for many days life went on like a beautiful dream to the charcoal - burner and his wife . their beds were so comfortable , they could hardly make up their minds to get up , and their clothes were so lovely they could scarcely bring themselves to take them off . their dinners were so good that they found it very difficult to leave off eating . then outside the palace were gardens filled with rare flowers and fruits and singing birds . if they desired to go further , a golden coach , painted with wreaths of forget - me - nots and lined with blue satin , awaited their orders . sometimes it happened that the king came to see them . he smiled as he glanced at the man , who was getting rosier and plumper each day . but when his eyes rested on the woman , they took on a look which seemed to say ' i knew it , ' though this neither the charcoal - burner nor his wife ever noticed . ' why are you so silent ? ' asked the man one morning when dinner had passed before his wife had uttered one word . ' a little while ago you used to be chattering all the day long . now i have almost forgotten the sound of your voice . ' ' oh , nothing ; i did not feel inclined to talk , that was all ! ' she stopped , and added carelessly after a pause , ' do n't you ever wonder what is in that soup - tureen ? ' ' no , never , ' replied the man . ' it is no affair of ours , ' and the conversation dropped once more . as time went on , the woman spoke less and less , and seemed so wretched that her husband grew quite frightened about her . as to her food , she refused one thing after another . ' my dear wife , ' said the man at last , ' you really must eat something . what in the world is the matter with you ? if you go on like this you will die . ' ' i would rather die than not know what is in that tureen , ' she burst forth so violently that the husband was quite startled . ' is that it ? ' cried he ; ' are you making yourself miserable because of that ? why , you know we should be turned out of the palace , and sent away to starve . ' ' oh no , we should n't . the king is too good - natured . of course he did n't mean a little thing like this ! besides , there is no need to lift the lid off altogether . just raise one corner so that i may peep . we are quite alone : nobody will ever know . ' 
she was thinking about what was inside the soup - tureen .
why was the wife so silent ?
why was the wife so silent ?