Once upon a time there lived a man who had two sons but they did not get on at all well together , for the younger was much handsomer than his elder brother who was very jealous of him . When they grew older , things became worse and worse , and at last one day as they were walking through a wood the elder youth seized hold of the other , tied him to a tree , and went on his way hoping that the boy might starve to death . However , it happened that an old and humpbacked shepherd passed the tree with his flock , and seeing the prisoner , he stopped and said to him , ` Tell me , my son why are you tied to that tree ? ' ` Because I was so crooked , ' answered the young man ; ` but it has quite cured me , and now my back is as straight as can be . ' ' I wish you would bind me to a tree , ' exclaimed the shepherd , ` so that my back would get straight . ' ` With all the pleasure in life , ' replied the youth . ` If you will loosen these cords I will tie you up with them as firmly as I can . ' This was soon done , and then the young man drove off the sheep , leaving their real shepherd to repent of his folly ; and before he had gone very far he met with a horse boy and a driver of oxen , and he persuaded them to turn with him and to seek for adventures . By these and many other tricks he soon became so celebrated that his fame reached the king 's ears , and his majesty was filled with curiosity to see the man who had managed to outwit everybody . So he commanded his guards to capture the young man and bring him before him . And when the young man stood before the king , the king spoke to him and said , ` By your tricks and the pranks that you have played on other people , you have , in the eye of the law , forfeited your life . But on one condition I will spare you , and that is , if you will bring me the flying horse that belongs to the great dragon . Fail in this , and you shall be hewn in a thousand pieces . ' ` If that is all , ' said the youth , ` you shall soon have it . ' So he went out and made his way straight to the stable where the flying horse was tethered . He stretched his hand cautiously out to seize the bridle , when the horse suddenly began to neigh as loud as he could . Now the room in which the dragon slept was just above the stable , and at the sound of the neighing he woke and cried to the horse , ` What is the matter , my treasure ? is anything hurting you ? ' After waiting a little while the young man tried again to loose the horse , but a second time it neighed so loudly that the dragon woke up in a hurry and called out to know why the horse was making such a noise . But when the same thing happened the third time , the dragon lost his temper , and went down into the stable and took a whip and gave the horse a good beating .
This offended the horse and made him angry , and when the young man stretched out his hand XXXXX untie his head , he made no further fuss , but suffered himself to be led quietly away .
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