his two brothers, who had done all sorts of evil
tricks, and had wasted all their goods. He asked if there were no means
of setting them free.

"Oh yes! if you will buy them off," answered the people; "but why should
you spend your money in redeeming such worthless men?"

But he persisted in doing so; and when they were let go they all went on
their journey together.

After a while they came to the wood where the fox had met them first,
and there it seemed so cool and sheltered from the sun's burning rays
that the two brothers said,

"Let us rest here for a little by the brook, and eat and drink to
refresh ourselves."

The young man consented, quite forgetting the fox's warning, and he
seated himself by the brook-side, suspecting no evil. But the two
brothers thrust him backwards into the brook, seized the princess, the
horse, and the bird, and went home to their father.

"Is not this the golden bird that we bring?" said they; "and we have
also the golden horse, and the princess of the golden castle."

Then there was great rejoicing in the royal castle, but the horse did
not feed, the bird did not chirp, and the princess sat still and wept.

The youngest brother, however, had not perished. The brook was, by good
fortune, dry, and he fell on soft moss without receiving any hurt, but
he could not get up again. But in his need the faithful fox was not
lacking; he came up running, and reproached him for having forgotten his
advice.

"But I cannot forsake you all the same," said he; "I will help you back
again into daylight." So he told the young man to grasp his tail, and
hold on to it fast, and so he drew him up again.

"Still you are not quite out of all danger," said the fox; "your
brothers, not being certain of your death, have surrounded the wood with
sentinels, who are to put you to death if you let yourself be seen."

A poor beggar-man was sitting by the path, and the young man changed
clothes with him, and went clad in that wise into the king's courtyard.
Nobody knew him, but the bird began to chirp, and the horse began to
feed, and the beautiful princess ceased weeping.

"What does this mean?" said the king, astonished.

The princess answered,

"I cannot tell, except that I was sad, and now I am joyful; it is to me
as if my rightful bridegroom had returned."

Then she told him all that happened, although the two brothers had
threatened to put her to death if she let out anything. The king then
or