ildren loved the best was a match at archery, for the
king had given them two bows exactly alike, and they would spend whole
days in trying to see which could shoot the highest. This is always very
dangerous, and it was a great wonder they did not put their eyes out;
but somehow or other they managed to escape.

One morning, when the prince had done his lessons, he ran out to call
his friend, and they both hurried off to the lawn which was their usual
playground. They took their bows out of the little hut where their toys
were kept, and began to see which could shoot the highest. At last they
happened to let fly their arrows both together, and when they fell to
earth again the tail feather of a golden hen was found sticking in one.
Now the question began to arise whose was the lucky arrow, for they were
both alike, and look as closely as you would you could see no difference
between them. The prince declared that the arrow was his, and the
gardener's boy was quite sure it was HIS--and on this occasion he was
perfectly right; but, as they could not decide the matter, they went
straight to the king.

When the king had heard the story, he decided that the feather belonged
to his son; but the other boy would not listen to this and claimed the
feather for himself. At length the king's patience gave way, and he said
angrily:

'Very well; if you are so sure that the feather is yours, yours it shall
be; only you will have to seek till you find a golden hen with a feather
missing from her tail. And if you fail to find her your head will be the
forfeit.'

The boy had need of all his courage to listen silently to the king's
words. He had no idea where the golden hen might be, or even, if he
discovered that, how he was to get to her. But there was nothing for it
but to do the king's bidding, and he felt that the sooner he left the
palace the better. So he went home and put some food into a bag, and
then set forth, hoping that some accident might show him which path to
take.

After walking for several hours he met a fox, who seemed inclined to be
friendly, and the boy was so glad to have anyone to talk to that he sat
down and entered into conversation.

'Where are you going?' asked the fox.

'I have got to find a golden hen who has lost a feather out of her
tail,' answered the boy; 'but I don't know where she lives or how I
shall catch her!'

'Oh, I can show you the way!' said the fox, who was really very
good-natured. 'F