there was once upon a time a king called kojata , whose beard was so long that it reached below his knees . three years had passed since his marriage , and he lived very happily with his wife , but heaven granted him no heir , which grieved the king greatly . one day he set forth from his capital , in order to make a journey through his kingdom . he travelled for nearly a year through the different parts of his territory , and then , having seen all there was to be seen , he set forth on his homeward way . as the day was very hot and sultry he commanded his servants to pitch tents in the open field , and there await the cool of the evening . suddenly a frightful thirst seized the king , and as he saw no water near , he mounted his horse , and rode through the neighbourhood looking for a spring . before long he came to a well filled to the brim with water clear as crystal , and on the bosom of which a golden jug was floating . king kojata at once tried to seize the vessel , but though he endeavoured to grasp it with his right hand , and then with his left , the wretched thing always eluded his efforts and refused to let itself be caught . first with one hand , and then with two , did the king try to seize it , but like a fish the goblet always slipped through his fingers and bobbed to the ground only to reappear at some other place , and mock the king .
heaven granted him no heir .
why did the king grieve greatly ?
why did the king grieve greatly ?