King has, and now I will dine with my animals,” and he sat down and ate
and drank, and gave the hare, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and the lion
also to eat and to drink, and was joyful, for he saw that the King’s
daughter still loved him. And when he had finished his dinner, he said,
“Sir host, now have I eaten and drunk, as the King eats and drinks, and
now I will go to the King’s court and marry the King’s daughter.” Said
the host, “How can that be, when she already has a betrothed husband,
and when the wedding is to be solemnized to-day?” Then the huntsman
drew forth the handkerchief which the King’s daughter had given him on
the dragon’s hill, and in which were folded the monster’s seven
tongues, and said, “That which I hold in my hand shall help me to do
it.” Then the innkeeper looked at the handkerchief, and said, “Whatever
I believe, I do not believe that, and I am willing to stake my house
and courtyard on it.” The huntsman, however, took a bag with a thousand
gold pieces, put it on the table, and said, “I stake that on it.”
Now the King said to his daughter, at the royal table, “What did all
the wild animals want, which have been coming to thee, and going in and
out of my palace?” She replied, “I may not tell you, but send and have
the master of these animals brought, and you will do well.” The King
sent a servant to the inn, and invited the stranger, and the servant
came just as the huntsman had laid his wager with the innkeeper. Then
said he, “Behold, sir host, now the King sends his servant and invites
me, but I do not go in this way.” And he said to the servant, “I
request the Lord King to send me royal clothing, and a carriage with
six horses, and servants to attend me.” When the King heard the answer,
he said to his daughter, “What shall I do?” She said, “Cause him to be
fetched as he desires to be, and you will do well.” Then the King sent
royal apparel, a carriage with six horses, and servants to wait on him.
When the huntsman saw them coming, he said, “Behold, sir host, now I am
fetched as I desired to be,” and he put on the royal garments, took the
handkerchief with the dragon’s tongues with him, and drove off to the
King. When the King saw him coming, he said to his daughter, “How shall
I receive him?” She answered, “Go to meet him and you will do well.”
Then the King went to meet him and led him in, and his animals
followed. The King gave him a seat near himself and his daughter, and
the marshal, as bridegroom, sat on the other side, but no longer knew
the huntsman. And now at this very moment, the seven heads of the
dragon were brought in as a spectacle, and the King said, “The seven
heads were cut off the dragon by the marshal, wherefore to-day I give
him my daughter to wife.” The the huntsman stood up, opened the seven
mouths, and said, “Where are the seven tongues of the dragon?” Then was
the marshal terrified, and grew pale and knew not what answer he should
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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