But, now that the king's crown was on the wrong head, the air, and the
water, and the dry land, over which God is lord, heard of it. And the
trees said, "Until the king's son returns, we will not put forth bud or
leaf!"
And the birds said, "We will not sing in the land, or breed or build
nests until the king's son returns!"
And the fishes said, "We will not stay in the ponds or rivers to get
caught, unless the king's son, to whom we belong, returns!"
And the foxes said, "Unless the king's son returns, we will increase and
multiply exceedingly and be like locusts in the land!"
So all through that land the trees, though it was spring, stayed as if
it were mid-winter; and all the fishes swam down to the sea; and all the
birds flew over the sea, away into other countries; and all the foxes
increased and multiplied, and became like locusts in the land.
Now when the trees, and the birds, and the beasts, and the fishes led
the way the good folk of the country discovered that the queen was a
criminal. So, after the way of the flesh, they took the queen and her
little son, and bound them, and threw them into the deepest and darkest
dungeon they could find; and said they: "Until you tell us where the
king's son is, there you stay and starve!"
The king's son was playing all alone in his dungeon with the mice who
brought him food from the palace larder, when the queen and her son were
thrown down to him fast bound, as though he were as dangerous as a den
of lions. At first he was terribly afraid when he found himself pursued
into his last hiding-place; but presently he gathered from the queen's
remarks that she was quite powerless to do him harm.
"Oh, what a wicked woman I am!" she moaned; and began crying lamentably,
as if she hoped to melt the stone walls which formed her prison.
Presently her little son cried, "Mother, take off my brother's crown; it
pricks me!" And the king's son sat in his corner, and cried to himself
with grief over the harm that his step-mother's wickedness had brought
about.
"Mother," cried the queen's son again, "night and day since I have worn
it, it pricks me; I cannot sleep!"
But the queen's heart was still hard; not if she could help, would she
yet take off from her son the crown.
Hours went by, and the queen and her son grew hungry. "We shall be
starved to death!" she cried. "Now I see what a wicked woman I am!"
"Mother," cried the queen's son, "someone is putting food into my
mouth!" "No one," said the queen, "is putting any into mine. Now I know
what a wicked woman I am!"
Presently the king's son came to the queen also, and began feeding her.
"Someone is putting food into _my_ mouth, now!" cried the queen. "If it
is poisoned I shall die in agony! I wish," she said, "I wish I knew your
brother were not dead; if I have killed him what a wicked woman I am!"
"Dear step-mother," said the king's son, "I am not dead, I am here."
"Here?" cried the queen, shaking with fright. "Here? not dead! How long
have you been here?"
"Days, and days, and days," said the king's son, sadly.
"Ah! if I had only known _that_!" cried the queen. "_Now_ I know what a
wicked woman I am!"
Just then, the trap-door in the roof of the dungeon opened, and a voice
called down, "Tell us where is the king's son! If you do not tell us,
you shall stay here and starve."
"The king's son is here!" cried the queen.
"A likely story!" answered the gaolers. "Do you think we are going to
believe that?" And they shut-to the trap.
The queen's son cried, "Dear brother, come and take back your crown, it
pricks so!" But the king's son only undid the queen's bonds and his
brother's. "Now," said he, "you are free: you can kill me now."
"Oh!" cried the queen, "what a wicked woman I must be! Do you think I
could do it now?" Then she cried, "O little son, bring your poor head to
me, and I will take off the crown!" and she took off the crown and gave
it back to the king's son. "When I am dead," she said, "remember, and be
kind to him!"
The king's son put the crown upon his own head.
Suddenly, outside the palace, all the land broke into leaf; there was a
rushing sound in the river of fishes swimming up from the sea, and all
the air was loud and dark with flights of returning birds. Almost at the
same moment the foxes began to disappear and diminish, and cease to be
like locusts in the land.
People came running to open the door of the deepest and darkest dungeon
in the palace: "For either," they cried, "the queen is dead, or the
king's son has been found!"
"Where is the king's son, then?" they called out, as they threw wide the
door. "He is here!" cried the king; and out he came, to the astonishment
of all, wearing his crown, and leading his step-mother and half-brother
by the hand.
He looked at his step-mother, and she was quite white; as white as the
mouse that had jumped upon the king's bed at midnight bidding him fly
for his life. Not only her face, but her hair, her lips, and her very
eyes were white and colourless, for she had gone blind from gazing too
hard into her crystal ball, and hunting the king's son to death.
So she remained blind to the end of her days; but the king was more good
to her than gold, and as for his brother, never did half-brothers love
each other better than these. Therefore they all lived very happily
together, and after a long time, the queen learned to forget what a
wicked woman she had been.