But the same moment in rushed the captain and his men, and ran at them stamping furiously.

They dared not encounter such an onset.

Away they scurried, the queen foremost.

Of course, the right thing would have been to take the king and queen prisoners, and hold them hostages for the princess, but they were so anxious to find her that no one thought of detaining them until it was too late.
Having thus rescued the servants, they set about searching the house once more.

None of them could give the least information concerning the princess.