content: now the third knight had a friend in china , so he wrote to him to get the skin of the fire - rat . the virtue of any part of this animal was that no fire could harm it . he promised his friend any amount of money he liked to ask if only he could get him the desired article . as soon as the news came that the ship on which his friend had sailed home had come into port , he rode seven days on horseback to meet him . he handed his friend a large sum of money , and received the fire - rat 's skin . when he reached home he put it carefully in a box and sent it in to the princess while he waited outside for her answer .
answer: he paid his friend in china to get it for him .
question: how did the third knight plan to get the skin of the fire-rat ?
target: how did the third knight plan to get the skin of the fire-rat ?
references: how did the third knight plan to get the skin of the fire-rat ?