I was wondering why you shook the boughs so fiercely , ' answered the prince . ' I am condemned to do this , for neither I nor any of my kindred can die till I have rooted up this great tree , ' replied the king of the eagles . ` But it is now evening , and I need work no more to-day . Come to my house with me , and be my guest for the night . ' The prince accepted gratefully the eagle 's invitation , for he was tired and hungry . They were received at the palace by the king 's beautiful daughter , who gave orders that dinner should be laid for them at once . While they were eating , the eagle questioned his guest about his travels , and if he was wandering for pleasure 's sake , or with any special aim . Then the prince told him everything , and how he could never turn back till he had discovered the Land of Immortality . ` Dear brother , ' said the eagle , ` you have discovered it already , and it rejoices my heart to think that you will stay with us . Have you not just heard me say that death has no power either over myself or any of my kindred till that great tree is rooted up ? It will take me six hundred years ' hard work to do that ; so marry my daughter and let us all live happily together here . After all , six hundred years is an eternity ! ' ` Ah , dear king , ' replied the young man , ` your offer is very tempting ! But at the end of six hundred years we should have to die , so we should be no better off ! No , I must go on till I find the country where there is no death at all . ' Then the princess spoke , and tried to persuade the guest to change his mind , but he sorrowfully shook his head . At length , seeing that his resolution was firmly fixed , she took from a cabinet a little box which contained her picture , and gave it to him saying : ` As you will not stay with us , prince , accept this box , which will sometimes recall us to your memory . If you are tired of travelling before you come to the Land of Immortality , open this box and look at my picture , and you will be borne along either on earth or in the air , quick as thought , or swift as the whirlwind . ' The prince thanked her for her gift , which he placed in his tunic , and sorrowfully bade the eagle and his daughter farewell . Never was any present in the world as useful as that little box , and many times did he bless the kind thought of the princess .
One XXXXX it had carried him to the top of a high mountain , where he saw a man with a bald head , busily engaged in digging up spadefuls of earth and throwing them in a basket .
Immortality earth evening mind night orders palace picture world years