The ogre and ogress scrambled into the oven as quick as thought , and the fox banged the door on them ; just as he did so the king came up . ` Do us the honour to dismount , your Majesty , ' said the fox , bowing low . ` This is the palace of Count Piro ! ' ` Why it is more splendid than my own ! ' exclaimed the king , looking round on all the beautiful things that filled the hall . But why are there no servants ? ' ` His Excellency the Count Piro wished the princess to choose them for herself , ' answered the fox , and the king nodded his approval . He then rode on , leaving the bridal pair in the castle . But when it was dark and all was still , the fox crept downstairs and lit the kitchen fire , and the ogre and his wife were burned to death . The next morning the fox said to Count Piro : ` Now that you are rich and happy , you have no more need of me ; but , before I go , there is one thing I must ask of you in return : when I die , promise me that you will give me a magnificent coffin , and bury me with due honours . ' ` Oh , little , little fox , do n't talk of dying , ' cried the princess , nearly weeping , for she had taken a great liking to the fox . After some time the fox thought he would see if the Count Piro was really grateful to him for all he had done , and went back to the castle , where he lay down on the door-step , and pretended to be dead . The princess was just going out for a walk , and directly she saw him lying there , she burst into tears and fell on her knees beside him . ` My dear little fox , you are not dead , ' she wailed ; ` you poor , poor little creature , you shall have the finest coffin in the world ! ' ' A coffin for an animal ? ' said Count Piro . ` What nonsense ! just take him by the leg and throw him into the ditch . ' Then the fox sprang up and cried : ` You wretched , thankless beggar ; have you forgotten that you owe all your riches to me ? ' Count Piro was frightened when he heard these words , as he thought that perhaps the fox might have power to take away the castle , and leave him as poor as when he had nothing to eat but the pears off his tree .
So he tried to soften the fox 's anger , saying that he had only spoken in joke , XXXXX he had known quite well that he was not really dead .
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