ctions. At one end of the meadow was a pond.

"She may have gone there to drink," he said to himself.

At the pond he saw a hoofprint.

[Illustration: _The Old Woman of the Mountain and the Wonder Horse_]

"Ah," he thought, "if my fish were here, it could tell me."

He untied the corner of the handkerchief that had the fish scale, rubbed
the scale gently, and at once a little voice called out from the water:

"What is it, brother? Can I help you?"

"Can you tell me what has become of the Old Woman's mare and foal?"

"Aye, brother, that I can! She and the foal are turned into fish and are
down here in the water hiding amongst us. Strike the water three times
with the bridle and say: 'Mare of the Old Woman, come out!' That will
bring her!"

The Prince did this. There was a commotion in the water, a big fish and
a little fish leaped high in the air, fell on shore, and instantly
changed to mare and foal. When morning came the Prince drove them back
to the Old Woman.

She grinned and pretended to be pleased but, when she had the mare alone
in the stable, the Prince heard her beating the poor creature and
saying:

"Why didn't you do as I told you and hide among the fishes?"

"I did," whinnied the mare, "but the fishes are his friends and he found
me!"

"To-night," the Old Woman snarled, "hide among the foxes and this time
don't let him find you! Do you hear me? The foxes!"

The Prince remembered this and the second night when he awoke to find
himself again sitting astride a rail and holding an empty bridle in his
hand, he untied the second corner of his handkerchief, took out the
fox's hair, and rubbed it gently.

Instantly he heard a little bark and the fox's voice said:

"What is it, brother? Can I help you?"

"Can you tell me," the Prince asked, "what has become of the Old Woman's
mare and foal?"

"Aye, brother, that I can! She and the foal are turned into foxes and
are over in yonder woods now hiding among my people. Strike the earth
three times with the bridle and say: 'Mare of the Old Woman, come back!'
That will bring her!"

The Prince did this and instantly two foxes, a vixen and a cub, came
trotting out of the woods and when they reached the Prince they changed
back to mare and foal.

In the morning the Prince drove them home to the Old Woman. As before
she grinned and pretended to be pleased but when she had the mare alone
in the stable the Prince heard her giving the poor creature another