` Because I will never tell it to anyone till it comes true , ' answered the boy . ` And wo n't you tell it to me either ? ' asked the king in surprise . ` No , not even to you , your Majesty , ' replied he . ` Oh , I am sure you will when we get home , ' said the king smiling , and he talked to him about other things till they came to the palace . ' I have brought you such a nice present , ' he said to his daughters , and as the boy was very pretty they were delighted to have him and gave him all their best toys . ` You must not spoil him , ' observed the king one day , when he had been watching them playing together . He has a secret which he wo n't tell to anyone . ' ` He will tell me , ' answered the eldest princess ; but the boy only shook his head . ` He will tell me , ' said the second girl . ` Not I , ' replied the boy . ` He will tell me , ' cried the youngest , who was the prettiest too . ' I will tell nobody till it comes true , ' said the boy , as he had said before ; ` and I will beat anybody who asks me . ' The king was very sorry when he heard this , for he loved the boy dearly ; but he thought it would never do to keep anyone near him who would not do as he was bid . So he commanded his servants to take him away and not to let him enter the palace again until he had come to his right senses . The sword clanked loudly as the boy was led away , but the child said nothing , though he was very unhappy at being treated so badly when he had done nothing . However , the servants were very kind to him , and their children brought him fruit and all sorts of nice things , and he soon grew merry again , and lived amongst them for many years till his seventeenth birthday . Meanwhile the two eldest princesses had become women , and had married two powerful kings who ruled over great countries across the sea . The youngest one was old enough to be married too , but she was very particular , and turned up her nose at all the young princes who had sought her hand . One day she was sitting in the palace feeling rather dull and lonely , and suddenly she began to wonder what the servants were doing , and whether it was not more amusing down in their quarters .
The king was at his council and the queen was ill in bed , so there was no one to stop the princess , and she hastily ran across the gardens XXXXX the houses where the servants lived .
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