Part 10 (2/2)
It was the most beautiful horse in the world and the gleam of its s.h.i.+ning flanks was like suns.h.i.+ne in the dark stable.
Janko stroked its golden mane and whispered softly into its ear. The horse responded to his touch and rubbed its muzzle against his shoulder.
Janko reached over to take the hempen bridle and then he paused. ”It would be an outrage,” he thought to himself, ”to put a common rope on this glorious creature!”
Just think of it! For the third time Janko forgot the Little Fox's warning! I have no excuse to make for him. I don't see how he could have forgotten a third time! But he did. He took the golden bridle instead of the hempen one and put it over the head of the Golden Horse. The Horse neighed and instantly all the sleeping guards awoke and came running to the stall. They caught Janko, of course, and when morning broke carried him to their master, the king.
He questioned Janko as the others had done and Janko answered him simply:
”You see I have to have the Golden Horse, O king, to exchange it for the Golden Apple-Tree. And I have to have the Golden Apple-Tree to exchange it for the Magic Grape-Vine that really belongs to my father. It was stolen from him years ago and ever since then his left eye has wept over the loss of it. Give me the Golden Horse, O king, for if you don't give him to me I shall have to come back and try again to steal him.”
”But, Janko,” the king said, ”I can't give you the Golden Horse for nothing! But I tell you what I'll do: I will give him to you provided you get for me the Golden Maiden who has never seen the sun.”
With that Janko was dismissed and led out of the stable.
Janko really was awfully ashamed this time when he had again to confess to the Little Fox that he had forgotten her warning and had touched the golden bridle.
”Janko! Janko!” the Little Fox said. ”Where are your wits! Now what shall we do?”
Then Janko told the Little Fox of the king's offer:
”He will give me the Golden Horse provided I get for him the Golden Maiden who has never seen the sun. Dear Little Fox, will you help me this one time more? I know I am very stupid but I promise you faithfully that this time I will not forget.”
”Of course, brother,” the Little Fox said, ”I'll help you again. But this will have to be the last time. If you forget this time I won't be able to help you any more. Take hold of my tail and away we'll go.”
So for the fourth time Janko took hold of the Little Fox's tail and away they went. They went and they went--I can't tell you how far! But they weren't tired when they arrived, they weren't even breathless.
”Now, brother,” the Little Fox said, ”listen carefully to what I tell you. Here we are in another kingdom close to a great cavern where for sixteen years the Golden Maiden has been kept a prisoner under the enchantment of her wicked mother and never allowed to see the golden light of the sun. There are forty-eight chambers in the cavern and each chamber is guarded by a watch of twelve guards. Steal softly through each chamber when the eyes of all the guards are wide open and staring straight at you. In the last chamber of all you will find the Golden Maiden playing in her Golden Cradle. Over the Cradle stands a fearful ghost who will cry out to you to go away and threaten to kill you. But don't be afraid. It is only an empty ghost which the wicked mother has placed there to frighten men off from rescuing the Golden Maiden. Take the Golden Maiden by the hand, put the Golden Cradle on your shoulder, and hurry back to me. But one thing: As you leave each chamber be sure to lock the door after you so that the guards when they wake cannot follow you.”
Janko crept into the cavern and cautiously made his way from chamber to chamber through the wide-eyed guards. In the forty-eighth chamber he found the Golden Maiden playing in her Golden Cradle. He ran to take her when a horrible creature rose above the Cradle and in hollow tones cried: ”Back! Back! Back!” For a moment Janko was frightened, then he remembered that the awful creature was only an empty ghost. So he went boldly up to the Golden Cradle and sure enough the ghost faded away.
”You have come to rescue me, haven't you?” the Golden Maiden cried.
She gave Janko her hand and he helped her to her feet. Then he put the Golden Cradle on his shoulder and together they hurried out from chamber to chamber. And I am happy to tell you that this time Janko remembered the Little Fox's warning and locked the door of every chamber as they left it. So they reached the upper world safely and found the Little Fox waiting for them.
”There's no time to lose,” the Little Fox said. ”Put the Cradle across my back, Janko, and take hold of my tail with one hand and give your other hand to the Golden Maiden and away we'll go.”
Janko did as the Little Fox said and away they all three went.
When they reached the stable of the Golden Horse, the Little Fox said:
”It doesn't seem right to give the Golden Maiden to the king of the Golden Horse unless she wants us to, does it?”
The Golden Maiden at once begged them to keep her.
”Don't give me to the king of the Golden Horse!” she said. ”I want to stay with Janko who has rescued me!”
”But unless I give up the Golden Maiden,” Janko asked, ”how can I get the Golden Horse?”
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