and now the unhappy king’s son stood there, and was blind and knew not how to help himself. then the giant came back to him, took him by the hand as if he were someone who wanted to guide him, and led him to the top of a high rock. there he left him standing, and thought, "just two steps more, and he will fall down and kill himself, and i can take the ring from him." but the faithful lion had not deserted its master; it held him fast by the clothes, and drew him gradually back again. when the giant came and wanted to rob the dead man, he saw that his cunning had been in vain. "is there no way, then, of destroying a weak child of man like that?" said he angrily to himself, and seized the king’s son and led him back again to the precipice by another way, but the lion which saw his evil design, helped its master out of danger here also.