While I am away I trust the care of my prisoner to you . See that he has plenty to eat and drink , but be careful that he does not escape , or even walk about the room . If I return and find him gone , you will pay for it by a terrible death . ' The young prince was thankful that his stepfather was going to the war , and secretly hoped he might never come back . Directly he had ridden off the boy went to the room where the cage was kept , and never left it night and day . He even played his games beside it . One day he was shooting at a mark with a silver bow ; one of his arrows fell into the golden cage . ` Please give me my arrow , ' said the prince , running up to him ; but the gold-bearded man answered : ` No , I shall not give it to you unless you let me out of my cage . ' ' I may not let you out , ' replied the boy , ` for if I do my stepfather says that I shall have to die a horrible death when he returns from the war . My arrow can be of no use to you , so give it to me . ' The man handed the arrow through the bars , but when he had done so he begged harder than ever that the prince would open the door and set him free . Indeed , he prayed so earnestly that the prince 's heart was touched , for he was a tender-hearted boy who pitied the sorrows of other people . So he shot back the bolt , and the gold-bearded man stepped out into the world . ' I will repay you a thousand fold for that good deed . ' said the man , and then he vanished . The prince began to think what he should say to the king when he came back ; then he wondered whether it would be wise to wait for his stepfather 's return and run the risk of the dreadful death which had been promised him . ` No , ' he said to himself , ' I am afraid to stay . Perhaps the world will be kinder to me than he has been . ' Unseen he stole out when twilight fell , and for many days he wandered over mountains and through forests and valleys without knowing where he was going or what he should do . He had only the berries for food , when , one morning , he saw a wood-pigeon sitting on a bough .
In an instant he had fitted an arrow to his bow , and was taking aim at the bird , thinking what a good meal he would make off him , when his weapon fell to the ground at the sound XXXXX the pigeon 's voice : ` Do not shoot , I implore you , noble prince !
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