When the hour arrived that the maiden should be delivered over to the Dragon, the King and his Marshal accompanied her with all the court. From a distance they perceived the Huntsman upon the mountain, and took him for the Dragon waiting for them, and so would not ascend; but at last, because the whole city must otherwise have been sacrificed, the Princess was forced to make the dreadful ascent. The King and his courtiers returned home full of grief, but the Marshal had to stop and watch it all from a distance.
As the King’s daughter reached the top of the hill, she found there, not the Dragon, but the young Hunter, who comforted her, saying he would save her, and, leading her into the chapel, shut her up therein. In a short time the seven-headed Dragon came roaring up with a tremendous noise, and, as soon as he perceived the Hunter, he was amazed, and asked, “What do you do here on my mountain?”
The Hunter replied that he came to fight him, and the Dragon said, breathing out fire as he spoke from his seven jaws, “Many a knight has already left his life behind him, and you I will soon kill as dead as they.” The fire from its throats set the grass in a blaze, and would have suffocated the Hunter with the smoke, had not his beasts come running up and stamped it out. Then the Dragon made a dart at the Hunter, but he swung his sword round so that it whistled in the air, and cut off three of the beast’s heads. The Dragon now became furious, and raised himself in the air, spitting out fire over his enemy, and trying to overthrow him; but the Hunter, springing on one side, raised his sword again, and cut off three more of his heads. The beast was half killed with this, and sank down, but tried once more to catch the hunter, but he beat him off, and, with his last strength, cut off his tail; and then, being unable to fight longer, he called his beasts, who came and tore the Dragon in pieces.
As soon as the battle was over, he went to the chapel and unlocked the door, and found the Princess lying on the floor; for, from anguish and terror, she had fainted away while the contest was going on. The Hunter carried her out, and, when she came to herself and opened her eyes, he showed her the Dragon torn in pieces, and said she was now safe for ever. The sight made her quite happy, and she said, “Now you will be my husband, for my father has promised me to him who should kill the Dragon.” So saying, she took off her necklace of coral, and divided it among the beasts for a reward, the lion receiving the gold snap for his share. But her handkerchief, on which her name was marked, she presented to the Huntsman, who went and cut out the tongues of the Dragon’s seven mouths, and, wrapping them in the handkerchief, preserved it carefully.
All this being done, the poor fellow felt so weary with the battle with the Dragon and the fire that he said to the Princess, “Since we are both so tired, let us sleep awhile.” She consented, and they lay down on the ground, and the Hunter bid the Lion watch that nobody surprised them. Soon they began to snore, and the Lion sat down near them to watch; but he was also weary with fighting, and said to the Bear, “Do you lie down near me, for I must sleep a bit; but wake me up if any one comes.” So the Bear did as he was bid; but soon getting tired, he asked the Wolf to watch for him. The Wolf consented, but before long he called the Fox, and said, “Do watch for me a little while, I want to have a nap, and you can wake me if any one comes.” The Fox lay down by his side, but soon felt so tired himself that he called the Hare, and asked it to take his place, and watch while he slept a little. The Hare came, and, lying down too, soon felt very sleepy; but he had no one to call in his place, so by degrees he dropped off himself, and began to snore. Here, then, were sleeping the Princess, the Huntsman, the Lion, the Bear, the Wolf, the Fox, and the Hare, and all were very sound asleep.
Meanwhile the Marshal, who had been set to watch below, not seeing the Dragon fly away with the Princess, and all appearing very quiet, took heart and climbed up the mountain. There lay the Dragon, dead and torn in pieces on the ground, and not far off the King’s daughter and a huntsman with his beasts, all reposing in a deep sleep. Now, the Marshal was very wickedly disposed, and, taking his sword, he cut off the head of the Huntsman, and then taking the maiden under his arm, carried her down the mountain. At this she awoke, terrified, and the Marshal cried to her, “You are in my hands: you must say that it was I who have killed the Dragon.”
“That I cannot,” she replied, “for a hunter and his animals did it.”
