Part 11 (1/2)
”Perhaps I can help you,” the Little Fox said. ”Perhaps I can enchant myself into looking like the Golden Maiden.”
With that the Little Fox leaped up in the air, turned this way and that, and lo! you might have thought her the Golden Maiden except that her eyes were still fox's eyes.
”Now leave the Maiden outside here hidden in her Golden Cradle and take me in to the master of the stable. Exchange me for the Golden Horse and make off at once. Then pick up the Golden Maiden in her Golden Cradle and ride away and soon I'll join you.”
Janko did this very thing. He took in the fox maiden and exchanged her for the Golden Horse and instantly rode off as the Little Fox had told him.
The king of the stable at once called all his courtiers together and showed them the fox maiden.
”See,” he said, ”this is the Golden Maiden who has never seen the sun!
She is the most beautiful maiden in the world and she now belongs to me!”
The courtiers looked at her and admired her, but one of them a little keener than the others said:
”Yes, she's very beautiful and all that but look at her eyes. They don't look like maiden's eyes but like fox's eyes!”
Instantly at the word _fox_ the false maiden turned to a fox and went scampering off.
”See what you've done!” cried the king in a fury. ”You have changed my Golden Maiden into a fox with your nonsense! You shall pay for this with your life!” And he had him executed at once.
The Little Fox meantime had caught up with Janko and the Golden Maiden and the Golden Horse. As they neared the garden of the king of the Golden Apple-Tree the Fox said:
”It would be a pity to give away the Golden Horse. Rightly it belongs to the Golden Maiden and was taken from her by her wicked mother.”
”Don't give my Golden Horse away!” the Golden Maiden begged.
”But how else can I get the Golden Apple-Tree?” Janko asked.
”Perhaps I can help you,” the Little Fox said. ”Perhaps I can enchant myself into looking like the Golden Horse.”
With that the Little Fox leaped up in the air, turned this way and that, and lo! you might have thought her the Golden Horse except that her tail was still a fox's tail.
When they reached the garden of the Golden Apple-Tree, Janko left the Golden Horse and the Golden Maiden outside and took the fox horse in to the king.
The king was delighted and at once had his servants deliver to Janko the Golden Apple-Tree.
When Janko was safely gone, the king called all his courtiers together and showed them the fox horse.
”See my Golden Horse!” he said. ”Isn't it the most beautiful horse in the world!”
”It is! It is!” they all told him.
But one courtier, a little keener than the rest, remarked:
”What a curious tail for a horse to have! It is like a fox's tail!”
At the word _fox_ the false horse changed back into a fox and went scampering off.
”See what you've done with your nonsense!” cried the king. ”You have lost me my Golden Horse and now you shall lose your own life!” And he ordered the courtier to be executed at once.