ar towards the east, in that direction, lives a
beautiful maiden who is called "The Sister of the Sun." She has three
golden hens in her house. Perhaps the feather belongs to one of them.'

The boy was delighted at this news, and they walked on all day together,
the fox in front, and the boy behind. When evening came they lay down to
sleep, and put the knapsack under their heads for a pillow.

Suddenly, about midnight, the fox gave a low whine, and drew nearer to
his bedfellow. 'Cousin,' he whispered very low, 'there is someone coming
who will take the knapsack away from me. Look over there!' And the boy,
peeping through the bushes, saw a man.

'Oh, I don't think he will rob us!' said the boy; and when the man drew
near, he told them his story, which so much interested the stranger that
he asked leave to travel with them, as he might be of some use. So when
the sun rose they set out again, the fox in front as before, the man and
boy following.

After some hours they reached the castle of the Sister of the Sun, who
kept the golden hens among her treasures. They halted before the gate
and took counsel as to which of them should go in and see the lady
herself.

'I think it would be best for me to enter and steal the hens,' said the
fox; but this did not please the boy at all.

'No, it is my business, so it is right that I should go,' answered he.

'You will find it a very difficult matter to get hold of the hens,'
replied the fox.

'Oh, nothing is likely to happen to me,' returned the boy.

'Well, go then,' said the fox, 'but be careful not to make any mistake.
Steal only the hen which has the feather missing from her tail, and
leave the others alone.'

The man listened, but did not interfere, and the boy entered the court
of the palace.

He soon spied the three hens strutting proudly about, though they were
really anxiously wondering if there were not some grains lying on the
ground that they might be glad to eat. And as the last one passed by
him, he saw she had one feather missing from her tail.

At this sight the youth darted forward and seized the hen by the neck
so that she could not struggle. Then, tucking her comfortably under his
arm, he made straight for the gate. Unluckily, just as he was about
to go through it he looked back and caught a glimpse of wonderful
splendours from an open door of the palace. 'After all, there is no
hurry,' he said to himself; 'I may as well see something now I AM here,'