ing it; otherwise it would go ill with
him.

The prince took the grains of gold, and promised to follow the fox's
directions faithfully. When he came to the guard-room of the castle he
threw one of the grains in there, and the guards at once fell asleep.
The same thing happened with those who kept watch in the room beside the
bird Grip, and when he threw the third grain into its cage the bird also
fell asleep. When the prince got the beautiful bird into his hand he
could not resist the temptation to stroke it, whereupon it awoke and
began to scream. At this the whole castle woke up, and the prince was
taken prisoner.

As he now sat in his prison, and bitterly lamented that his own
disobedience had brought himself into trouble, and deprived his father
of the chance of recovering his sight, the fox suddenly stood in front
of him. The prince was very pleased to see it again, and received
with great meekness all its reproaches, as well as promised to be more
obedient in the future, if the fox would only help him out of his fix.
The fox said that he had come to assist him, but he could do no more
than advise the prince, when he was brought up for trial, to answer
'yes' to all the judge's questions, and everything would go well. The
prince faithfully followed his instructions, so that when the judge
asked him whether he had meant to steal the bird Grip he said 'Yes,'
and when the judge asked him if he was a master-thief he again answered
'Yes.'

When the king heard that he admitted being a master-thief, he said that
he would forgive him the attempt to steal the bird if he would go to
the next kingdom and carry off the world's most beautiful princess, and
bring her to him. To this also the prince said 'Yes.'

When he left the castle he met the fox, who went along with him to the
next kingdom, and when they came near the castle there, gave him three
grains of gold--one to throw into the guard-room, another into the
princess's chamber, and the third into her bed. At the same time he
strictly warned him not to kiss the princess. The prince went into the
castle, and did with the grains of gold as the fox had told him, so that
sleep fell upon everyone there; but when he had taken the princess into
his arms he forgot the fox's warning, at the sight of her beauty, and
kissed her. Then both she and all the others in the castle woke; the
prince was taken prisoner, and put into a strong dungeon.

Here the fox again came to him and