Soon after the king rode up . ` What fine pigs ! ' he said , reining in his horse . ` They are fatter than any I have got on my farms . Whose are they ? ' ` Count Piro 's , ' answered the swineherd , who did not know the king ; and again the king felt he was lucky to have such a rich son-in-law . This time the fox ran faster than before , and in a flowery meadow he found a troop of horses feeding . ` Whose horses are these ? ' he asked of the man who was watching them . ` An ogre 's , ' replied he . ` Hush ! ' whispered the fox , ` do you see that crowd of armed men coming towards us ? If you tell them the horses belong to an ogre they will drive them off , and then the ogre will kill you ! If they ask , just say they are Count Piro 's ; it will be better for everybody . ' And he ran on again . In a few minutes the king rode up . ` Oh , what lovely creatures ! how I wish they were mine ! ' he exclaimed . ` Whose are they ? '
Count XXXXX 's , ' answered the man , who did not know the king ; and the king 's heart leapt as he thought that if they belonged to his rich son-in-law they were as good as his .
Piro crowd everybody fox king men minutes ogre son-in-law swineherd