In this manner many weeks passed by . And what was the prince doing ? Well , he had fallen very ill when he was on the furthest border of the kingdom , and he was nursed by some kind people who did not know who he was , so that the king and queen heard nothing about him . When he was better he made his way home again , and into his father 's palace , where he found a strange man standing behind the throne with the peacock 's feathers . This was his wife 's brother , whom the king had taken into high favour , though , of course , the prince was quite ignorant of what had happened . For a moment the king and queen stared at their son , as if he had been unknown to them ; he had grown so thin and weak during his illness that his shoulders were bowed like those of an old man . ` Have you forgotten me so soon ? ' he asked . At the sound of his voice they gave a cry and ran towards him , and poured out questions as to what had happened , and why he looked like that . But the prince did not answer any of them . ` How is my wife ? ' he said . There was a pause . Then the queen replied : ` She is dead . ' ` Dead ! ' he repeated , stepping a little backwards . ` And my child ? ' ` He is dead too . ' The young man stood silent . Then he said , ` Show me their graves . '
At these words the king , who had been feeling rather uncomfortable , took heart again , for had he not prepared two beautiful tombs for his son to see , so XXXXX he might never , never guess what had been done to his wife ?
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