The prince was quite ready , and promised to keep better command of himself this time , and not kiss her . He got the grains of gold and entered the castle , where he carried off the princess , set her on the beautiful horse , and held on his way . When they came near to the castle where the bird Grip sat in his cage he again asked the fox for three grains of gold . These he got , and with them he was successful in carrying off the bird . He was now full of joy , for his blind father would now recover his sight , while he himself owned the world 's most beautiful princess and the horse with the golden shoes . The prince and princess travelled on together with mirth and happiness , and the fox followed them until they came to the forest where the prince first met with him . ` Here our ways part , ' said the fox . ` You have now got all that your heart desired , and you will have a prosperous journey to your father 's palace if only you do not ransom anyone 's life with money . ' The prince thanked the fox for all his help , promised to give heed to his warning , said farewell to him , and rode on , with the princess by his side and the bird Grip on his wrist . They soon arrived at the inn where the two eldest brothers had stayed , forgetting their errand . But now no merry song or noise of mirth was heard from it . When the prince came nearer he saw two gallows erected , and when he entered the inn along with the princess he saw that all the rooms were hung with black , and that everything inside foreboded sorrow and death . He asked the reason of this , and was told that two princes were to be hanged that day for debt ; they had spent all their money in feasting and playing , and were now deeply in debt to the host , and as no one could be found to ransom their lives they were about to be hanged according to the law . The prince knew that it was his two brothers who had thus forfeited their lives and it cut him to the heart to think that two princes should suffer such a shameful death ; and , as he had sufficient money with him , he paid their debts , and so ransomed their lives . At first the brothers were grateful for their liberty , but when they saw the youngest brother 's treasures they became jealous of his good fortune , and planned how to bring him to destruction , and then take the bird Grip , the princess , and the horse with the golden shoes , and convey them to their blind father . After they had agreed on how to carry out their treachery they enticed the prince to a den of lions and threw him down among them . Then they set the princess on horseback , took the bird Grip , and rode homeward . The princess wept bitterly , but they told her that it would cost her her life if she did not say that the two brothers had won all the treasures . When they arrived at their father 's palace there was great rejoicing , and everyone praised the two princes for their courage and bravery . When the king inquired after the youngest brother they answered that he had led such a life in the inn that he had been hanged for debt .
The king sorrowed bitterly over this , because the youngest prince was his dearest son , and the joy over the treasures soon died away , for the bird Grip would not sing so that the king might recover his sight , the princess wept night and day , and no one dared to venture so close XXXXX the horse as to have a look at his golden shoes .
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