said the King , with an angry frown . But Martin 's mother answered boldly : ` If the King will only listen patiently to me , and give me a straightforward answer , he will see that I am not out of my mind . You , O King , have a lovely daughter to give in marriage . I have a son -- a wooer -- as clever a youth and as good a son-in-law as you will find in your whole kingdom . There is nothing that he can not do . Now tell me , O King , plump and plain , will you give your daughter to my son as wife ? ' The King listened to the end of the old woman 's strange request , but every moment his face grew blacker , and his features sterner ; till all at once he thought to himself , ` Is it worth while that I , the King , should be angry with this poor old fool ? ' And all the courtiers and counsellors were amazed when they saw the hard lines round his mouth and the frown on his brow grow smooth , and heard the mild but mocking tones in which he answered the old woman , saying : ` If your son is as wonderfully clever as you say , and if there is nothing in the world that he can not do , let him build a magnificent castle , just opposite my palace windows , in four and twenty hours . The palace must be joined together by a bridge of pure crystal . On each side of the bridge there must be growing trees , having golden and silver apples , and with birds of Paradise among the branches . At the right of the bridge there must be a church , with five golden cupolas ; in this church your son shall be wedded to my daughter , and we will keep the wedding festivities in the new castle . But if he fails to execute this my royal command , then , as a just but mild monarch , I shall give orders that you and he are taken , and first dipped in tar and then in feathers , and you shall be executed in the market-place for the entertainment of my courtiers . ' And a smile played round the King 's lips as he finished speaking , and his courtiers and counsellors shook with laughter when they thought of the old woman 's folly , and praised the King 's wise device , and said to each other , ` What a joke it will be when we see the pair of them tarred and feathered ! The son is just as able to grow a beard on the palm of his hand as to execute such a task in twenty-four hours . ' Now the poor old woman was mortally afraid and , in a trembling voice she asked : ` Is that really your royal will , O King ? Must I take this order to my poor son ? ' ` Yes , old dame ; such is my command . If your son carries out my order , he shall be rewarded with my daughter ; but if he fails , away to the tar-barrel and the stake with you both ! ' On her way home the poor old woman shed bitter tears , and when she saw Martin she told him what the King had said , and sobbed out : ` Did n't I tell you , my son , that you should marry someone of your own rank ? It would have been better for us this day if you had .
As I told you , my going to Court has been XXXXX much as our lives are worth , and now we will both be tarred and feathered , and burnt in the public market-place .
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