your Majesty , ' answered the prince , ` it is not love or marriage that makes me so gloomy ; but the thought , which haunts me day and night , that all men , even kings , must die . Never shall I be happy again till I have found a kingdom where death is unknown . And I have determined to give myself no rest till I have discovered the Land of Immortality . The old king heard him with dismay ; things were worse than he thought . He tried to reason with his son , and told him that during all these years he had been looking forward to his return , in order to resign his throne and its cares , which pressed so heavily upon him . But it was in vain that he talked ; the prince would listen to nothing , and the following morning buckled on his sword and set forth on his journey . He had been travelling for many days , and had left his fatherland behind him , when close to the road he came upon a huge tree , and on its topmost bough an eagle was sitting shaking the branches with all his might . This seemed so strange and so unlike an eagle , that the prince stood still with surprise , and the bird saw him and flew to the ground . The moment its feet touched the ground he changed into a king . ` Why do you look so astonished ? ' he asked . ' I was wondering why you shook the boughs so fiercely , ' answered the prince . ' I am condemned to do this , for neither I nor any of my kindred can die till I have rooted up this great tree , ' replied the king of the eagles . ` But it is now evening , and I need work no more to-day . Come to my house with me , and be my guest for the night . ' The prince accepted gratefully the eagle 's invitation , for he was tired and hungry . They were received at the palace by the king 's beautiful daughter , who gave orders that dinner should be laid for them at once . While they were eating , the eagle questioned his guest about his travels , and if he was wandering for pleasure 's sake , or with any special aim . Then the prince told him everything , and how he could never turn back till he had discovered the Land of Immortality . ` Dear brother , ' said the eagle , ` you have discovered it already , and it rejoices my heart to think that you will stay with us .
Have you not just heard me say that death has no power either over myself or any XXXXX my kindred till that great tree is rooted up ?
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