Then he drew his sword, and threatened her with death if she did not obey, till at last she was forced to consent. Thereupon he brought her before the King, who went almost beside himself with joy at seeing again his dear daughter, whom he supposed had been torn in pieces by the monster. The Marshal told the King that he had killed the Dragon, and freed the Princess and the whole kingdom, and therefore he demanded her for a wife, as it had been promised. The King inquired of his daughter if it were true? “Ah yes,” she replied, “it must be so; but I make a condition, that the wedding shall not take place for a year and a day;” for she thought to herself that perhaps in that time she might hear some news of her dear Huntsman.
But up the Dragon’s mountain the animals still laid asleep beside their dead master, when presently a great Bee came and settled on the Hare’s nose, but it lifted its paw and brushed it off. The Bee came a second time, but the Hare brushed it off again, and went to sleep. For the third time the Bee settled, and stung the Hare’s nose so that it woke quite up. As soon as it had risen and shaken itself, it awoke the Fox, and the Fox awoke the Wolf, the Wolf awoke the Bear, and the Bear awoke the Lion. As soon as the Lion got up and saw that the maiden was gone, and his dear master dead, he began to roar fearfully, and asked, “Who has done this? Bear, why did you not wake me?” The Bear asked the Wolf, “Why did you not wake me?” The Wolf asked the Fox, “Why did you not wake me?” and the Fox asked the Hare, “Why did you not wake me?” The poor Hare alone had nothing to answer, and the blame was attached to it; and the others would have fallen upon it, but he begged for his life, saying, “Do not kill me and I will restore our dear master to life. I know a hill where grows a root, and he who puts it in his mouth is healed immediately from all diseases or wounds; but this mountain lies two hundred hours’ journey from hence.”
The Lion said, “In four and twenty hours you must go and return here, bringing the root with you.”
The Hare immediately ran off, and in four and twenty hours returned with the root in his mouth. Now the Lion put the Huntsman’s head again to his body, while the Hare applied the root to the wound, and immediately the Huntsman began to revive, and his heart beat and life returned. The Huntsman now awoke, and was frightened to see the maiden no longer with him, and he thought to himself, “Perhaps she ran away while I slept, to get rid of me.” But, in his haste, the Lion had unluckily set his master’s head on the wrong way, but the Hunter did not find it out till midday, when he wanted to eat, being so occupied with thinking about the Princess. Then, when he wished to help himself, he discovered his head was turned to his back, and, unable to imagine the cause, he asked the animals what had happened to him in his sleep. The Lion told him that from weariness they had all gone to sleep, and, on awaking, they had found him dead, with his head cut off; that the Hare had fetched the life-root, but in his great haste he had turned his head the wrong way, but that he would make it all right again in no time. So saying, he cut off the Huntsman’s head and turned it round, while the Hare healed the wound with the root.
After this the Hunter became very mopish, and went about from place to place, letting his animals dance to the people for show. It chanced, after a year’s time, that he came again into the same town where he had rescued the Princess from the Dragon; and this time it was hung all over with scarlet cloth. He asked the Landlord of the inn, “What means this? a year ago the city was hung with black crape, and to-day it is all in red?” The Landlord replied, “A year ago our King’s daughter was delivered to the Dragon, but our Marshal fought with it and slew it, and this day their marriage is to be celebrated; before the town was hung with crape in token of grief and lamentation, but to
-day with scarlet cloth, to show our joy.”
The next day, when the wedding was to take place, the Huntsman said to the Landlord, “Believe it or not, mine host, but to day I will eat bread at the same table with the King!”
“Well,” said he, “I will wager you a hundred pieces that that doesn’t come true.”
The Huntsman took the bet, and laid down his money and then, calling the Hare, he said, “Go, dear Jumper, and fetch me a bit of bread such as the King eats.”
Now, the Hare was the smallest, and therefore could not entrust her business to any one else, but was obliged to make herself ready to go. “Oh!” thought it, “if I jump along the streets alone, the butchers’ dogs will come out after me.”
