"then watch yourself the next night, and you will see it with your own eyes; and hark you, lord king, if you were to take his skin away and throw it in the fire, he would be forced to show himself in his true shape." "thy advice is good," said the king, and at night when they were asleep, he stole in, and when he got to the bed he saw by the light of the moon a noble-looking youth lying there, and the skin lay stretched on the ground. so he took it away, and had a great fire lighted outside, and threw the skin into it, and remained by it himself until it was all burnt to ashes. as, however, he was anxious to know how the robbed man would behave himself, he stayed awake the whole night and watched. when the youth had slept his sleep out, he got up by the first light of morning, and wanted to put on the ass’s skin, but it was not to be found. on this he was alarmed, and, full of grief and anxiety, said, "now i shall have to contrive to escape." but when he went out, there stood the king, who said, "my son, whither away in such haste? what hast thou in mind? stay here, thou art such a handsome man, thou shalt not go away from me. i will now give thee half my kingdom, and after my death thou shalt have the whole of it." "then i hope that what begins so well may end well, and i will stay with you," said the youth. and the old man gave him half the kingdom, and in a year’s time, when he died, the youth had the whole, and after the death of his father he had another kingdom as well, and lived in all magnificence.