` No , of course we wo n't , ' answered the wife . ` Why should we wish to ? But all the same it is rather odd , and one ca n't help wondering what is inside . ' For many days life went on like a beautiful dream to the charcoal-burner and his wife . Their beds were so comfortable , they could hardly make up their minds to get up , their clothes were so lovely they could scarcely bring themselves to take them off ; their dinners were so good that they found it very difficult to leave off eating . Then outside the palace were gardens filled with rare flowers and fruits and singing birds , or if they desired to go further , a golden coach , painted with wreaths of forget-me-nots and lined with blue satin , awaited their orders . Sometimes it happened that the king came to see them , and he smiled as he glanced at the man , who was getting rosier and plumper each day . But when his eyes rested on the woman , they took on a look which seemed to say ' I knew it , ' though this neither the charcoal-burner nor his wife ever noticed . ` Why are you so silent ? ' asked the man one morning when dinner had passed before his wife had uttered one word . ' A little while ago you used to be chattering all the day long , and now I have almost forgotten the sound of your voice . ' ` Oh , nothing ; I did not feel inclined to talk , that was all ! ' She stopped , and added carelessly after a pause , ` Do n't you ever wonder what is in that soup-tureen ? ' ` No , never , ' replied the man . ` It is no affair of ours , ' and the conversation dropped once more , but as time went on , the woman spoke less and less , and seemed so wretched that her husband grew quite frightened about her . As to her food , she refused one thing after another . ` My dear wife , ' said the man at last , ` you really must eat something . What in the world is the matter with you ? If you go on like this you will die . ' ' I would rather die than not know what is in that tureen , ' she burst forth so violently that the husband was quite startled .
` Is XXXXX it ? '
For after as if in than that though to with