in this manner many weeks passed by . and what was the prince doing ? well , he had fallen very ill when he was on the furthest border of the kingdom , and he was nursed by some kind people who did not know who he was , so that the king and queen heard nothing about him . when he was better he made his way home again , and into his father 's palace , where he found a strange man standing behind the throne with the peacock 's feathers . this was his wife 's brother , whom the king had taken into high favour , though , of course , the prince was quite ignorant of what had happened . for a moment the king and queen stared at their son , as if he had been unknown to them ; he had grown so thin and weak during his illness that his shoulders were bowed like those of an old man .
he had grown so thin and weak during his illness that his shoulders were bowed like those of an old man .
why didn't the king and queen recognize their son ?
why didn't the king and queen recognize their son ?