‘Oh!’ replied the hare, ‘that is my affair, and I shall answer for it.’
They remained, then, in that place, and the hare set out alone. He went to where that king lived, and he stole from him that same wretched horse that was beside the door. He mounted it and came back to the fool. The latter sees such a beautiful silver horse. He is enchanted that the hare had succeeded in stealing it. He mounts the princess on this horse, and they continued their journey with the help of God. They reach the home of the third king, who had the golden bird. The hare stole from him the miserable bird in the wretched cage. (Neither the birds nor the horses uttered a single cry.) The hare returned to the fool. He is perfectly delighted on seeing a golden bird in a golden cage. They go on their way. They set out with the help of God, and they come to that forest where they had left their horse. The prince mounted it.
Before his departure the hare said to him, ‘I forbid you to ransom your two brothers from death.’ The prince swore that he would not. He and the princess returned thanks to the good hare who had brought them away. They set out and arrived at his father’s house. He presents the golden bird to his father, who thereupon recovered his sight. His father is charmed at his son bringing him his wife with the golden locks and a silver steed. He marries her, and lives with her five years.
Once it occurred to this fool that he ought to go in search of his two brothers.
‘Do not go, my son,’ said his father, ‘let God punish them.’
‘Permit me to do so, father; I will go and seek them.’ [[188]]
His father objected, but he besought him incessantly, till at last he allowed him to go. He came to a very large town. What does he see there? His two brothers. They were just being led to death. He came to the place, this fool, and he would have ransomed them from death, but the nobles would not have it. He offered an enormous sum, but they would not accept it.
‘If you will not, I can but go home.’
He came home, and he said to his father, ‘Alas! father, my brothers are now dead.’