“Dear huntsman, do but let me live,
Two little ones I, too, will give.”
And he brought his little ones to them, and now the huntsmen had two lions, two bears, two wolves, two foxes, and two hares, who followed them and served them.
In the meantime their hunger was not appeased by this, and they said to the foxes, “Hark ye, cunning fellows, provide us with something to eat. You are crafty and deep.”
They replied, “Not far from here lies a village, from which we have already brought many a fowl; we will show you the way there.”
So they went into the village, bought themselves something to eat, had some food given to their beasts, and then travelled onwards. The foxes, however, knew their way very well about the district and where the poultry-yards were, and were able to guide the huntsmen.
Now they travelled about for a while, but could find no situations where they could remain together, so they said, “There is nothing else for it, we must part.”
They divided the animals, so that each of them had a lion, a bear, a wolf, a fox, and a hare, then they took leave of each other, promised to love each other like brothers till their death, and stuck the knife which their foster-father had given them into a tree, after which one went east and the other went west.
The younger, however, arrived with his beasts in a town which was all hung with black crêpe. He went into an inn, and asked the host if he could accommodate his animals. The innkeeper gave him a stable, where there was a hole in the wall, and the hare crept out and fetched himself the head of a cabbage, and the fox fetched himself a hen, and when he had devoured that got the cock as well, but the wolf, the bear, and the lion could not get out because they were too big. Then the innkeeper let them be taken to a place where a cow was just then lying on the grass, that they might eat till they were satisfied. And when the huntsman had taken care of his animals, he asked the innkeeper why the town was thus hung with black crêpe?
Said the host, “Because our King’s only daughter is to die to-morrow.”
The huntsman inquired if she was “sick unto death?”
“No,” answered the host, “she is vigorous and healthy, nevertheless she must die!”
“How is that?” asked the huntsman.
“There is a high hill without the town, whereon dwells a dragon who every year must have a pure virgin, or he lays the whole country waste, and now all the maidens have already been given to him, and there is no longer anyone left but the King’s daughter, yet there is no mercy for her; she must be given up to him, and that is to be done to-morrow.”
Said the huntsman, “Why is the dragon not killed?”
“Ah,” replied the host, “so many knights have tried it, but it has cost all of them their lives. The King has promised that he who conquers the dragon shall have his daughter to wife, and shall likewise govern the kingdom after his own death.”
The huntsman said nothing more to this, but next morning took his animals, and with them ascended the dragon’s hill. A little church stood at the top of it, and on the altar three full cups were standing, with the inscription, “Whosoever empties the cups will become the strongest man on earth, and will be able to wield the sword which is buried before the threshold of the door.”
The huntsman did not drink, but went out and sought for the sword in the ground, but was unable to move it from its place. Then he went in and emptied the cups, and now he was strong enough to take up the sword, and his hand could quite easily wield it.
When the hour came when the maiden was to be delivered over to the dragon, the King, the marshal, and courtiers accompanied her. From afar she saw the huntsman on the dragon’s hill, and thought it was the dragon standing there waiting for her, and did not want to go up to him, but at last, because otherwise the whole town would have been destroyed, she was forced to go the miserable journey. The King and courtiers returned home full of grief; the King’s marshal, however, was to stand still, and see all from a distance.
When the King’s daughter got to the top of the hill, it was not the dragon which stood there, but the young huntsman, who comforted her, and said he would save her, led her into the church, and locked her in.
It was not long before the seven-headed dragon came thither with loud roaring. When he perceived the huntsman, he was astonished and said, “What business hast thou here on the hill?”
The huntsman answered, “I want to fight with thee.”
Said the dragon, “Many knights have left their lives here, I shall soon have made an end of thee too,” and he breathed fire out of seven jaws. The fire was to have lighted the dry grass, and the huntsman was to have been suffocated in the heat and smoke, but the animals came running up and trampled out the fire.
Then the dragon rushed upon the huntsman, but he swung his sword until it sang through the air, and struck off three of his heads. Then the dragon grew right furious, and rose up in the air, and spat out flames of fire over the huntsman, and was about to plunge down on him, but the huntsman once more drew out his sword, and again cut off three of his heads. The monster became faint and sank down; nevertheless it was just able to rush upon the huntsman, but he with his last strength smote its tail off, and as he could fight no longer, called up his animals, who tore it in pieces.
When the struggle was ended, the huntsman unlocked the church and found the King’s daughter lying on the floor, as she had lost her senses with anguish and terror during the contest. He carried her out, and when she came to herself once more, and opened her eyes, he showed her the dragon all cut to pieces, and told her that she was now delivered.
She rejoiced and said, “Now thou wilt be my dearest husband, for my father has promised me to him who kills the dragon.” Thereupon she took off her necklace of coral, and divided it amongst the animals in order to reward them, and the lion received the golden clasp. Her pocket-handkerchief, however, on which was her name, she gave to the huntsman, who went and cut the tongues out of the dragon’s seven heads, wrapped them in the handkerchief, and preserved them carefully.
