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 huntsman 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
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