-take care to put upon him the plain saddle of wood and
leather, and not the golden one, which will hang close by, otherwise it
will go badly with you."

Then the fox stretched out his tail and the king's son seated himself
upon it, and away they went over stock and stone until the wind whistled
through their hair. And everything happened just as the fox had said,
and he came to the stall where the golden horse was, and as he was about
to put on him the plain saddle he thought to himself:

"Such a beautiful animal would be disgraced were I not to put on him the
good saddle, which becomes him so well."

However, no sooner did the horse feel the golden saddle touch him than
he began to neigh. And the grooms all awoke, seized the king's son and
threw him into prison. The next morning he was delivered up to justice
and condemned to death, but the king promised him his life, and also to
bestow upon him the golden horse if he could convey thither the
beautiful princess of the golden castle.

With a heavy heart the king's son set out, but by great good luck he
soon met with the faithful fox.

"I ought now to leave you to your own fate," said the fox, "but I am
sorry for you, and will once more help you in your need. Your way lies
straight up to the golden castle. You will arrive there in the evening,
and at night, when all is quiet, the beautiful princess goes to the
bath. And as she is entering the bathing-house go up to her and give her
a kiss, then she will follow you and you can lead her away; but do not
suffer her first to go and take leave of her parents, or it will go ill
with you."

Then the fox stretched out his tail, the king's son seated himself upon
it, and away they went over stock and stone, so that the wind whistled
through their hair. And when he came to the golden castle all was as the
fox had said. He waited until midnight, when all lay in deep sleep, and
then as the beautiful princess went to the bathing-house he went up to
her and gave her a kiss, and she willingly promised to go with him, but
she begged him earnestly, and with tears, that he would let her first
go and take leave of her parents. At first he denied her prayer, but as
she wept so much the more, and fell at his feet, he gave in at last. And
no sooner had the princess reached her father's bedside than he, and all
who were in the castle, waked up and the young man was seized and thrown
into prison.

The next morning the king said to him: