content: once upon a time there was a king whose wife had died , but he had a daughter who was so good and so beautiful that no one could have been kinder or lovelier than she . the king mourned a long time for the queen , because he had loved her greatly ; but in the course of time he grew weary of his lonely life , and married again with the widow of another king , who also had a daughter ; but one who was just as ugly and evil as the other was handsome and kind . the step - mother and daughter were jealous of the king 's daughter , because she was so handsome ; yet so long as the king was at home , they did not dare harm her , for he was very fond of her . but after a time , the king began to war against another king , and went out to battle . then the queen thought she now could do as she wished , and she let the king 's daughter starve , and beat and pushed her about everywhere . at last everything else was too good for her , and she had to herd the cows . so she went out with the cows , and pastured them in the forest or on the hill . food she had little or none , and she grew pale and thin , and was sad most of the time , and wept . in the herd there was also a great blue bull , who always kept himself neat and clean , and often came to the king 's daughter and let her scratch him . now the king came home , and he had defeated the other king , against whom he had warred ; and the whole castle was overjoyed , and none was more joyful than the king 's daughter . but the queen pretended to be ill , and gave the physician a great deal of money so that he should say that she could not recover unless she had some of the blue bull 's flesh to eat . the king 's daughter and others as well asked the physician whether nothing else would do , and pleaded for the bull ; for all liked him , and said that there was not such another in the whole kingdom . but no , he must be slaughtered , and he should be slaughtered , and there was no help for it . when the king 's daughter heard this , she felt sad , and went into the stable to the bull . he stood and hung his head , and looked so mournful that she could not keep from weeping . " why do you weep ? " asked the bull . then she told him that the king had come home , and that the queen had pretended to be ill , and had forced the physician to say that she could not recover unless she had some of the blue bull 's flesh to eat , and that now he was to be slaughtered . " once she has done away with me , it will not be long before she does away with you , " said the bull . " but if it suits you , we will run away from here to - night . " the king 's daughter did say that it would be bad enough to leave her father , but that at the same time it would be worse to remain under the same roof with the queen , and so she promised the bull to go with him . 
answer: she was treated poorly in his absence .
question: why was the king's daughter joyful for the king's return ?
target: why was the king's daughter joyful for the king's return ?
references: why was the king's daughter joyful for the king's return ?