The girl 's mother had always believed that her daughter would be empress , and not the ` Milkwhite Maiden , ' the child of a mere shepherd . So she hated the girl with all her heart , and only bided her time to do her ill . But she could do nothing as long as the emperor remained with his wife night and day , and she began to wonder what she could do to get him away from her . At last , when everything else had failed , she managed to make her brother , who was king of the neighbouring country , declare war against the emperor , and besiege some of the frontier towns with a large army . This time her scheme was successful . The young emperor sprang up in wrath the moment he heard the news , and vowed that nothing , not even his wife , should hinder his giving them battle . And hastily assembling whatever soldiers happened to be at hand he set off at once to meet the enemy . The other king had not reckoned on the swiftness of his movements , and was not ready to receive him . The emperor fell on him when he was off his guard , and routed his army completely . Then when victory was won , and the terms of peace hastily drawn up , he rode home as fast as his horse would carry him , and reached the palace on the third day . But early that morning , when the stars were growing pale in the sky , two little boys with golden hair and stars on their foreheads were born to Laptitza . And the stepmother , who was watching , took them away , and dug a hole in the corner of the palace , under the windows of the emperor , and put them in it , while in their stead she placed two little puppies . The emperor came into the palace , and when they told him the news he went straight to Laptitza 's room . No words were needed ; he saw with his own eyes that Laptitza had not kept the promise she had made at the strawberry beds , and , though it nearly broke his heart , he must give orders for her punishment . So he went out sadly and told his guards that the empress was to be buried in the earth up to her neck , so that everyone might know what would happen to those who dared to deceive the emperor . Not many days after , the stepmother 's wish was fulfilled . The emperor took her daughter to wife , and again the rejoicings lasted for three days and three nights . Let us now see what happened to the two little boys . The poor little babies had found no rest even in their graves . In the place where they had been buried there sprang up two beautiful young aspens , and the stepmother , who hated the sight of the trees , which reminded her of her crime , gave orders that they should be uprooted .
But the emperor heard of it , and forbade the trees XXXXX be touched , saying , ` Let them alone ; I like to see them there !
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