This message was taken to the queen , who gave orders to bring the old woman to her . This was done , and the old woman said to her : ' I know your secret sorrow , O queen , and am come to help you in it . You wish to have a son ; you shall have two if you follow my instructions . ' The queen was greatly surprised that the old woman knew her secret wish so well , and promised to follow her advice . ` You must have a bath set in your room , O queen , ' said she , ` and filled with running water . When you have bathed in this you will find . under the bath two red onions . These you must carefully peel and eat , and in time your wish will be fulfilled . ' The queen did as the poor woman told her ; and after she had bathed she found the two onions under the bath . They were both alike in size and appearance . When she saw these she knew that the woman had been something more than she seemed to be , and in her delight she ate up one of the onions , skin and all . When she had done so she remembered that the woman had told her to peel them carefully before she ate them . It was now too late for the one of them , but she peeled the other and then ate it too . In due time it happened as the woman had said ; but the first that the queen gave birth to was a hideous lindorm , or serpent . No one saw this but her waiting-woman , who threw it out of the window into the forest beside the castle . The next that came into the world was the most beautiful little prince , and he was shown to the king and queen , who knew nothing about his brother the lindorm . There was now joy in all the palace and over the whole country on account of the beautiful prince ; but no one knew that the queen 's first-born was a lindorm , and lay in the wild forest . Time passed with the king , the queen , and the young prince in all happiness and prosperity , until he was twenty years of his age . Then his parents said to him that he should journey to another kingdom and seek for himself a bride , for they were beginning to grow old , and would fain see their son married . before they were laid in their grave .
The prince obeyed , had his horses harnessed to his gilded chariot , and set out XXXXX woo his bride .
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