"Why didn't you do as I told you and hide among the foxes?"
"I did," whinnied the mare, "but the foxes are his friends, too, and he found me!"
"To-night," the Old Woman ordered, "hide among the ravens and this time don't let him find you!"
The third night the Prince tried hard to stay awake but sleep again overcame him and when he woke he found himself for the third time sitting astride a rail and holding the empty bridle in his hand. But he remembered the Old Woman's words and at once opened the third corner of his handkerchief and taking out the raven's feather rubbed it gently.
There was a flutter of wings and a raven's hoarse voice said:
"Caw! Caw! What is it, brother? Can I help you?"
"Can you tell me what has become of the Old Woman's mare and foal?"
"Aye, brother, that I can! She and the foal are turned into ravens and are perched in yonder tall fir tree hiding among my folk. Strike the trunk of the tree three times with your bridle and say: 'Mare of the Old Woman, come down!' That will bring her!"
The Prince went over to the fir tree, struck it three times with the bridle and said:
"Mare of the Old Woman, come down!"