beating and saying:

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

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

"To-night," the Old Woman ordered, "hide among the ravens and this time
don't let him find you!"

The third night the Prince tried hard to stay awake but sleep again
overcame him and when he woke he found himself for the third time
sitting astride a rail and holding the empty bridle in his hand. But he
remembered the Old Woman's words and at once opened the third corner of
his handkerchief and taking out the raven's feather rubbed it gently.

There was a flutter of wings and a raven's hoarse voice said:

"Caw! Caw! 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 ravens and
are perched in yonder tall fir tree hiding among my folk. Strike the
trunk of the tree three times with your bridle and say: 'Mare of the
Old Woman, come down!' That will bring her!"

The Prince went over to the fir tree, struck it three times with the
bridle and said:

"Mare of the Old Woman, come down!"

Instantly two ravens, a big one and a fledgling, fluttered to earth and
changed to mare and foal. So when morning came the Prince was able to
drive them back to the Old Woman and claim his reward.

The Old Woman was angry enough to kill him but she pretended to be
pleased and she smiled and grinned and she patted the Prince on the arm
and said:

"Aye, my son, but you are a hero! You have won the reward and you are
worthy of it. Choose now the finest horse in my stable. It is yours."

She drove the twelve handsome stallions out into the courtyard and urged
them on the Prince one after the other. But at each the Prince shook his
head.

"I am only a poor adventurer," he said. "Such horses as these are too
fine for me. Give me rather that poor mangy creature that lies over
yonder on the dung heap. That is the one I choose."

Then the Old Woman fell into an awful rage and shook and chattered and
begged the Prince not to take that horse.

"It would shame me," she said, "to have you ride off on that poor beast
which is half dead already! No, no, my son, you mustn't take him!"

"But that's the one I'm going to take," the Prince said firmly, "that
and none other!" He drew his sword and lifted it threateningly. "I have
won whatever horse I choose and now, O