That done, as he was so faint and weary with the fire and the battle, he said to the maiden, “We are both faint and weary, we will sleep awhile.”
Then she said, “yes,” and they lay down on the ground, and the huntsman said to the lion, “Thou shalt keep watch, that no one surprises us in our sleep,” and both fell asleep.
The lion lay down beside them to watch, but he also was so weary with the fight, that he called to the bear and said, “Lie down near me, I must sleep a little: if anything comes, waken me.”
Then the bear lay down beside him, but he also was tired, and called the wolf and said, “Lie down by me, I must sleep a little, but if anything comes, waken me.”
Then the wolf lay down by him, but he was tired likewise, and called the fox and said, “Lie down by me, I must sleep a little; if anything comes, waken me.”
Then the fox lay down beside him, but he too was weary, and called the hare and said, “Lie down near me, I must sleep a little, and if anything should come, waken me.”
Then the hare sat down by him, but the poor hare was tired too, and had no one whom he could call there to keep watch, and fell asleep. And now the King’s daughter, the huntsman, the lion, the bear, the wolf, the fox, and the hare, were all sleeping a sound sleep.
The marshal, however, who was to look on from a distance, took courage when he did not see the dragon flying away with the maiden, and finding that all the hill had become quiet, ascended it. There lay the dragon hacked and hewn to pieces on the ground, and not far from it were the King’s daughter and a huntsman with his animals, and all of them were sunk in a sound sleep. And as he was wicked and godless he took his sword, cut off the huntsman’s head, and seized the maiden in his arms, and carried her down the hill. Then she awoke and was terrified, but the marshal said, “Thou art in my hands, thou shalt say that it was I who killed the dragon.”
“I cannot do that,” she replied, “for it was a huntsma
n with his animals who did it.”
Then he drew his sword, and threatened to kill her if she did not obey him, and so compelled her that she promised it. Then he took her to the King, who did not know how to contain himself for joy when he once more looked on his dear child in life, whom he had believed to have been torn to pieces by the monster.
The marshal said to him, “I have killed the dragon, and delivered the maiden and the whole kingdom as well, therefore I demand her as my wife, as was promised.”
The King said to the maiden, “Is what he says true?”
“Ah, yes,” she answered, “it must indeed be true, but I will not consent to have the wedding celebrated until after a year and a day,” for she thought in that time she should hear something of her dear huntsman.
The animals, however, were still lying sleeping beside their dead master on the dragon’s hill, and there came a great bumble-bee and lighted on the hare’s nose, but the hare wiped it off with his paw, and went on sleeping. The humble-bee came a second time, but the hare again rubbed it off and slept on. Then it came for the third time, and stung his nose so that he awoke. As soon as the hare was awake, he roused the fox; and the fox, the wolf; and the wolf, the bear; and the bear, the lion. And when the lion awoke and saw that the maiden was gone and his master was dead, he began to roar frightfully and cried, “Who has done that? Bear, why didst thou not waken me?”
The bear asked the wolf, “Why didst thou not waken me?” and the wolf the fox, “Why didst thou not waken me?” and the fox the hare, “Why didst thou not waken me?”
The poor hare alone did not know what answer to make, and the blame rested with him. Then they were just going to fall upon him, but he entreated them and said, “Kill me not, I will bring our master to life again. I know a mountain on which a root grows which, when placed in the mouth of any one, cures him of all illness and every wound. But the mountain lies two hundred hours journey from here.”
The lion said, “In four-and-twenty hours must thou have run thither and have come back, and have brought the root with thee.”
Then the hare sprang away, and in four-and-twenty hours he was back, and brought the root with him. The lion put the huntsman’s head on again, and the hare placed the root in his mouth, and immediately everything united together again, and his heart beat, and life came back.
Then the huntsman awoke and was alarmed when he did not see the maiden, and thought, “She must have gone away whilst I was sleeping, in order to get rid of me.” The lion in his great haste had put his master’s head on the wrong way round, but the huntsman did not observe it because of his melancholy thoughts about the King’s daughter.
But at noon, when he was going to eat something, he saw that his head was turned backwards and could not understand it, and asked the animals what had happened to him in his sleep. Then the lion told him that they, too, had all fallen asleep from weariness, and on awaking, had found him dead with his head cut off, that the hare had brought the life-giving root, and that he, in his haste, had laid hold of the head the wrong way, but that he would repair his mistake. Then he tore the huntsman’s head off again, turned it round, and the hare healed it with the root.
The huntsman, however, was sad at heart, and travelled about the world, and made his animals dance before people. It came to pass that precisely at the end of one year he came back to the same town where he had delivered the King’s daughter from the dragon, and this time the town was gaily hung with red cloth. Then he said to the host, “What does this mean? Last year the town was all hung with black crêpe, what means the red cloth to-day?”
The host answered, “Last year our King’s daughter was to have been delivered over to the dragon, but the marshal fought with it and killed it, and so to-morrow their wedding is to be solemnized, and that is why the town was then hung with black crêpe for mourning, and is to-day covered with red cloth for joy?”
