soon after sunrise next day the prince 's wife was standing on a little hill behind the house , when she saw a cloud of dust coming through the town . a moment afterwards she heard faintly the roll of the drums that announced the king 's presence , and saw a crowd of people approaching the grove of palms . her heart beat fast . could her husband be among them ? in any case they must not discover her there ; so just bidding the ring prepare some food for them , she ran inside , and bound a veil of golden gauze round her head and face . then , taking the child 's hand , she went to the door and waited . in a few minutes the whole procession came up , and she stepped forward and begged them to come in and rest . ' willingly , ' answered the king ; ' go first , and we will follow you . ' they followed her into a long dark room , in which was a table covered with gold cups and baskets filled with dates and cocoa - nuts and all kinds of ripe yellow fruits , and the king and the prince sat upon cushions and were served by slaves , while the ministers , among whom she recognised her own brother , stood behind .
the roll of the drums that announced the king 's presence .
what did the girl hear ?
what did the girl hear ?