he said . There was a pause . Then the queen replied : ` She is dead . ' ` Dead ! ' he repeated , stepping a little backwards . ` And my child ? ' ` He is dead too . ' The young man stood silent . Then he said , ` Show me their graves . ' At these words the king , who had been feeling rather uncomfortable , took heart again , for had he not prepared two beautiful tombs for his son to see , so that he might never , never guess what had been done to his wife ? All these months the king and queen had been telling each other how good and merciful they had been not to take her brother 's advice and to put her to death . But now , this somehow did not seem so certain . Then the king led the way to the courtyard just behind the palace , and through the gate into a beautiful garden where stood two splendid tombs in a green space under the trees . The prince advanced alone , and , resting his head against the stone , he burst into tears . His father and mother stood silently behind with a curious pang in their souls which they did not quite understand . Could it be that they were ashamed of themselves ? But after a while the prince turned round , and walking past them in to the palace he bade the slaves bring him mourning . For seven days no one saw him , but at the end of them he went out hunting , and helped his father rule his people . Only no one dared to speak to him of his wife and son . At last one morning , after the girl had been lying awake all night thinking of her husband , she said to her friend the snake : ` You have all shown me much kindness , but now I am well again , and want to go home and hear some news of my husband , and if he still mourns for me ! '
Now the heart XXXXX the snake was sad at her words , but he only said : ` Yes , thus it must be ; go and bid farewell to my father and mother , but if they offer you a present , see that you take nothing but my father 's ring and my mother 's casket . '
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