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The Life of the Buddha 28 The false rumor that "the Crown Prince had returned" caused a stir in the royal palace. The ministers rushed out eagerly to welcome him, but they only saw Channa and the gaunt white horse. Inside the palace gates, the birds and beasts chirped and roared in unison as if calling out for the Crown Prince. The palace maids, with unkempt hair and disheveled appearances, prostrated themselves on the ground and wept bitterly. Queen Mahapajapati scratched her hands and feet and, with blood and tears streaming down her face, murmured to herself, "How can his delicate feet tread on the thorns? How can his noble and tender body endure the harsh wind and frost?" The whole country seemed to have plunged into an ice cellar, and all of its former glory had vanished.
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