The boy shook a little when he heard these terrible words, but he didn't wish to break his promise to the king even if it cost him his life. So the fakir tore up the queen's letter and wrote a new one which said, "This is my son. I want him to meet his great-grandmother. Take care of him and show him a good time." The fakir then gave the new letter to him and said, "Call the woman Grandma, and don't be afraid of her."

The young man walked on and on till he reached the old ogress' house. He called her Grandma and gave her the letter. The old hag read the letter and hugged and kissed him, and asked how her granddaughter and her royal husband were doing. She attended to him in all sorts of ways and gave him every valuable thing she could think of. Among other things, she gave him a bar of soap that became a huge mountain when it was thrown to the grounds a jar full of needles that became a hill bristling with thorns when thrown down, and a jar of water that became a wide lake when spilled on the ground She also showed him various secret things and explained their meaning: seven fine cocks, a spinning wheel, a pigeon, a starling, and a bottle of medicine.

"These seven cocks," she said, "contain the lives of your seven uncles, who are in different parts of the world. No power can hurt them as long as these seven cocks are safe. That's why I keep them here. The spinning wheel contains my life. If it's broken, I'll be broken and will die. Otherwise, I'll live forever. The pigeon contains your grandfather's life, and the starling your mother's. As long as they live, nothing can harm your grandfather or your mother. And this medicine can give sight to the blind."
关键字:恶魔女王
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