While it stood considering it happened as it thought for the dogs came behind and were about to seize it for a choice morsel, but it made a spring (had you but seen it!) and escaped into a sentry-box without the soldier knowing it. The dogs came and tried to hunt it out, but, the soldier, not understanding their sport, beat them off with a club so that they ran howling and barking away. As soon as the Hare saw the coast was clear, it ran up to the castle and into the room where the Princess was; and, getting under her stool, began to scratch her foot. The Princess said, “Will you be quiet?” thinking it was her dog. The the Hare scratched her foot a second time, and she said again, “Will you be quiet?” but the Hare would not leave off, and a third time scratched her foot; and now she peeped down and recognised the Hare by its necklace. She took it up in her arms, and carried it into her chamber, saying, “Dear Hare, what do you want?” The Hare replied, “My master who killed the Dragon is here, and sent me: I am come for a piece of bread such as the King eats.”
At these words she became very glad, and bade her servant bring her a piece of bread such as the King was accustomed to have. When it was brought, the Hare said, “The Baker must carry it for me, or the butchers’ dogs will seize it.” So the Baker carried it to the door of the inn, where the Hare got up on its hind legs, and, taking the bread in its forepaws, carried it to his master. Then the Huntsman said, “See here, my host: the hundred gold pieces are mine.”
The Landlord wondered very much, but the Huntsman said further, “Yes, I have got the King’s bread, and now I will have some of his meat.” To this the Landlord demurred, but would not bet again; and his guest, calling the Fox, said, “My dear Fox, go and fetch me some of the meat which the King is to eat to day.”
The Fox was more cunning than the Hare, and went through the lanes and alleys, without seeing a dog, straight to the royal palace, and into the room of the Princess, under whose stool it crept. Presently it scratched her foot, and the Princess, looking down, recognised the Fox with her necklace, and, taking it into her room, she asked, “What do you want, dear Fox?” It replied, “My master who killed the Dragon is here, and sent me to beg a piece of the meat such as the King will eat to-day.”
The Princess summoned the cook, and bade her prepare a dish of meat like the King’s; and, when it was ready, carry it for the Fox to the door of the inn. There the Fox took the dish himself; and, first driving the flies away with a whisk of his tail, carried it in to the Hunter.
“See here, Master Landlord,” said he; “here are the bread and meat: now I will have the same vegetables as the King eats.”
He called the Wolf, and said, “Dear Wolf, go and fetch me some vegetables the same as the King eats to-day.”
The Wolf went straight to the castle like a person who feared nobody, and, when it came into the Princess’s chamber, it plucked at her clothes behind so that she looked round. The maiden knew the Wolf by its necklace, and took it with her into her room, and said, “Dear Wolf, what do you want?”
The beast replied, “My master who killed the Dragon is here, and has sent me for some vegetables like those the King eats to day.”
Then she bade the cook prepare a dish of vegetables the same as the King’s, and carry it to the inn door for the Wolf, who took it of her and bore it in to his master. The Hunter said, “See here, my host: now I have bread, meat, and vegetables the same as the King’s, but I will also have the same sweetmeats.” Then he called to the Bear, “Dear Bear, go and fetch me some sweetmeats like those the King has for his dinner to-day, for you like sweet things.” The Bear rolled along up to the castle, while every one got out of his way; but, when he came to the guard, he pointed his gun at him and would not let him pass into the royal apartments. The Bear, however, got up on his hind legs, and gave the guard right and left boxes on the ears with his paw, which knocked him down; and thereupon he went straight to the room of the Princess, and, getting behind her, growled slightly. She looked round, and perceived the Bear, whom she took into her own chamber, and asked him what he came for. “My master who slew the Dragon is here,” said he, “and has sent me for some sweetmeats such as the King eats.” The Princess let the sugar-baker be called, and bade him prepare sweetmeats like those the King had, and carry them for the Bear to the inn. There the Bear took charge of them; and, first licking off the sugar which had boiled over, he took them into his master.
“See here, friend Landlord,” said the Huntsman; “now I have bread, meat, vegetables, and sweetmeats from the table of the King; but I mean also to drink his wine.”
He called the Lion, and said, “Dear Lion, I should be glad to have a draught: go and fetch me some wine like that the King drinks.”
