 They told Melampus that the prince had been frightened of the big, bloody knife and the king tossed it aside to calm the child.It had hit a tree and injured a hamadryad, who cursed the prince with the sickness.The hamadryad told Melampus that the boy would be healed if the knife was taken out of the trunk of the tree and boiled, then the prince should drink the rusty water that resulted.