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, 'some one 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.