These he put away in an empty room , and , giving the key to his wife , he bade her tell no one of it . The Queen grieved over the sad fate of her sons and refused to be comforted , so much so that the youngest boy , who was always with her , and whom she had christened Benjamin , said to her one day : ` Dear mother , why are you so sad ? ' ` My child , ' she answered , ' I may not tell you the reason . ' But he left her no peace , till she went and unlocked the room and showed him the twelve coffins filled with shavings , and with the little pillow laid in each . Then she said : ` My dearest Benjamin , your father has had these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers , because if I bring a girl into the world you are all to be killed and buried in them . ' She wept bitterly as she spoke , but her son comforted her and said : ` Do n't cry , dear mother ; we 'll manage to escape somehow , and will fly for our lives . ' ` Yes , ' replied his mother , ` that is what you must do -- go with your eleven brothers out into the wood , and let one of you always sit on the highest tree you can find , keeping watch on the tower of the castle . If I give birth to a little son I will wave a white flag , and then you may safely return ; but if I give birth to a little daughter I will wave a red flag , which will warn you to fly away as quickly as you can , and may the kind Heaven have pity on you . Every night I will get up and pray for you , in winter that you may always have a fire to warm yourselves by , and in summer that you may not languish in the heat . ' Then she blessed her sons and they set out into the wood . They found a very high oak tree , and there they sat , turn about , keeping their eyes always fixed on the castle tower . On the twelfth day , when the turn came to Benjamin , he noticed a flag waving in the air , but alas ! it was not white , but blood red , the sign which told them they must all die . When the brothers heard this they were very angry , and said : ` Shall we forsooth suffer death for the sake of a wretched girl ? Let us swear vengeance , and vow that wherever and whenever we shall meet one of her sex , she shall die at our hands . ' Then they went their way deeper into the wood , and in the middle of it , where it was thickest and darkest , they came upon a little enchanted house which stood empty . ` Here , ' they said , ` let us take up our abode , and you , Benjamin , you are the youngest and weakest , you shall stay at home and keep house for us ; we others will go out and fetch food . ' So they went forth into the wood , and shot hares and roe-deer , birds and wood-pigeons , and any other game they came across . They always brought their spoils home to Benjamin , who soon learnt to make them into dainty dishes . So they lived for ten years in this little house , and the time slipped merrily away .
In the meantime their little sister XXXXX home was growing up quickly .
On So across at for if in into till upon