As soon as she caught sight of the youth , who was running after the foals till the perspiration streamed down his face , she cried : ` Come hither , come hither , my handsome son , and let me comb your hair for you . ' The lad was willing enough , so he sat down in the cleft of the rock beside the old hag , and laid his head on her knees , and she combed his hair all day while he lay there and gave himself up to idleness . When evening was drawing near , the youth wanted to go . ' I may just as well go straight home again , ' said he , ` for it is no use to go to the King 's palace . ' ` Wait till it is dusk , ' said the old hag , ` and then the King 's foals will pass by this place again , and you can run home with them ; no one will ever know that you have been lying here all day instead of watching the foals . ' So when they came she gave the lad a bottle of water and a bit of moss , and told him to show these to the King and say that this was what his seven foals ate and drank . ` Hast thou watched faithfully and well the whole day long ? ' said the King , when the lad came into his presence in the evening . ` Yes , that I have ! ' said the youth . ` Then you are able to tell me what it is that my seven foals eat and drink , ' said the King . So the youth produced the bottle of water and the bit of moss which he had got from the old woman , saying : ` Here you see their meat , and here you see their drink . ' Then the King knew how his watching had been done , and fell into such a rage that he ordered his people to chase the youth back to his own home at once ; but first they were to cut three red stripes in his back , and rub salt into them . When the youth reached home again , anyone can imagine what a state of mind he was in . He had gone out once to seek a place , he said , but never would he do such a thing again . Next day the second son said that he would now go out into the world to seek his fortune . His father and mother said ` No , ' and bade him look at his brother 's back , but the youth would not give up his design , and stuck to it , and after a long , long time he got leave to go , and set forth on his way . When he had walked all day he too came to the King 's palace , and the King was standing outside on the steps , and asked where he was going ; and when the youth replied that he was going about in search of a place , the King said that he might enter into his service and watch his seven foals . Then the King promised him the same punishment and the same reward that he had promised his brother . The youth at once consented to this and entered into the King 's service , for he thought he could easily watch the foals and inform the King what they ate and drank .
In the grey light of dawn the Master of the Horse let out the seven foals , and off they went again over hill and dale , and off went the lad XXXXX them .
So after by for from into of that till while