e Horse with the Golden Mane,
over whose back lay the bejewelled bridle. The prince left at once.

At the palace all were busy preparing the wedding feast, for the
marriage was to take place immediately, and everything was to be of
the most costly description. Invitations had been out to all the
grandees of the land.

Towards the end of the feast, when every one had drunk his fill of
wine and pleasure, the king asked his guests their opinions on the
charms of his bride.

"She is most beautiful," said one, "in fact, it would be impossible
for her to be more lovely; only, it seems to me that her eyes are
somewhat like those of a fox."

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the royal bride vanished,
while in her place sat a red fox, who with one vigorous bound sprang
through the door and disappeared to rejoin the prince, who had
hastened on in front. With sweeping strokes of his bushy tail he
overthrew bridges, reopened precipices, and heaped up mountains; but
it was very hard work for the poor thing, and he did not come up with
the runaways until they had almost reached the copper castle. Here
they all had a rest, while the red fox turned a somersault and
transformed himself into a horse resembling the one with the golden
mane. Then the prince entered the copper castle and exchanged the
transformed fox for the fire-bird Ohnivak, the king having no
suspicions whatever. The red fox, having thus deceived the monarch,
reassumed his own shape and hurried after the departing prince, whom
he did not overtake until they had reached the banks of the river
where they had first become acquainted.

"Now here you are, prince," said the red fox, "in possession of
Ohnivak, of the lovely Zlato-Vlaska, and of the Horse with the Golden
Mane. Henceforth you can manage without my help, so return to your
father's house in peace and joy; but, take warning, do not stop
anywhere on the way, for if you do some misfortune will overtake you."

With these words the red fox vanished, while the prince continued his
journey unhindered. In his hand he held the golden cage that contained
the fire-bird, and at his side the lovely Zlato-Vlaska rode the Horse
with the Golden Mane; truly, he was the happiest of men.

When he reached the cross roads where he had parted from his brothers,
he hastened to look for the branches they had planted. His alone had
become a spreading tree, theirs were both withered. Delighted with
this proof of divine fa