She took the corner of her apron and wiped the tears from her kind eyes. “I will not sell my kid,” she said. “It is all I have. I love the gentle creature and rather than have it go far away I will let this dame keep it.”
“I see that the kid is yours and you shall have it,” said the Prince. “Take it and go thy way.”
“As for you, wicked old woman, tell me the truth at once.”
Whereupon the greedy old woman began to mumble excuses, but the Prince was very angry and said:
“You have a pig and a cow and yet are so grasping that you would take the kid of your neighbor; now if you are not more honest I will put thee in my great prison.”
The Prince continued his way and deep in the woods he met a boy gathering fagots. He was working very hard and would not stop a second.
“Why do you work so fast?” said the Prince.
“Because my master is waiting,” answered the boy, “and if I am not back at a certain time he will be angry and beat me.”
The Prince helped the boy gather the fagots and when the basket was filled he carried it through the woods. As they approached the cruel master’s house the Prince said to the boy:
“Go thou and hide behind that woodpile and I will see thy master.”