Next day when the wedding was to take place, the huntsman said at mid-day to the inn-keeper, “Do you believe, sir host, that I while with you here to-day shall eat bread from the King’s own table?”
“Nay,” said the host, “I would bet a hundred pieces of gold that that will not come true.”
The huntsman accepted the wager, and set against it a purse with just the same number of gold pieces. Then he called the hare and said, “Go, my dear runner, and fetch me some of the bread which the King is eating.”
Now the little hare was the lowest of the animals, and could not transfer this order to any the others, but had to get on his legs himself. “Alas!” thought he, “if I bound through the streets thus alone, the butchers’ dogs will all be after me.”
It happened as he expected, and the dogs came after him and wanted to make holes in his good skin. But he sprang away—have you have never seen one running?—and sheltered himself in a sentry-box without the soldier being aware of it. Then the dogs came and wanted to have him out, but the soldier did not understand a jest, and struck them with the butt-end of his gun, till they ran away yelling and howling.
As soon as the hare saw that the way was clear, he ran into the palace and straight to the King’s daughter, sat down under her chair, and scratched at her foot. Then she said, “Wilt thou get away?” and thought it was her dog. The hare scratched her foot for the second time, and she again said, “Wilt thou get away?” and thought it was her dog. But the hare did not let itself be turned from its purpose, and scratched her for the third time. Then she peeped down, and knew the hare by its collar.
She took him on her lap, carried him into her chamber, and said, “Dear Hare, what dost thou want?”
He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and has sent me to ask for a loaf of bread like that which the King eats.”
Then she was full of joy and had the baker summoned, and ordered him to bring a loaf such as was eaten by the King.
The little hare said, “But the baker must likewise carry it thither for me, that the butchers’ dogs may do no harm to me.”
The baker carried if for him as far as the door of the inn, and then the hare got on his hind legs, took the loaf in his front paws, and carried it to his master.
Then said the huntsman, “Behold, sir host, the hundred pieces of gold are mine.” The host was astonished, but the huntsman went on to say, “Yes, sir host, I have the bread, but now I will likewise have some of the King’s roast meat.”
The host said, “I should indeed like to see that,” but he would make no more wagers.
The huntsman called the fox and said, “My little fox, go and fetch me some roast meat, such as the King eats.”
The red fox knew the bye-ways better, and went by holes and corners without any dog seeing him, seated himself under the chair of the King’s daughter, and scratched her foot. Then she looked down and recognized the fox by its collar, took him into her chamber with her and said, “Dear fox, what dost thou want?”
He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and has sent me. I am to ask for some roast meat such as the King is eating.”
Then she made the cook come, who was obliged to prepare a roast joint, the same as was eaten by the King, and to carry it for the fox as far as the door. Then the fox took the dish, waved away with his tail the flies which had settled on the meat, and then carried it to his master.
“Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “bread and meat are here but now I will also have proper vegetables with it, such as are eaten by the King.”
Then he called the wolf, and said, “Dear Wolf, go thither and fetch me vegetables such as the King eats.”
Then the wolf went straight to the palace, as he feared no one, and when he got to the King’s daughter’s chamber, he twitched at the back of her dress, so that she was forced to look round. She recognized him by his collar, and took him into her chamber with her, and said, “Dear Wolf, what dost thou want?”
He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, I am to ask for some vegetables, su
ch as the King eats.”
Then she made the cook come, and he had to make ready a dish of vegetables, such as the King ate, and had to carry it for the wolf as far as the door, and then the wolf took the dish from him, and carried it to his master.
“Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “now I have bread and meat and vegetables, but I will also have some pastry to eat like that which the King eats.”
He called the bear, and said, “Dear Bear, thou art fond of licking anything sweet; go and bring me some confectionery, such as the King eats.”
Then the bear trotted to the palace, and every one got out of his way, but when he went to the guard, they presented their muskets, and would not let him go into the royal palace. But he got up on his hind legs, and gave them a few boxes on the ears, right and left, with his paws, so that the whole watch broke up, and then he went straight to the King’s daughter, placed himself behind her, and growled a little.
Then she looked behind her, knew the bear, and bade him go into her room with her, and said, “Dear Bear, what dost thou want?”
He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and I am to ask for some confectionery, such as the King eats.”
Then she summoned her confectioner, who had to bake confectionery such as the King ate, and carry it to the door for the bear; then the bear first licked up the comfits which had rolled down, and then he stood upright, took the dish, and carried it to his master.
“Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “now I have bread, meat, vegetables and confectionery, but I will drink wine also, and such as the King drinks.”
He called his lion to him and said, “Dear Lion, thou thyself likest to drink till thou art intoxicated, go and fetch me some wine, such as is drunk by the King.”
Then the lion strode through the streets, and the people fled from him, and when he came to the watch, they wanted to bar the way against him, but he did but roar once, and they all ran away. Then the lion went to the royal apartment, and knocked at the door with his tail. Then the King’s daughter came forth, and was almost afraid of the lion, but she knew him by the golden clasp of her necklace, and bade him go with her into her chamber, and said, “Dear Lion, what wilt thou have?”
The Dragon Megapack Page 20