has blessed you in your
undertaking and will continue to bless you so long as you are good and
kind. Farewell now and think sometimes of your sister, the Little Lame
Fox."

Janko wept at thought of parting with the Little Fox and the Little Fox
promised him that she would help him again if ever he needed her. Then
she turned and trotted off into the woods and Janko rode homewards
without her.

When he reached the crossroads where he had parted from his brothers
just one year before he came upon a crowd of angry farmers belaboring
two men who had been robbing their barns. Janko found that the two men
were his own brothers who since he had seen them had fallen into bad
company, lost all their money at cards, and had finally taken to
thieving. Janko paid the farmers for the damage his brothers had done
them and took his brothers home with him.

You can imagine the old farmer's happiness at seeing all three of his
sons after a whole year's absence. It was even greater than his delight
at getting back his Magic Grape-Vine. But that doesn't mean that he
wasn't delighted to have back the Grape-Vine. At the first cup of wine
that the Vine poured him, his left eye ceased weeping and it was never
known to weep again.

He was delighted, too, at having the Golden Maiden in the house and
pleased when people came from far and near to see the Maiden's Golden
Horse and Golden Apple-Tree and Golden Cradle. He even began to hope
that she might marry one of his sons before some prince came along and
snatched her away. He thought the Maiden would make a wonderful bride
for the oldest. Unfortunately Janko had not told him what reprobates the
two older sons were, and the older brothers themselves had given their
father to understand that it was really they who had found the Magic
Grape-Vine and rescued the Golden Maiden. You see instead of being
grateful to Janko for having saved their necks from the angry farmers,
they hated him worse than ever.

"That Booby!" the older brother growled. "Just because he took the
left-hand road and found the Magic Grape-Vine he thinks himself so much
better than us! It was just luck--that's all it was! Any one who took
the left-hand road could have found the old Grape-Vine!"

"And do you notice the way the Golden Maiden always smiles on him?" the
other said. "The first thing we know she'll be marrying him and giving
him the Golden Horse and the Golden Apple-Tree and the Golden Cradle!
Then where will