y Iwanich saw his two horses being driven towards him by
a host of eagles of all sizes. He caught the mare and foal, and having
thanked the eagle he drove them cheerfully home again.

The old witch was more disgusted than ever when she saw him appearing,
and having set his supper before him she stole into the stables, and
Iwanich heard her abusing the horses for not having hidden themselves
better in the clouds. Then she bade them hide themselves next morning,
as soon as Iwanich was asleep, in the King's hen-house, which stood on
a lonely part of the heath, and to remain there till she called. If
they failed to do as she told them she would certainly beat them this
time till they bled.

On the following morning the Prince drove his horses as usual to the
fields. After he had been overpowered by sleep, as on the former days,
the mare and foal ran away and hid themselves in the royal hen-house.

When the Prince awoke and found the horses gone he determined to
appeal to the fox; so, lighting a fire, he threw the two hairs into
it, and in a few moments the fox stood beside him and asked: 'In what
way can I serve you?'

'I wish to know,' replied Iwanich, 'where the King's hen-house is.'

'Hardly an hour's walk from here,' answered the fox, and offered to
show the Prince the way to it.

While they were walking along the fox asked him what he wanted to do
at the royal hen-house. The Prince told him of the misfortune that had
befallen him, and of the necessity of recovering the mare and foal.

'That is no easy matter,' replied the fox. 'But wait a moment. I have
an idea. Stand at the door of the hen-house, and wait there for your
horses. In the meantime I will slip in among the hens through a hole
in the wall and give them a good chase, so that the noise they make
will arouse the royal henwives, and they will come to see what is the
matter. When they see the horses they will at once imagine them to be
the cause of the disturbance, and will drive them out. Then you must
lay hands on the mare and foal and catch them.

All turned out exactly as the sly fox had foreseen. The Prince swung
himself on the mare, seized the foal by its bridle, and hurried home.

While he was riding over the heath in the highest of spirits the mare
suddenly said to her rider: 'You are the first person who has ever
succeeded in outwitting the old witch Corva, and now you may ask what
reward you like for your service. If you promise never to betra