The queen had only one nut left now , but even that she was ready to give up in order to deliver the man . This time she cracked the nut as soon as she came near the place where the spirits appeared , and what then happened to them she could not see , but amid wild screams and howls the contract was handed to her at the end of a long branch . The queen rode happy home to the hut , and happier still was the man , who had been sitting there in great anxiety , for now he was freed from all the power of the evil spirits . Meanwhile King Lindorm had come home from the war , and the first question he asked when he entered the palace was about the queen and the whelps . The attendants were surprised : they knew of no whelps . The queen had had two beautiful princes ; but the king had sent orders that all these were to be burned . The king grew pale with sorrow and anger , and ordered them to summon his trusted retainer , to whom he had sent the instructions that the queen and the whelps were to be carefully looked after . The retainer , however , showed him the letter in which there was written that the queen and her children were to be burned , and everyone then understood that some great treachery had been enacted . When the king 's trusted retainer saw his master 's deep sorrow he confessed to him that he had spared the lives of the queen and the princes , and had only burned a sheep and two lambs , and had kept the queen and her children hidden in the palace for three years , but had sent her out into the wild forest just when the king was expected home . When the king heard this his sorrow was lessened , and he said that he would wander out into the forest and search for his wife and children . If he found them he would return to his palace ; but if he did not find them he would never see it again , and in that case the faithful retainer who had saved the lives of the queen and the princes should be king in his stead . The king then went forth alone into the wild forest , and wandered there the whole day without seeing a single human being . So it went with him the second day also , but on the third day he came by roundabout ways to the little hut . He went in there , and asked for leave to rest himself for a little on the bench . The queen and the princes were there , but she was poorly clad and so sorrowful that the king did not recognise her , neither did he think for a moment that the two children , who were dressed only in rough skins , were his own sons . He lay down on the bench , and , tired as he was , he soon fell asleep . The bench was a narrow one , and as he slept his arm fell down and hung by the side of it . ` My son , go and lift your father 's arm up on the bench , ' said the queen to one of the princes , for she easily knew the king again , although she was afraid to make herself known to him . The boy went and took the king 's arm , but , being only a child , he did not lift it up very gently on to the bench . The king woke at this , thinking at first that he had fallen into a den of robbers , but he decided to keep quiet and pretend that he was asleep until he should find out what kind of folk were in the house .
He lay still for a little , and , XXXXX no one moved in the room , he again let his arm glide down off the bench .
If although as at by from into of on without