h a
thing as that, but you know what the miller's friends are like--so
dull and heavy! It is only kind to go and amuse them a little.'

'You poor fellow,' said the boy pityingly. 'Take my advice and stay at
home. If you once enter the miller's gate his dogs will tear you in
pieces.'

'Ah, well, such things _have_ occurred, I know,' replied the fox
gravely. And without saying any more he trotted off the way he had
come.

His tail had scarcely disappeared, when a great noise of crashing
branches was heard, and up bounded the horse, his black skin
glistening like satin.

'Good-morning,' he called to the boy as he galloped past, 'I can't
wait to talk to you now. I have promised the miller to be present at
his wedding-feast, and they won't sit down till I come.'

'Stop! stop!' cried the boy after him, and there was something in his
voice that made the horse pull up. 'What is the matter?' asked he.

'You don't know what you are doing,' said the boy. 'If once you go
there you will never gallop through these woods any more. You are
stronger than many men, but they will catch you and put ropes round
you, and you will have to work and to serve them all the days of your
life.'

The horse threw back his head at these words, and laughed scornfully.

'Yes, I am stronger than many men,' answered he, 'and all the ropes in
the world would not hold me. Let them bind me as fast as they will, I
can always break loose, and return to the forest and freedom.'

And with this proud speech he gave a whisk of his long tail, and
galloped away faster than before.

But when he reached the miller's house everything happened as the boy
had said. While he was looking at the guests and thinking how much
handsomer and stronger he was than any of them, a rope was suddenly
flung over his head, and he was thrown down and a bit thrust between
his teeth. Then, in spite of his struggles, he was dragged to a
stable, and shut up for several days without any food, till his spirit
was broken and his coat had lost its gloss. After that he was
harnessed to a plough, and had plenty of time to remember all he had
lost through not listening to the counsel of the boy.

When the horse had turned a deaf ear to his words the boy wandered
idly along, sometimes gathering wild strawberries from a bank, and
sometimes plucking wild cherries from a tree, till he reached a
clearing in the middle of the forest. Crossing this open space was a
beautiful milk-white cow