The young man promised, and went. The jungle was fearful and dense and he thought he would never reach the ogre's house. At last he saw him, and cried out, "Grandfather, I'm your daughter's son. My mother is ill and she says you have the right medicine for her. She has sent me for it."

"All right," said the ogre, "I'll give it to you. But first come here and scratch my back. It's itching terribly." The ogre lied, for his back did not itch. He only wanted to see whether or not the young fellow was the true son of an ogress. When the young man dug his nails into the old ogre's flesh and made as if he would scratch some of it off, the ogre asked him to stop, gave him the medicine, patted him, and sent him back. When the king gave the medicine to his wife, she was secretly full of rage. But the king was now more pleased with the young man than ever and gave him large gifts.

The wicked queen was now at her wits' end to know what to do with such a lad. She wanted him out of the way but she didn't want the king to know it. The fellow had escaped from the claws of a tigress and the clutches of her grandfather. How did he do it? What could she do to him? Finally she decided to send him to her grandmother, a terrible old ogress who lived in a house in the woods. "This time, he will not come back," she said to herself, and said to the king, "I've a very valuable comb at my grandmother's place. Could you send the young man to bring it to me? I'll give him a letter to take to my grandmother." The king agreed and the lad started out, passing the fakir's place as usual. When he told him where he was going and showed him the queen's letter, the fakir said, "Let me read it."

When he had read it, he said, "You're going there to be killed. This letter is an order for your death. Listen to this: The bearer is my enemy. I cannot rest as long as he is alive. Kill him as soon as this reaches you."
关键字:恶魔女王
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