When she had said this she lifted the cover off one of the dishes , and the prince saw that there lay on it a knife and an axe . He understood then that the host meant to ask him by this what kind of death he preferred to die , unless he was willing to ransom his life with his money . He then summoned the host , gave him a large sum for his own life , and paid the dead man 's debt as well , besides paying him for burying the body , which the murderer now promised to attend to . The prince , however , felt that his life was not safe in this murderer 's den , and asked the maid to help him to escape that night . She replied that the attempt to do so might cost her her own life , as the key of the stable in which the prince 's horse stood lay under the host 's pillow ; but , as she herself was a prisoner there , she would help him to escape if he would take her along with him . He promised to do so , and they succeeded in getting away from the inn , and rode on until they came to another far away from it , where the prince got a good place for the girl before proceeding on his journey . As he now rode all alone through a forest there met him a fox , who greeted him in a friendly fashion , and asked him where he was going , and on what errand he was bent . The prince answered that his errand was too important to be confided to everyone that he met . ` You are right in that , ' said the fox , ` for it relates to the bird Grip , which you want to take and bring home to your blind father ; I could help you in this , but in that case you must follow my counsel . ' The prince thought that this was a good offer , especially as the fox was ready to go with him and show him the way to the castle , where the bird Grip sat in his cage , and so he promised to obey the fox 's instructions . When they had traversed the forest together they saw the castle at some distance . Then the fox gave the prince three grains of gold , one of which he was to throw into the guard-room , another into the room where the bird Grip sat , and the third into its cage . He could then take the bird , but he must beware of stroking it ; otherwise it would go ill with him . The prince took the grains of gold , and promised to follow the fox 's directions faithfully . When he came to the guard-room of the castle he threw one of the grains in there , and the guards at once fell asleep . The same thing happened with those who kept watch in the room beside the bird Grip , and when he threw the third grain into its cage the bird also fell asleep . When the prince got the beautiful bird into his hand he could not resist the temptation to stroke it , whereupon it awoke and began to scream . At this the whole castle woke up , and the prince was taken prisoner . As he now sat in his prison , and bitterly lamented that his own disobedience had brought himself into trouble , and deprived his father of the chance of recovering his sight , the fox suddenly stood in front of him . The prince was very pleased to see it again , and received with great meekness all its reproaches , as well as promised to be more obedient in the future , if the fox would only help him out of his fix .
The fox said XXXXX he had come to assist him , but he could do no more than advise the prince , when he was brought up for trial , to answer ` yes ' to all the judge 's questions , and everything would go well .
As At beside besides for of that through to under