Strona 304 z 626

Every morning she went with the child to the garden where the

wild beasts were kept, and washed herself there in a clear

stream. It happened once when the child was a little older, that

it was lying in her arms and she fell asleep. Then came the old

cook, who knew that the child had the power of wishing, and stole

it away, and he took a hen, and cut it in pieces, and dropped

some of its blood on the queen's apron and on her dress. Then he

carried the child away to a secret place, where a nurse was

obliged to suckle it, and he ran to the king and accused the

queen of having allowed her child to be taken from her by the

wild beasts. When the king saw the blood on her apron, he

believed this, fell into such a passion that he ordered a high

tower to be built, in which neither sun nor moon could be seen

and had his wife put into it, and walled up. Here she was to stay

for seven years without meat or drink, and die of hunger.