the fox; and plucking the pears he
took them up to the king.

'My master, Count Piro, sends you these pears,' he said, 'and asks for
an answer to his proposal.'

'Tell the count that the wedding can take place whenever he pleases,'
answered the king, and, filled with pride, the fox trotted back to
deliver his message.

'But I can't bring the princess here, little fox?' cried the young man
in dismay.

'You leave everything to me,' answered the fox; 'have I not managed
well so far?'

And up at the palace preparations were made for a grand wedding, and the
youth was married to the princess.

After a week of feasting, the fox said to the king: 'My master wishes to
take his young bride home to his own castle.'

'Very well, I will accompany them,' replied the king; and he ordered his
courtiers and attendants to get ready, and the best horses in his stable
to be brought out for himself, Count Piro and the princess. So they all
set out, and rode across the plain, the little fox running before them.

He stopped at the sight of a great flock of sheep, which was feeding
peacefully on the rich grass. 'To whom do these sheep belong?' asked he
of the shepherd. 'To an ogre,' replied the shepherd.

'Hush,' said the fox in a mysterious manner. 'Do you see that crowd
of armed men riding along? If you were to tell them that those sheep
belonged to an ogre, they would kill them, and then the ogre would kill
you! If they ask, just say the sheep belong to Count Piro; it will be
better for everybody.' And the fox ran hastily on, as he did not wish to
be seen talking to the shepherd.

Very soon the king came up.

'What beautiful sheep!' he said, drawing up his horse. 'I have none so
fine in my pastures. Whose are they?'

'Count Piro's,' answered the shepherd, who did not know the king.

'Well, he must be a very rich man,' thought the king to himself, and
rejoiced that he had such a wealthy son-in-law.

Meanwhile the fox had met with a huge herd of pigs, snuffling about the
roots of some trees.

'To whom do these pigs belong?' he asked of the swineherd.

'To an ogre,' replied he.

'Hush!' whispered the fox, though nobody could hear him; 'do you see
that troop of armed men riding towards us? If you tell them that the
pigs belong to the ogre they will kill them, and then the ogre will kill
you! If they ask, just say that the pigs belong to Count Piro; it will
be better for everybody.' And he ran hastily on.

Soon after the