and uproar; and when he asked what was the matter, the people said,
'Two men are going to be hanged.' As he came nearer, he saw that the
two men were his brothers, who had turned robbers; so he said, 'Cannot
they in any way be saved?' But the people said 'No,' unless he would
bestow all his money upon the rascals and buy their liberty. Then he
did not stay to think about the matter, but paid what was asked, and
his brothers were given up, and went on with him towards their home.

And as they came to the wood where the fox first met them, it was so
cool and pleasant that the two brothers said, 'Let us sit down by the
side of the river, and rest a while, to eat and drink.' So he said,
'Yes,' and forgot the fox's counsel, and sat down on the side of the
river; and while he suspected nothing, they came behind, and threw him
down the bank, and took the princess, the horse, and the bird, and
went home to the king their master, and said. 'All this have we won by
our labour.' Then there was great rejoicing made; but the horse would
not eat, the bird would not sing, and the princess wept.

The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river's bed: luckily it was
nearly dry, but his bones were almost broken, and the bank was so
steep that he could find no way to get out. Then the old fox came once
more, and scolded him for not following his advice; otherwise no evil
would have befallen him: 'Yet,' said he, 'I cannot leave you here, so
lay hold of my tail and hold fast.' Then he pulled him out of the
river, and said to him, as he got upon the bank, 'Your brothers have
set watch to kill you, if they find you in the kingdom.' So he dressed
himself as a poor man, and came secretly to the king's court, and was
scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat, and the bird to
sing, and princess left off weeping. Then he went to the king, and
told him all his brothers' roguery; and they were seized and punished,