The ring and the casket were the only things they did not want her to have . Then after a short pause they spoke . ` Why do you want the ring and casket so much ? Who has told you of them ? ' ` Oh , nobody ; it is just my fancy , ' answered she . But the old snakes shook their heads and replied : ` Not so ; it is our son who told you , and , as he said , so it must be . If you need food , or clothes , or a house , tell the ring and it will find them for you . And if you are unhappy or in danger , tell the casket and it will set things right . ' Then they both gave her their blessing , and she picked up her baby and went her way . She walked for a long time , till at length she came near the town where her husband and his father dwelt . Here she stopped under a grove of palm trees , and told the ring that she wanted a house . ` It is ready , mistress , ' whispered a queer little voice which made her jump , and , looking behind her , she saw a lovely palace made of the finest woods , and a row of slaves with tall fans bowing before the door . Glad indeed was she to enter , for she was very tired , and , after eating a good supper of fruit and milk which she found in one of the rooms , she flung herself down on a pile of cushions and went to sleep with her baby beside her . Here she stayed quietly , and every day the baby grew taller and stronger , and very soon he could run about and even talk . Of course the neighbours had a great deal to say about the house which had been built so quickly -- so very quickly -- on the outskirts of the town , and invented all kinds of stories about the rich lady who lived in it . And by and bye , when the king returned with his son from the wars , some of these tales reached his ears . ` It is really very odd about that house under the palms , ' he said to the queen ; ' I must find out something of the lady whom no one ever sees . I daresay it is not a lady at all , but a gang of conspirators who want to get possession of my throne . To-morrow I shall take my son and my chief ministers and insist on getting inside . ' Soon after sunrise next day the prince 's wife was standing on a little hill behind the house , when she saw a cloud of dust coming through the town .
A moment afterwards she heard faintly the roll of the drums that announced the king 's presence , and saw a crowd of people approaching the grove XXXXX palms .
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