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 betray me I
will give you a piece of advice which you will do well to follow.'

The Prince promised never to betray her confidence, and the mare
continued: 'Ask nothing else as a reward than my foal, for it has not
its like in the world, and is not to be bought for love or money; for it
can go from one end of the earth to another in a few minutes. Of course
the cunning Corva will do her best to dissuade you from taking the foal,
and will tell you that it is both idle and sickly; but do not believe
her, and stick to your point.'

Iwanich longed to possess such an animal, and promised the mare to
follow her advice.

This time Corva received him in the most friendly manner, and set a
sumptuous repast before him. As soon as he had finished she asked him
what reward he demanded for his year's service.

'Nothing more nor less,' replied the Prince, 'than the foal of your
mare.'

The witch pretended to be much astonished at his request, and said that
he deserved something much better than the foal, for the beast was lazy
and nervous, blind in one eye, and, in short, was quite worthless.

But the Prince knew what he wanted, and when the old witch saw that he
had made up his mind to have the foal, she said, 'I am obliged to keep
my promise and to hand you over the foal; and as I know who you are and
what you want, I will tell you in what way the animal will be useful to
you. The man in the cauldron of boiling pitch, whom you set free, is a
mighty magician; through your curiosity and thoughtlessness Militza came
into his power, and he has transported her and her castle and belongings
into a distant