he
brink of a well!"

With this the fox ran off into the forest!

"Ah!" thought the young Prince, "that is a wonderful animal with very
whimsical ideas! Who would buy gallows'-flesh, and when have I ever
had the slightest desire to sit on the brink of a well?"

So he rode on with the beautiful maiden, and his path led him once
more through the village in which his two brothers had stopped. Here
there was great tumult and lamentation, and when he asked what it all
meant, he was told that two men were going to be hanged. When he came
nearer, he saw that they were his two brothers, who had committed
every kind of wicked folly and had squandered all their money. Then
the young Prince asked if they could not be freed.

"Supposing you do pay for them," the people answered, "where is the
good of wasting your money in order to free such villains?"

Nevertheless, he did not hesitate, but paid for them, and when the
brothers were freed they all rode away together. They came to the
forest where they first encountered the fox, and as it was cool and
pleasant away from the burning sun, the two brothers said:

"Let us sit and rest a little by this well, and eat and drink
something."

The young Prince consented, and while they were all talking together
he quite forgot the fox's warning, and suspected no evil.

But suddenly the two brothers threw him backwards into the well, and,
seizing the maiden, the horse, and the golden bird, they went home to
their father.

"We not only bring you the golden bird," said they, "but we have also
found the golden palace."

There was great rejoicing, but the horse would not eat, neither would
the bird sing, and the maiden only sat and wept.

But the youngest brother had not perished. By good fortune the well
was dry, and he had fallen on soft moss without hurting himself, but
he could not get out again.

Even in this misfortune the faithful fox did not desert him, but came
springing down to him and scolded him for not following his advice.

"Still I cannot forsake thee," said he, "and I will help to show thee
daylight once more."

Then he told him to seize hold of his tail and hold on tightly; and so
saying, he lifted him up in the air.

"Even now thou art not out of danger," said the fox, "for thy brothers
were not certain of thy death, and have set spies to watch for thee in
the forest, who will certainly kill thee if they see thee."

There was an old man sitting by the wayside