There once lived a king and a queen who ruled over a very great kingdom . They had large revenues , and lived happily with each other ; but , as the years went past , the king 's heart became heavy , because the queen had no children . She also sorrowed greatly over it , because , although the king said nothing to her about this trouble , yet she could see that it vexed him that they had no heir to the kingdom ; and she wished every day that she might have one . One day a poor old woman came to the castle and asked to speak with the queen . The royal servants answered that they could not let such a poor beggar-woman go in to their royal mistress . They offered her a penny , and told her to go away . Then the woman desired them to tell the queen that there stood at the palace gate one who would help her secret sorrow . 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 XXXXX was a hideous lindorm , or serpent .
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