yet alive. There the young man was safe and sound among the wild beasts,
which had done him no injury. Then the king was in a happy mood, and
rejoiced that everything had chanced so well. The brother and sister
told him all that the step-mother had done.

When it was daylight the king ordered a great feast to be got ready, and
asked the foremost people in the country to the palace. As they all sat
at table and were very merry, the king told a story of a brother and
sister who had been treacherously dealt with by a step-mother, and he
related all that had happened from beginning to end. When the tale was
ended the king's folk looked at one another, and all agreed that the
conduct of the step-mother in the tale was a piece of unexampled
wickedness.

The king turned to his mother-in-law, and said--

"Some one should reward my tale. I should like to know what punishment
the taking of such an innocent life deserves."

The false hag did not know that her own treachery was aimed at, so she
said boldly--

"For my part, I certainly think she should be put into boiling lead."

The king then turned himself to Foxtail, and said--

"I should like to have your opinion; what punishment is merited by one
who takes so innocent a life?"

The wicked woman answered at once--