His wife and son mourned his loss bitterly , for , in spite of his faults , he had always been kind to them . So they abandoned the crown and forsook their country , not knowing or caring where they went . At length they wandered into a forest , and being very tired , sat down under a tree to eat some bread that they had brought with them . When they had finished the queen said : ` My son , I am thirsty ; fetch me some water . ' The prince got up at once and went to a brook which he heard gurgling near at hand . He stooped and filled his hat with the water , which he brought to his mother ; then he turned and followed the stream up to its source in a rock , where it bubbled out clear and fresh and cold . He knelt down to take a draught from the deep pool below the rock , when he saw the reflection of a sword hanging from the branch of a tree over his head . The young man drew back with a start ; but in a moment he climbed the tree , cutting the rope which held the sword , and carried the weapon to his mother . The queen was greatly surprised at the sight of anything so splendid in such a lonely place , and took it in her hands to examine it closely . It was of curious workmanship , wrought with gold , and on its handle was written : ` The man who can buckle on this sword will become stronger than other men . ' The queen 's heart swelled with joy as she read these words , and she bade her son lose no time in testing their truth . So he fastened it round his waist , and instantly a glow of strength seemed to run through his veins . He took hold of a thick oak tree and rooted it up as easily as if it had been a weed . This discovery put new life into the queen and her son , and they continued their walk through the forest . But night was drawing on , and the darkness grew so thick that it seemed as if it could be cut with a knife . They did not want to sleep in the wood , for they were afraid of wolves and other wild beasts , so they groped their way along , hand in hand , till the prince tripped over something which lay across the path . He could not see what it was , but stooped down and tried to lift it . The thing was very heavy , and he thought his back would break under the strain . At last with a great heave he moved it out of the road , and as it fell he knew it was a huge rock . Behind the rock was a cave which it was quite clear was the home of some robbers , though not one of the band was there .
Hastily putting out the fire which burned brightly at the back , and bidding his mother come in and keep very still , the prince began to pace up and down , listening XXXXX the return of the robbers .
Behind at for from in into on than through with