The king shrank back , and ordered the nurse to take the baby away at once . Then his great boarhound bounded up to him , but his caresses were only answered by a violent push . When the king 's anger was spent , and he was able to think what was best to be done , he exchanged his baby , a beautiful boy , for the daughter of a peasant , and the prince lived roughly as the son of poor people , while the little girl slept in a golden cradle , under silken sheets . At the end of a year , the stranger arrived to claim his property , and took away the little girl , believing her to be the true child of the king . The king was so delighted with the success of his plan that he ordered a great feast to be got ready , and gave splendid presents to the foster parents of his son , so that he might lack nothing . But he did not dare to bring back the baby , lest the trick should be found out . The peasants were quite contented with this arrangement , which gave them food and money in abundance . By-and-by the boy grew big and tall , and seemed to lead a happy life in the house of his foster parents . But a shadow hung over him which really poisoned most of his pleasure , and that was the thought of the poor innocent girl who had suffered in his stead , for his foster father had told him in secret , that he was the king 's son . And the prince determined that when he grew old enough he would travel all over the world , and never rest till he had set her free . To become king at the cost of a maiden 's life was too heavy a price to pay . So one day he put on the dress of a farm servant , threw a sack of peas on his back , and marched straight into the forest where eighteen years before his father had lost himself . After he had walked some way he began to cry loudly : ` Oh , how unlucky I am ! Where can I be ? Is there no one to show me the way out of the wood ? ' Then appeared a strange man with a long grey beard , with a leather bag hanging from his girdle . He nodded cheerfully to the prince , and said : ' I know this place well , and can lead you out of it , if you will promise me a good reward . ' ` What can a beggar such as I promise you ? ' answered the prince . ' I have nothing to give you save my life ; even the coat on my back belongs to my master , whom I serve for my keep and my clothes . '
The stranger looked at the sack of peas , and said , ` But you must possess something ; you are carrying this sack , which seems XXXXX be very heavy . '
After at by of on till to under while with