So she went to the parent snakes , who wept bitterly at the thought of losing her , and offered her gold and jewels as much as she could carry in remembrance of them . But the girl shook her head and pushed the shining heap away from her . ' I shall never forget you , never , ' she said in a broken voice , ` but the only tokens I will accept from you are that little ring and this old casket . ' The two snakes looked at each other in dismay . The ring and the casket were the only things they did not want her to have . Then after a short pause they spoke . ` Why do you want the ring and casket so much ? Who has told you of them ? ' ` Oh , nobody ; it is just my fancy , ' answered she . But the old snakes shook their heads and replied : ` Not so ; it is our son who told you , and , as he said , so it must be . If you need food , or clothes , or a house , tell the ring and it will find them for you . And if you are unhappy or in danger , tell the casket and it will set things right . ' Then they both gave her their blessing , and she picked up her baby and went her way . She walked for a long time , till at length she came near the town where her husband and his father dwelt . Here she stopped under a grove of palm trees , and told the ring that she wanted a house . ` It is ready , mistress , ' whispered a queer little voice which made her jump , and , looking behind her , she saw a lovely palace made of the finest woods , and a row of slaves with tall fans bowing before the door . Glad indeed was she to enter , for she was very tired , and , after eating a good supper of fruit and milk which she found in one of the rooms , she flung herself down on a pile of cushions and went to sleep with her baby beside her . Here she stayed quietly , and every day the baby grew taller and stronger , and very soon he could run about and even talk . Of course the neighbours had a great deal to say about the house which had been built so quickly -- so very quickly -- on the outskirts of the town , and invented all kinds of stories about the rich lady who lived in it . And by and bye , when the king returned with his son from the wars , some of these tales reached his ears .
` It is really very odd about that house XXXXX the palms , ' he said to the queen ; ' I must find out something of the lady whom no one ever sees .
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