“You do not deserve my help,” said the fox. “Why did you disobey me and put the golden saddle upon the horse? But mount upon my tail. I suppose I must do the best I can to pull you out of this scrape also.”
The Prince set himself upon the fox’s tail, and away they went again so fast that the wind whistled through his hair.
On and on they went, and after a time they came to another castle, and this castle was all of shining gold. “Now listen,” said the fox. “In this castle lives the beautiful Princess we are in search of. Do you go and hide yourself by the bathhouse down by the lake. Every night, when all in the castle are asleep, the Princess comes down to the lake to bathe. When she comes near the bathhouse you must seize her and kiss her. Then she will willingly follow you wherever you lead. But whatever you do do not allow her to go back to bid farewell to her parents. If you do you may answer for it with your life.”
The Prince promised to do as the fox told him, and then he went away and hid himself behind the bathhouse.
That night, as soon as all in the castle were asleep, the Princess came down to the lake to bathe as usual. As soon as she came near the bathhouse the Prince sprang out from behind it and caught her in his arms and kissed her. Then the Princess loved him, and was quite willing to leave her home and her father and mother and follow him.
“But before I follow you, let me go and say good-by to my parents,” she said, “for they love me dearly, and their hearts will surely break if I leave them without one word.”
It seemed to the Prince that it would be cruel to refuse what she asked. Beside, what harm could it do for her to see her parents once more?
“Very well,” said he. “Go, but return quickly, for we must be off before the day breaks.”
The Princess hurried away to the room where the King, her father, lay asleep, and she stooped and kissed him on the forehead. At once the King awoke and asked her where she was going.
When he heard she was going out into the world to follow an unknown youth, he sent out and had the Prince brought into the palace. There the King said to him, “You have come here to steal the Princess from me, and for this you deserve to die. But I will give you one chance for your life. Outside my windows is a mountain so high and dark that not a ray of sunlight ever comes into the castle. If in three days you can level down this mountain, then I will grant you your life, and give you my daughter for a bride.”