we be?"

"Brother," whispered the first, "let us make away with him!"

So they plotted together and they asked Janko to go hunting with them
the next day. Suspecting nothing Janko went. When they came to a deep
well in the woods they asked Janko to reach them a cup of water. As he
stooped over into the well they pushed him all the way in and drowned
him. That's the kind of brothers they were! Then they went home and
pretended to be surprised that Janko hadn't come home before them.

He didn't come that night or the next day either, and the Golden Maiden
grew sad and quiet, the Magic Grape-Vine no longer poured out its
precious wine every hour, the Golden Apple-Tree stopped putting forth
its buds and blossoms and golden fruit, and the Golden Horse languished
and drooped its lovely head.

"Everything goes wrong when Janko isn't here!" the farmer said. "Where
can he be?"

On the third day the Golden Maiden suddenly began to laugh and sing, the
Magic Grape-Vine again poured forth a bucket of precious wine every
hour, the Golden Apple-Tree put out buds and blossoms and golden fruit,
and the Golden Horse lifted its beautiful head and neighed loud and
happily. And do you know why? Because the Little Lame Fox had just
rescued Janko and brought him back to life! She pulled him out of the
well, and rolled him about on the ground, and worked over him until all
the water was emptied from his lungs and he was able to breathe again.

Then as he opened his eyes the Little Fox said:

"I told you, brother, I'd come again if you needed my help. I was just
in time for a little longer and I could never have brought you back to
life. And now, brother, the enchantment that held me is broken and I
need no longer go about as a Little Lame Fox. My mother was a wicked
witch and she enchanted me because she was angry with me for saving a
man whom she wanted to kill. So she turned me into a little fox and she
said I should have to remain a fox forever unless I succeeded in
bringing back to life my benefactor. You are my benefactor, Janko, for
you shared your bread and cheese with me the first time we met, and now
I have been able to bring you back to life."

As she spoke she changed into a lovely maiden.

"Good-by, Janko," she said. "Go home now and tell your father how your
evil brothers have treated you. Unless you do this they will plot
against the Golden Maiden and you may not be able to protect her."

So Janko and the maiden kisse