THE GOLDEN
chirp,
and the horse began
princess ceased weeping.
"
What does this mean ? The princess answered, "I cannot joyful
;
it is
to
tell,
me
she told him had threatened
The thing. castle to be young man the his
:
;
"
to feed,
my all
the bird
and the beautiful
said the king, astonished.
except that I was sad, and
as if
Then brothers
243
Nobody knew him, but
into the king's courtyard.
began to
BIRD.
rightful
now
I
am
bridegroom had returned."
that happened, although the two
to put her to death if she let out any king then ordered every person who was in the brought before him, and with the rest came the like
a beggar in his wretched garments; but
knew him, and greeted him well, falling on neck and kissing him. The wicked brothers were seized princess
and put to death, and the youngest brother was married to the princess, and succeeded to the inheritance of his father. But what became of the poor fox ? Long afterwards the king's son was going through the wood, and the fox met him and said, " Now, you have everything that you can wish for, but my misfortunes never come to an end, and it lies in your power to free me from them." And once more he prayed the king's son earnestly to slay him, and cut off his head and feet. So, at last, he consented, and no sooner was it done than the fox was changed into a man, and was no other than the brother of the beautiful princess and thus he was set free from a spell that had bound him for a long, long time. ;
And
now, indeed, there lacked nothing to their happiness
as long as they lived.