The owner of it was none other than the kind-hearted gaunt grey beggar who had given the Prince the bag of bread-crumbs and the hare . Without recognising Iwanich , he opened the door when he knocked and gave him shelter for the night . On the following morning the Prince asked his host if he could get him any work to do , as he was quite unknown in the neighbourhood , and had not enough money to take him home . ` My son , ' replied the old man , ` all this country round here is uninhabited ; I myself have to wander to distant villages for my living , and even then I do not very often find enough to satisfy my hunger . But if you would like to take service with the old witch Corva , go straight up the little stream which flows below my hut for about three hours , and you will come to a sand-hill on the left-hand side ; that is where she lives . ' Iwanich thanked the gaunt grey beggar for his information , and went on his way . After walking for about three hours the Prince came upon a dreary-looking grey stone wall ; this was the back of the building and did not attract him ; but when he came upon the front of the house he found it even less inviting , for the old witch had surrounded her dwelling with a fence of spikes , on every one of which a man 's skull was stuck . In this horrible enclosure stood a small black house , which had only two grated windows , all covered with cobwebs , and a battered iron door . The Prince knocked , and a rasping woman 's voice told him to enter . Iwanich opened the door , and found himself in a smoke-begrimed kitchen , in the presence of a hideous old woman who was warming her skinny hands at a fire . The Prince offered to become her servant , and the old hag told him she was badly in want of one , and he seemed to be just the person to suit her . When Iwanich asked what his work , and how much his wages would be , the witch bade him follow her , and led the way through a narrow damp passage into a vault , which served as a stable . Here he perceived two pitch-black horses in a stall . ` You see before you , ' said the old woman , ' a mare and her foal ; you have nothing to do but to lead them out to the fields every day , and to see that neither of them runs away from you . If you look after them both for a whole year I will give you anything you like to ask ; but if , on the other hand , you let either of the animals escape you , your last hour is come , and your head shall be stuck on the last spike of my fence . The other spikes , as you see , are already adorned , and the skulls are all those of different servants I have had who have failed to do what I demanded . ' Iwanich , who thought he could not be much worse off than he was already , agreed to the witch 's proposal . At daybreak nest morning he drove his horses to the field , and brought them back in the evening without their ever having attempted to break away from him . The witch stood at her door and received him kindly , and set a good meal before him . So it continued for some time , and all went well with the Prince .
Early every morning he led the XXXXX out to the fields , and brought them home safe and sound in the evening .
cobwebs horses hour information none passage service side vault work