The prince accidentally shot an arrow into the cage, and the gold-bearded man refused to give it back unless he freed him. After much pleading, the prince was convinced. The gold-bearded man promised to repay him a thousand-fold and vanished. The prince decided that running away could not be more dangerous than staying and left. As he went along, he met a wood dove. He was on the verge of shooting it when it implored him not to because its two children would starve. He spared it, and the dove said that because of his act of mercy it would find a way to repay him. The prince continued on, eventually meeting with a duck and then later a stork. Both times the same thing happened as had with the wood dove.