In the same moment the
bird uttered a piercing cry. The soldiers awaked, rushed in, seized the
king's son and put him in prison. The next morning he was brought before
a judge, and, as he confessed everything, condemned to death. But the
king said that he would spare his life on one condition, that he should
bring him the golden horse whose paces were swifter than the wind, and
that then he should also receive the golden bird as a reward.
So the king's son set off to find the golden horse, but he sighed and
was very sad, for how should it be accomplished? And then he saw his
old friend, the fox, sitting by the roadside.
"Now, you see," said the fox, "all this has happened because you would
not listen to me. But be of good courage, I will bring you through, and
will tell you how to get the golden horse. You must go straight on until
you come to a castle, where the horse stands in his stable; before the
stable-door the grooms will be lying, but they will all be asleep and
snoring, and you can go and quietly lead out the horse. But one thing
you must mind--take care to put upon him the plain saddle of wood and
leather, and not the golden one, which will hang close by, otherwise it
will go badly with you."
Then the fox stretched out his tail and the king's son seated himself
upon it, and away they went over stock and stone until the wind whistled
through their hair. And everything happened just as the fox had said,
and he came to the stall where the golden horse was, and as he was about
to put on him the plain saddle he thought to himself:
"Such a beautiful animal would be disgraced were I not to put on him the
good saddle, which becomes him so well.
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