Andrew Lan's Twelve-Color Fairy Tale Series: Pink Fairy Tale Books

Chapter 24
Upon hearing this, the king promised to forgive the prince's fault, but the condition was to go to a neighboring country and steal the horse with four golden shoes.To this, the prince still answered "yes".

No sooner had the prince left the castle than he met the fox, and together they came to the neighboring country again.For the third time the fox gave the prince three grains of golden wheat, and told him to throw one into the guardhouse, one into the stable, and the third into the manger.But the fox told him that there was a beautiful golden saddle hanging over the manger, and that he must not touch it, or he would get into new troubles, worse than those he had escaped the first two times.At that time, the fox could no longer help him.

The prince promised to be particularly firm this time and resist the temptation.He threw the golden wheat into its place and untied the horse.Then he saw the golden saddle, and thought to himself that only such a beautiful golden saddle is worthy of such a handsome horse.But when he reached out to take it, something invisible hit his arm hard, making his arm numb.It reminded him of his promise and the dangers of doing so, and he led the horse out without a second look at the golden saddle.

The fox was waiting for him outside the castle, and the prince admitted that he had almost resisted the temptation this time. "I know," said the fox, "I hit you on the arm just now."

They went on together, and the prince said he could not forget the beautiful princess, and asked the fox if he could take her with him, and ride the horse with the golden shoes back to his father's palace.The fox thought it was a good idea, and if the prince wanted to take the princess now, he would give him three more grains of golden wheat to help him realize his wish.The prince was ready for everything and vowed to control himself better this time and never kiss the princess again.

He took the golden wheat, entered the castle, successfully brought out the princess, put her on a beautiful horse, and went on.After arriving at the castle of the bird Gloria, the prince asked the fox for three more grains of golden wheat, and with these golden wheat, he successfully led the bird out of the castle.

The prince was very happy now, for his father would soon see again, and he had the most beautiful princess in the world, and a handsome horse with golden shoes.

The journey of the prince and princess was full of joy, and they felt extremely happy.The Fox followed them as far as the forest where he and the Prince had met.

"It's time for us to part here," said the fox. "Now you've got everything you want, and if you don't exchange money for anyone's life, you'll be happy all the way until you get back to your father's palace." .”

The prince thanked the fox for his help, and promised to heed his warning.After saying good-bye to the fox, the prince rode on again, accompanied by the beautiful princess and the bird song on his wrist.

They soon came to the inn where the two brothers were playing.But now there is no singing in the inn, nor any laughter. When I got closer, I saw two gallows standing there.The prince and princess entered the inn, and saw that all the rooms were hung with black curtains, and everything was enveloped in the breath of sorrow and death.He asked what was the matter, and he was told that two princes were to be hanged for their debts.The two princes ate, drank and played every day, spent all their money, and owed a large sum of money to their boss, and now there is no one to pay for their lives. According to the law, they will be hanged.

The prince knew that it was his two older brothers who were playing with their lives now, and thinking that they had to die so dishonorably as princes, his heart broke with sadness.He had enough money with him, so he paid off his brother's debt and redeemed their lives.

At first, the two older brothers thank the younger brother for his freedom, but when they see what the younger brother has, they start to envy his good fortune.They plotted how to put his brother to death, so that they could take his bird, and take the princess with him, and ride to his father on the horse with the golden shoe.After discussing how to carry out the conspiracy, they tricked the little prince into a cave with many lions and threw him into it.Then they put the princess on horseback, and with the bird, they drove home.The princess wept bitterly, but they warned her that they would kill her if she did not tell everyone that they had won all this.

When they returned to their father's palace, there was great rejoicing, and all the people praised the two princes for their bravery.

When the King asked about their little brother, they said he had lived a life of pleasure in the inn, was in debt, and had been hanged.The king grieved greatly, for the youngest son was the one he loved most.Soon the joy and joy were all gone, for the songbird did not sing at all, and the princess wept day and night, and no one ventured near the horse to see its golden shoe.

Besides, after the little prince was thrown into the pride of lions, the fox was found sitting there, and the lions not only did not tear him to pieces, but were very friendly to him.Nor was the fox offended that he had forgotten his warning.He just said that even the old father can forget about the son, and the prince who easily shamed the royal family will of course betray their younger brother without hesitation.Then he led the prince out of the pride, and told him what he must do now, to get back what was his.

The prince was very grateful to the fox for his sincere friendship, but the fox said that if he had been helpful to him, he would ask him for a favor now.The prince said that as long as it can be done, he is willing to help.

"There is only one thing I beg of you," said the Fox, "and that is, that you cut off my head with your sword."

The prince was stunned. He said that he could not cut off the head of his best friend with his own hands.Although the fox repeatedly insisted that this was the best thing he could do for himself, the prince insisted on not cutting it.The fox was very sad. He said that the prince's refusal of his request was forcing him to do the last thing he wanted to do - if the prince insisted not to cut off his head, then he had no choice but to kill the prince.At last the prince had to draw his sword and cut off the fox's head, when suddenly a young man stood before him.

"Thank you," he said, "thank you for doing this. You helped me get rid of the curse that even death can't escape. I am the dead man lying unburied in the murderous black shop. You redeemed me with money and returned it to me." I am buried with dignity, so I will help you."

Then they said good-bye to each other, and the prince, disguised as a farrier, went to his father's palace and offered to shoe them.

The king's ministers told him that a farrier was really needed in the palace, but he must be able to lift a horse's hoof with a golden shoe on it, and so far they have not found anyone who can do this.The prince asked to see the horse, which barked friendlyly as soon as he entered the stable.The horse was as docile as a lamb when the prince raised its hooves one by one and showed its famous golden shoes to the ministers.

At this time, the ministers talked about the bird song again. They said that no matter how well the bird was taken care of, it just didn't sing, and the bird was too strange.The Prince in the form of the Farrier said that he knew the bird very well, having seen it in another kingdom's palace, and that the reason the bird did not sing now must be because something it wanted had not been satisfied.He knows the bird so well that he can tell right away what the bird needs as long as he takes a look.

The ministers deliberated whether or not the stranger should be taken to the bird Gloria, for he, and the weeping princess, were with the king.At last they decided to take the risk, and they took the Prince disguised as a Farrier to the King, and as soon as the Prince called the bird's name, the bird began to sing, and the Princess laughed too.The king, who had been in darkness before him, suddenly saw light, and the more the birds sang, the more clearly his eyes saw, and finally he recognized that the farrier was his youngest son!Then the princess told the king how her two older sons had plotted against the little prince, so the king drove them both out of the palace.The little prince married the beautiful princess and got the golden horseshoe and half the kingdom from his father.The king and the bird song Lipu live together, they get along day and night, and the bird sings beautiful songs for the king wholeheartedly every day.

(End of this chapter)