` Oh , nothing is likely to happen to me , ' returned the boy . ` Well , go then , ' said the fox , ` but be careful not to make any mistake . Steal only the hen which has the feather missing from her tail , and leave the others alone . ' The man listened , but did not interfere , and the boy entered the court of the palace . He soon spied the three hens strutting proudly about , though they were really anxiously wondering if there were not some grains lying on the ground that they might be glad to eat . And as the last one passed by him , he saw she had one feather missing from her tail . At this sight the youth darted forward and seized the hen by the neck so that she could not struggle . Then , tucking her comfortably under his arm , he made straight for the gate . Unluckily , just as he was about to go through it he looked back and caught a glimpse of wonderful splendours from an open door of the palace . ` After all , there is no hurry , ' he said to himself ; ' I may as well see something now I AM here , ' and turned back , forgetting all about the hen , which escaped from under his arm , and ran to join her sisters . He was so much fascinated by the sight of all the beautiful things which peeped through the door that he scarcely noticed that he had lost the prize he had won ; and he did not remember there was such a thing as a hen in the world when he beheld the Sister of the Sun sleeping on a bed before him . For some time he stood staring ; then he came to himself with a start , and feeling that he had no business there , softly stole away , and was fortunate enough to recapture the hen , which he took with him to the gate . On the threshold he stopped again . ` Why should I not look at the Sister of the Sun ? ' he thought to himself ; ` she is asleep , and will never know . ' And he turned back for the second time and entered the chamber , while the hen wriggled herself free as before . When he had gazed his fill he went out into the courtyard and picked up his hen who was seeking for corn . As he drew near the gate he paused . ` Why did I not give her a kiss ? ' he said to himself ; ' I shall never kiss any woman so beautiful . '
And he wrung his hands with regret , so XXXXX the hen fell to the ground and ran away .
After On as by in into of that though under