Take him down . '' But as he uttered the last word Trusty John had fallen lifeless to the ground , and was a stone . The King and Queen were in despair , and the King spake : `` Ah ! how ill have I rewarded such great fidelity ! '' and made them lift up the stone image and place it in his bedroom near his bed . As often as he looked at it he wept and said : `` Oh ! if I could only restore you to life , my most trusty John ! '' After a time the Queen gave birth to twins , two small sons , who throve and grew , and were a constant joy to her . One day when the Queen was at church , and the two children sat and played with their father , he gazed again full of grief on the stone statue , and sighing , wailed : `` Oh , if I could only restore you to life , my most trusty John ! '' Suddenly the stone began to speak , and said : `` Yes , you can restore me to life again if you are prepared to sacrifice what you hold most dear . '' And the King cried out : `` All I have in the world will I give up for your sake . '' The stone continued : `` If you cut off with your own hand the heads of your two children , and smear me with their blood , I shall come back to life . '' The King was aghast when he heard that he had himself to put his children to death ; but when he thought of Trusty John 's fidelity , and how he had even died for him , he drew his sword , and with his own hand cut the heads off his children . And when he had smeared the stone with their blood , life came back , and Trusty John stood once more safe and sound before him . He spake to the King : `` Your loyalty shall be rewarded , '' and taking up the heads of the children , he placed them on their bodies , smeared the wounds with their blood , and in a minute they were all right again and jumping about as if nothing had happened . Then the King was full of joy , and when he saw the Queen coming , he hid Trusty John and the two children in a big cupboard . As she entered he said to her : `` Did you pray in church ? '' `` Yes , '' she answered , `` but my thoughts dwelt constantly on Trusty John , and of what he has suffered for us . '' Then he spake : `` Dear wife , we can restore him to life , but the price asked is our two little sons ; we must sacrifice them . '' The Queen grew white and her heart sank , but she replied : `` We owe it to him on account of his great fidelity . ''
Then he rejoiced XXXXX she was of the same mind as he had been , and going forward he opened the cupboard , and fetched the two children and Trusty John out , saying : `` God be praised !
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