t of the beautiful golden fruit, that he quite forgot all that
the fox had said. He seized the golden pole, and struck the branch a
sounding blow. The guards at once awoke, and conducted him to their
master. Then the simpleton had to tell his story.

'I will give you the golden apple,' said the owner of the garden, 'if
you will bring me in exchange a horse which can go round the world in
four-and-twenty hours.' And the young man departed, and went to find the
fox.

This time the fox was really angry, and no wonder.

'If you had listened to me, you would have been home with your father by
this time. However I am willing to help you once more. Go into the
forest, and you will find the horse with two halters round his neck. One
is of gold, the other of hemp. Lead him by the hempen halter, or else
the horse will begin to neigh, and will waken the guards. Then all is
over with you.'

So Master Simpleton searched till he found the horse, and was struck
dumb at its beauty.

'What!' he said to himself, 'put the hempen halter on an animal like
that? Not I, indeed!'

Then the horse neighed loudly; the guards seized our young friend and
conducted him before their master.

'I will give you the golden horse,' said he, 'if you will bring me in
exchange a golden maiden who has never yet seen either sun or moon.'

'But if I am to bring you the golden maiden you must lend me first the
golden steed with which to seek for her.'

'Ah,' replied the owner of the golden horse, 'but who will undertake
that you will ever come back?'

'I swear on the head of my father,' answered the young man, 'that I will
bring back either the maiden or the horse.' And he went away to consult
the fox.

Now, the fox who was always patient and charitable to other people's
faults, led him to the entrance of a deep grotto, where stood a maiden
all of gold, and beautiful as the day. He placed her on his horse and
prepared to mount.

[Illustration: LIMPING FOX ADVISES THE SIMPLETON TO
KEEP THE GOLDEN GIRL HIMSELF]

'Are you not sorry,' said the fox, 'to give such a lovely maiden in
exchange for a horse? Yet you are bound to do it, for you have sworn by
the head of your father. But perhaps I could manage to take her place.'
So saying, the fox transformed himself into another golden maiden, so
like the first that hardly anyone could tell the difference between
them.

The simpleton took her straight to the owner of the horse, who was
enchanted with h