And he went downstairs and unlocked the doors , one after the other . When he got to the twelfth he paused , but his curiosity was too much for him , and in another instant the key was turned and the cellar lay open before him . It was empty , save for a large cask , bound with iron hoops , and out of the cask a voice was saying entreatingly , ` For goodness ' sake , brother , fetch me some water ; I am dying of thirst ! ' The prince , who was very tender-hearted , brought some water at once , and pushed it through a hole in the barrel ; and as he did so one of the iron hoops burst . He was turning away , when a voice cried the second time , ` Brother , for pity 's sake fetch me some water ; I 'm dying of thirst ! ' So the prince went back , and brought some more water , and again a hoop sprang . And for the third time the voice still called for water ; and when water was given it the last hoop was rent , the cask fell in pieces , and out flew a dragon , who snatched up the empress just as she was returning from her walk , and carried her off . Some servants who saw what had happened came rushing to the prince , and the poor young man went nearly mad when he heard the result of his own folly , and could only cry out that he would follow the dragon to the ends of the earth , until he got his wife again . For months and months he wandered about , first in this direction and then in that , without finding any traces of the dragon or his captive . At last he came to a stream , and as he stopped for a moment to look at it he noticed a little fish lying on the bank , beating its tail convulsively , in a vain effort to get back into the water . ` Oh , for pity 's sake , my brother , ' shrieked the little creature , ` help me , and put me back into the river , and I will repay you some day . Take one of my scales , and when you are in danger twist it in your fingers , and I will come ! ' The prince picked up the fish and threw it into the water ; then he took off one of its scales , as he had been told , and put it in his pocket , carefully wrapped in a cloth . Then he went on his way till , some miles further down the road , he found a fox caught in a trap . ` Oh ! be a brother to me ! ' called the fox , ` and free me from this trap , and I will help you when you are in need . Pull out one of my hairs , and when you are in danger twist it in your fingers , and I will come . ' So the prince unfastened the trap , pulled out one of the fox 's hairs , and continued his journey . And as he was going over the mountain he passed a wolf entangled in a snare , who begged to be set at liberty .
` Only deliver me XXXXX death , ' he said , ` and you will never be sorry for it .
So before from in over that through till to with