ack when it
began to neigh loudly. This awakened the stable boy, who awakened the
grooms, who rushed in and seized the Prince and made him a prisoner.
The following morning he was brought to trial and condemned to death,
but the King promised him his life, as well as the golden horse, if
the youth could find the beautiful daughter of the King of the golden
castle. Once more, with a heavy heart, the Prince set out on his
journey, and by great good fortune he soon came across the faithful
fox.

"I really should have left thee to the consequences of thy folly,"
said the fox; "but as I feel great compassion for thee, I will help
thee out of thy new misfortune. The path to the castle lies straight
before thee; thou wilt reach it about the evening. At night, when
everything is quiet, the lovely Princess will go to the bath-house, to
bathe there. As soon as she enters, thou must spring forward and give
her a kiss; then she will follow thee wherever thou carest to lead
her; only be careful that she does not take leave of her parents, or
everything will go wrong."

Then the fox stretched out his tail, the Prince seated himself on it,
and away they both went over hill and dale, their hair whistling in
the wind.

When the King's son came to the golden palace, everything happened as
the fox had predicted. He waited until midnight, and when everyone was
soundly asleep the beautiful Princess went into the bath-house, so
he sprang forward and kissed her. The Princess then said she would
joyfully follow him, but she besought him with tears in her eyes to
allow her to say farewell to her parents. At first he withstood her
entreaties, but as she wept still more, and fell at his feet, he at
last yielded.

Scarcely was the maiden at the bedside of her father, when he awoke,
and so did everyone else in the palace; so the foolish youth was
captured and put into prison.

On the following morning the King said to him: "Thy life is forfeited,
and thou canst only find mercy if thou clearest away the mountain that
lies before my windows, and over which I cannot see, but it must be
removed within eight days. If thou dost succeed thou shalt have my
daughter as a reward."

So the Prince commenced at once to dig and to shovel away the earth
without cessation, but when after seven days he saw how little he had
been able to accomplish, and that all his labor was as nothing, he
fell into a great grief and gave up all hope.

On the evening of