He wept and moaned to himself all day , and would hardly touch food , though , in dread that he should die and escape his tormentors , the king ordered his head cook to send him dishes from the royal table . The gold-bearded man had been in captivity about a month , when the king was forced to make war upon a neighbouring country , and left the palace , to take command of his army . But before he went he called his stepson to him and said : ` Listen , boy , to what I tell you . While I am away I trust the care of my prisoner to you . See that he has plenty to eat and drink , but be careful that he does not escape , or even walk about the room . If I return and find him gone , you will pay for it by a terrible death . ' The young prince was thankful that his stepfather was going to the war , and secretly hoped he might never come back . Directly he had ridden off the boy went to the room where the cage was kept , and never left it night and day . He even played his games beside it . One day he was shooting at a mark with a silver bow ; one of his arrows fell into the golden cage . ` Please give me my arrow , ' said the prince , running up to him ; but the gold-bearded man answered : ` No , I shall not give it to you unless you let me out of my cage . ' ' I may not let you out , ' replied the boy , ` for if I do my stepfather says that I shall have to die a horrible death when he returns from the war . My arrow can be of no use to you , so give it to me . ' The man handed the arrow through the bars , but when he had done so he begged harder than ever that the prince would open the door and set him free . Indeed , he prayed so earnestly that the prince 's heart was touched , for he was a tender-hearted boy who pitied the sorrows of other people . So he shot back the bolt , and the gold-bearded man stepped out into the world . ' I will repay you a thousand fold for that good deed . ' said the man , and then he vanished . The prince began to think what he should say to the king when he came back ; then he wondered whether it would be wise to wait for his stepfather 's return and run the risk of the dreadful death which had been promised him . ` No , ' he said to himself , ' I am afraid to stay .
Perhaps the world will be kinder XXXXX me than he has been . '
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