long with
her a big dapple-gray foal, which was so sleek that the sun shone from
its coat.

"A fine fellow you are, my little foal," said the lad.

"Yes," said the foal, "but you wait until another year has passed, and
then see how big and sleek I'll be."

So the lad went home again, and when he came back the next year to
look after his foal and mares, the foal was so sleek and fat that the
sun shone from its coat, and it had grown so big the lad had hard work
to mount it.

"Well, it's quite plain I lost nothing by leaving you to graze for a
twelvemonth," said the lad to the yearling, "but now you're big enough
to come along with me."

"No," said the colt, "I must bide here a year longer and then see how
big and sleek I'll be by summer."

Yes, the lad did that; and next year when he went up on the hill to
look after his colt and mares, each mare had her foal, but the dapple
colt was so tall that the lad couldn't reach up to his crest when he
wanted to feel how fat he was; and so sleek he was, too, that his coat
glistened in the sunshine.

"Big and beautiful you were last year, my colt," said the lad, "but
this year you're far grander. There's no such horse in the king's
stable. But now you must come along with me."

"No," said Dapple again, "I must stay here one year more, to eat this
beautiful grass, then just come and look at me when the summer comes."

So again the lad went away home.

But when he went up next year to look after Dapple and the mares, he
was quite astonished. So tall, and stout, and sturdy, he never thought
a horse could be; for Dapple had to lie down before the lad could
bestride him, and it was hard work to climb up even then, although he
lay flat; and his coat was so smooth and sleek that the sunbeams shone
from it as from a looking-glass.

This time Dapple was willing enough to follow the lad, so he jumped up
on his back, and when he came riding home to his brothers, they all
clapped their hands and shouted, for such a horse they had never heard
of or seen before.

"If you will only get me the best shoes you can for my horse, and the
grandest saddle and bridle that are to be found," said the lad, "you
may have my twelve mares that graze up on the hill yonder, and their
twelve foals into the bargain." For you must know that this year every
mare had her foal.

Yes, his brothers were ready to do that, and so the lad got such
strong shoes under his horse that the stones flew high alo