content: the old bamboo - cutter went out to meet the imperial messengers . the last few days of sorrow had told upon the old man ; he had aged greatly , and looked much more than his seventy years . weeping bitterly , he told them that the report was only too true , but he intended , however , to make prisoners of the envoys from the moon , and to do all he could to prevent the princess from being carried back . the men returned and told his majesty all that had passed . on the fifteenth day of that month the emperor sent a guard of two thousand warriors to watch the house . one thousand stationed themselves on the roof , another thousand kept watch round all the entrances of the house . all were well trained archers , with bows and arrows . the bamboo - cutter and his wife hid princess moonlight in an inner room .
answer: make prisoners of the envoys from the moon .
question: what did the old man plan to do ?
target: what did the old man plan to do ?
references: what did the old man plan to do ?