Next day at the same time the queen again rode out into the forest ; but on this occasion the spirits did not dare to come so near her . They would not , however , give up the contract , but threatened both her and the man . Then she cracked her second nut , and all the forest behind her seemed to be in fire and flames , and the evil spirits howled even worse than on the previous day ; but the contract they would not give up . 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 XXXXX make herself known to him .
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