soften his parent 's hearts , and the next day he declared he felt better , and , getting into his litter , was carried to the palace in state , drums being beaten all along the road . He dismounted at the foot of the steps and walked up , a great parasol being held over his head by a slave . Then he entered the cool , dark room where his father and mother were sitting , and said to them : ' I saw a girl yesterday in the forest whom I wish to marry , and , unknown to my attendants , I brought her back to my house in a litter . Give me your consent , I beg , for no other woman pleases me as well , even though she has but one hand ! ' Of course the king and queen would have preferred a daughter-in-law with two hands , and one who could have brought riches with her , but they could not bear to say ` No ' to their son , so they told him it should be as he chose , and that the wedding feast should be prepared immediately . The girl could scarcely believe her good fortune , and , in gratitude for all the kindness shown her , was so useful and pleasant to her husband 's parents that they soon loved her . By and bye a baby was born to her , and soon after that the prince was sent on a journey by his father to visit some of the distant towns of the kingdom , and to set right things that had gone wrong . No sooner had he started than the girl 's brother , who had wasted all the riches his wife had brought him in recklessness and folly , and was now very poor , chanced to come into the town , and as he passed he heard a man say , ` Do you know that the king 's son has married a woman who has lost one of her hands ? ' On hearing these words the brother stopped and asked , ` Where did he find such a woman ? ' ` In the forest , ' answered the man , and the cruel brother guessed at once it must be his sister . A great rage took possession of his soul as he thought of the girl whom he had tried to ruin being after all so much better off than himself , and he vowed that he would work her ill . Therefore that very afternoon he made his way to the palace and asked to see the king . When he was admitted to his presence , he knelt down and touched the ground with his forehead , and the king bade him stand up and tell wherefore he had come . ` By the kindness of your heart have you been deceived , O king , ' said he . ` Your son has married a girl who has lost a hand . Do you know why she had lost it ? She was a witch , and has wedded three husbands , and each husband she has put to death with her arts . Then the people of the town cut off her hand , and turned her into the forest . And what I say is true , for her town is my town also . ' The king listened , and his face grew dark .
Unluckily he had a hasty temper , and did not stop to reason , and , instead of sending to the town , and discovering people who knew his XXXXX and could have told him how hard she had worked and how poor she had been , he believed all the brother 's lying words , and made the queen believe them too .
afternoon consent course daughter-in-law girl litter presence queen right son