The Lion strode through the town, where all the people made way for him, and soon came to the castle, where the watchmen attempted to stop him at the gates; but, just giving a little bit of a roar, they were so frightened that they all ran away. He walked on to the royal apartments, and knocked with his tail at the door; and, when the Princess opened it, she was at first frightened to see a Lion; but soon recognising him by the gold snap of her necklace which he wore, she took him into her room, and asked, “Dear Lion, what do you wish?”
The Lion replied, “My master who killed the Dragon is here, and has sent me to fetch him wine like that the King drinks at his own table.” The Princess summoned the butler, and told him to give the Lion wine, such as the King drank. But the Lion said, “I will go down with you, and see that I have the right.” So he went with the butler; and, as they were come below, he was about to draw the ordinary wine such as was drunk by the King’s servants, but the Lion cried, “Hold! I will first taste the wine;” and, drawing for himself half a cupful, he drank it, and said, “No; that is not the real wine.” The butler looked at him askance, and went to draw from another mask which was made for the king’s marshal. Then the Lion cried, “Hold! first I must taste;” and, drawing half a flagon full, he drank it off, and said, “This is better; but still not the right wine.” At these words the butler put himself in a passion, and said, “What does such a stupid calf as you know about wine?” The Lion gave him a blow behind the ear, so that he fell down upon the ground; and, as soon as he came to himself, he led the Lion quite submissively into a peculiar little cellar where the King’s wine was kept, of which no one ever dared to taste. But the Lion, first drawing for himself half a cupful, tried the wine, and saying, “This must be the real stuff,” bade the butler fill six bottles with it. When this was done they mounted the steps again, and as the Lion came out of the cellar into the fresh air he reeled about, being a little elevated; so that the butler had to carry the wine-basket for him to the inn, where the Lion, taking it again in his mouth, carried it in to his master. The Hunter called the Landlord and said, “See here: now I have bread, meat, vegetables, sweetmeats, and wine, the very same as the King himself will eat to-day, and so I will make my dinner with my animals.” They sat down and ate and drank away, for he gave the Hare, the Fox, the Wolf, the Bear, and the Lion, their share of the good things, and was very happy, for he felt the King’s daughter still loved him. When he had finished his meal he said to the Landlord, “Now, as I have eaten and drunk the same things as the King, I will even go to the royal palace and marry the Princess.”
&nbs
p; The Landlord said, “How can that be, for she is already betrothed, and to-day the wedding is to be celebrated?”
Then the Hunter drew out the handkerchief which the King’s daughter had given him on the Dragon’s mountain, and wherein the seven tongues of the Dragon’s seven heads were wrapped, and said, “This shall help me to it!”
The Landlord looked at the handkerchief and said, “If I believe all that has been done, still I cannot believe that, and will wager my house and garden upon it.”
Thereupon the Huntsman took out a purse with a thousand gold pieces in it, and said, “I will bet you that against your house and garden.”
Meantime the King asked his daughter, “What do all these wild beasts mean who have come to you to-day, and passed and repassed in and out of my castle?”
She replied, “I dare not tell you, but send and let the master of these beasts be fetched, and you will do well.”
The King sent a servant to the inn to invite the strange man to come, and arrived just as the Hunter had concluded his wager with the Landlord. So he said, “See, mine host, the King even sends a servant to invite me to come, but I do not go yet.” And to the servant he said, “I beg that the King will send me royal clothes, and a carriage with six horses, and servants to wait on me.”
When the King heard this answer, he said to his daughter, “What shall I do?” “Do as he desires, and you will do well,” she replied. So the King sent a suit of royal clothes, a carriage with six horses, and some servants to wait upon the man. As the Hunter saw them coming, he said to the Landlord, “See here, I am fetched just as I desired,” and, putting on the royal clothes, he took the handkerchief with him and drove to the King. When the King saw him coming he asked his daughter how he should receive him, and she said, “Go out to meet him, and you will do well.” So the King met him and led him into the palace, the animals following. The King showed him a seat near himself and his daughter, and the Marshal sat upon the other side as the bridegroom. Now, against the walls was the seven-headed Dragon placed, stuffed as if he were yet alive; and the King said, “The seven heads of the Dragon were cut off by our Marshal, to whom this day I give my daughter in marriage.”
Grimm's Fairy Tales (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Page 29