I desire nothing , ' answered the Prince . ' I am quite content to have been able to be of some service to you . ' ` You must do me the favour , ' replied the fish , ` to take a scale from my body , and keep it carefully . If you should ever need my help , throw it into the river , and I will come to your aid at once . ' Iwanich bowed , loosened a scale from the body of the grateful beast , put it carefully away , and returned home . A short time after this , when he was going early one morning to the usual grazing place with his horses , he noticed a flock of birds assembled together making a great noise and flying wildly backwards and forwards . Full of curiosity , Iwanich hurried up to the spot , and saw that a large number of ravens had attacked an eagle , and although the eagle was big and powerful and was making a brave fight , it was overpowered at last by numbers , and had to give in . But the Prince , who was sorry for the poor bird , seized the branch of a tree and hit out at the ravens with it ; terrified at this unexpected onslaught they flew away , leaving many of their number dead or wounded on the battlefield . As soon as the eagle saw itself free from its tormentors it plucked a feather from its wing , and , handing it to the Prince , said : ` Here , my kind benefactor , take this feather as a proof of my gratitude ; should you ever be in need of my help blow this feather into the air , and I will help you as much as is in my power . ' Iwanich thanked the bird , and placing the feather beside the scale he drove the horses home . Another day he had wandered farther than usual , and came close to a farmyard ; the place pleased the Prince , and as there was plenty of good grass for the horses he determined to spend the day there . Just as he was sitting down under a tree he heard a cry close to him , and saw a fox which had been caught in a trap placed there by the farmer . In vain did the poor beast try to free itself ; then the good-natured Prince came once more to the rescue , and let the fox out of the trap . The fox thanked him heartily , tore two hairs out of his bushy tail , and said : ` Should you ever stand in need of my help throw these two hairs into the fire , and in a moment I shall be at your side ready to obey you . ' Iwanich put the fox 's hairs with the scale and the feather , and as it was getting dark he hastened home with his horses . In the meantime his service was drawing near to an end , and in three more days the year was up , and he would be able to get his reward and leave the witch . On the first evening of these last three days , when he came home and was eating his supper , he noticed the old woman stealing into the stables . The Prince followed her secretly to see what she was going to do . He crouched down in the doorway and heard the wicked witch telling the horses to wait next morning till Iwanich was asleep , and then to go and hide themselves in the river , and to stay there till she told them to return ; and if they did n't do as she told them the old woman threatened to beat them till they bled . When Iwanich heard all this he went back to his room , determined that nothing should induce him to fall asleep next day .
On the following morning he led the mare and foal to the fields as usual , but bound a cord round them both which he kept XXXXX his hand .
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