When
they reached the village the young man got down and, following the fox's
advice, went into the mean looking tavern without hesitating, and there
he passed a quiet night. The next morning, when he went out into the
field, the fox, who was sitting there already, said:
"I will tell you further what you have to do. Go straight on until you
come to a castle, before which a great band of soldiers lie, but do not
trouble yourself about them, for they will be all asleep and snoring;
pass through them and forward into the castle, and go through all the
rooms until you come to one where there is a golden bird hanging in a
wooden cage. Near at hand will stand empty a golden cage of state, but
you must beware of taking the bird out of his ugly cage and putting him
into the fine one; if you do so you will come to harm."
After he had finished saying this the fox stretched out his tail again,
and the king's son sat him down upon it; then away they went over stock
and stone, so that the wind whistled through their hair. And when the
king's son reached the castle he found everything as the fox had said;
and he at last entered the room where the golden bird was hanging in a
wooden cage, while a golden one was standing by; the three golden
apples, too, were in the room. Then, thinking it foolish to let the
beautiful bird stay in that mean and ugly cage, he opened the door of
it, took hold of it and put it in the golden one.
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