He sits down to play, and loses all his money. He sells his horse for a large sum, which he loses in the same way. He sells his clothes, and loses likewise. Lastly, he borrows a hundred florins from the twelve damsels, and loses them also.
‘What shall I do now, pauper that I am?’
These damsels have him arrested and put into prison.
Then the king says, ‘See, it is full six months since my two sons set out, and neither of them has returned.’
Then the fool, the youngest brother, wishes to go in quest of this bird. He requests his father to let him go and seek the golden bird.
‘Well, go, my boy. Fool though you are, perhaps you [[185]]will bring this bird to me sooner than your two wise brothers, who set out and return not.’
So he made his preparations. He set out without money, without anything save two bottles of wine, but he set out with the help of God. After a very long journey he came to a small wood. In this wood he saw a lame hare, which fled away from him. He would have killed this hare, but it besought him, ‘Have the fear of God; do not kill me. For I know where you are going, and I will tell it to you.’
‘That is well,’ replied this foolish prince; and he dismounted from his horse. He drew a fine loaf out of his pocket, and gave it to the hare to eat. For himself, he drank some of his wine, and said to this hare, ‘If I gave you wine too, you would certainly not drink any of it?’
‘Why should I not drink any of it, my lord?’ replied the hare; ‘you have only to give me some.’
Well, he gave him some. The hare drank of it, and thanked him courteously. Then the foolish prince asked him, ‘What was that you said to me just now?’