ts_ had set his heart upon it; go he would; and he begged and
prayed so long that the _King_ was forced to let him go. Now, you must
know the _King_ had no other horse to give _Boots_ but an old
broken-down jade, for his six other sons and their train had carried
off all his horses; but _Boots_ did not care a pin for that, he sprang
up on his sorry old steed.

"Farewell, father," said he; "I'll come back, never fear, and like
enough I shall bring my six brothers back with me;" and with that he
rode off.

So, when he had ridden a while, he came to a _Raven_, which lay in the
road and flapped its wings, and was not able to get out of the way, it
was so starved.

"Oh, dear friend," said the _Raven_, "give me a little food, and I'll
help you again at your utmost need."

"I haven't much food," said the _Prince_, "and I don't see how you'll
ever be able to help me much; but still I can spare you a little. I
see you want it."

So he gave the raven some of the food he had brought with him.

Now, when he had gone a bit further, he came to a brook, and in the
brook lay a great _Salmon_, which had got upon a dry place and dashed
itself about, and could not get into the water again.

"Oh, dear friend," said the _Salmon_ to the _Prince_; "shove me out
into the water again, and I'll help you again at your utmost need."

"Well!" said the _Prince_, "the help you'll give me will not be great,
I daresay, but it's a pity you should lie there and choke;" and with
that he shot the fish out into the stream again.

After that he went a long, long way, and there met him a _Wolf_ which
was so famished that it lay and crawled along the road on its belly.

"Dear friend, do let me have your horse," said the _Wolf_; "I'm so
hungry the wind whistles through my ribs; I've had nothing to eat
these two years."

"No," said _Boots_, "this will never do; first I came to a raven, and
I was forced to give him my food; next I came to a salmon, and him I
had to help into the water again; and now you will have my horse. It
can't be done, that it can't, for then I should have nothing to ride
on."

"Nay, dear friend, but you can help me," said _Graylegs_ the wolf;
"you can ride upon my back, and I'll help you again in your utmost
need."

"Well! the help I shall get from you will not be great, I'll be
bound," said the _Prince_; "but you may take my horse, since you are
in such need."

So when the _Wolf_ had eaten the horse, _Boots_ took the bit