第8章

Therewasonceagreatwar，andtheKinghadagreatmanysoldiers，buthegavethemsolittlepaythattheycouldnotliveuponit。Thenthreeofthemtookcounseltogetheranddeterminedtodesert。

Oneofthemsaidtotheothers，’Ifwearecaught，weshallbehangedonthegallows；howshallwesetaboutit？’Theothersaid，’Doyouseethatlargecornfieldthere？Ifweweretohideourselvesinthat，noonecouldfindus。Thearmycannotcomeintoit，andto-morrowitistomarchon。’

Theycreptintothecorn，butthearmydidnotmarchon，butremainedencampedclosearoundthem。Theysatfortwodaysandtwonightsinthecorn，andgrewsohungrythattheynearlydied；

butiftheyweretoventureout，itwascertaindeath。

Theysaidatlast，’Whatusewasitourdeserting？Wemustperishheremiserably。’

Whilsttheywerespeakingafierydragoncameflyingthroughtheair。Ithoverednearthem，andaskedwhytheywerehiddenthere。

Theyanswered，’Wearethreesoldiers，andhavedesertedbecauseourpaywassosmall。Nowifweremainhereweshalldieofhunger，andifwemoveoutweshallbestrunguponthegallows。’

’Ifyouwillservemeforsevenyears，’saidthedragon，Iwillleadyouthroughthemidstofthearmysothatnooneshallcatchyou。’’Wehavenochoice，andmusttakeyouroffer，’saidthey。

Thenthedragonseizedtheminhisclaws，tookthemthroughtheairoverthearmy，andsetthemdownontheearthalongwayfromit。

Hegavethemalittlewhip，saying，’Whipandslashwiththis，andasmuchmoneyasyouwantwilljumpupbeforeyou。Youcanthenliveasgreatlords，keephorses，anddriveaboutincarriages。Butaftersevenyearsyouaremine。’Thenheputabookbeforethem，whichhemadeallthreeofthemsign。’Iwillthengiveyouariddle，’hesaid；’ifyouguessit，youshallbefreeandoutofmypower。’Thedragonthenflewaway，andtheyjourneyedonwiththeirlittlewhip。Theyhadasmuchmoneyastheywanted，woregrandclothes，andmadetheirwayintotheworld。Wherevertheywenttheylivedinmerrymakingandsplendour，droveaboutwithhorsesandcarriages，ateanddrank，butdidnothingwrong。

Thetimepassedquicklyaway，andwhenthesevenyearswerenearlyendedtwoofthemgrewterriblyanxiousandfrightened，butthethirdmadelightofit，saying，’Don’tbeafraid，brothers，Iwasn’tbornyesterday；Iwillguesstheriddle。’

Theywentintoafield，satdown，andthetwopulledlongfaces。

Anoldwomanpassedby，andaskedthemwhytheyweresosad。

’Alas！whathaveyoutodowithit？Youcannothelpus。’’Whoknows？’sheanswered。’Onlyconfideyourtroubleinme。’

ThentheytoldherthattheyhadbecometheservantsoftheDragonforsevenlongyears，andhowhehadgiventhemmoneyasplentifullyasblackberries；butastheyhadsignedtheirnamestheywerehis，unlesswhenthesevenyearshadpassedtheycouldguessariddle。Theoldwomansaid，’Ifyouwouldhelpyourselves，oneofyoumustgointothewood，andtherehewillcomeuponatumble-downbuildingofrockswhichlookslikealittlehouse。Hemustgoin，andtherehewillfindhelp。’

Thetwomelancholyonesthought，’Thatwon’tsaveus！’andtheyremainedwheretheywere。Butthethirdandmerryonejumpedupandwentintothewoodtillhefoundtherockhut。Inthehutsataveryoldwoman，whowastheDragon’sgrandmother。Sheaskedhimhowhecame，andwhatwashisbusinessthere。Hetoldherallthathappened，andbecauseshewaspleasedwithhimshetookcompassiononhim，andsaidshewouldhelphim。

Sheliftedupalargestonewhichlayoverthecellar，saying，’Hideyourselfthere；youcanhearallthatisspokeninthisroom。Onlysitstillanddon’tstir。WhentheDragoncomes，I

willaskhimwhattheriddleis，forhetellsmeeverything；thenlistencarefullywhatheanswers。’

AtmidnighttheDragonflewin，andaskedforhissupper。Hisgrandmotherlaidthetable，andbroughtoutfoodanddrinktillhewassatisfied，andtheyateanddranktogether。Theninthecourseoftheconversationsheaskedhimwhathehaddoneintheday，andhowmanysoulshehadconquered。

’Ihaven’thadmuchluckto-day，’hesaid，’butIhaveatightholdonthreesoldiers。’

’Indeed！threesoldiers！’saidshe。’Whocannotescapeyou？’

’Theyaremine，’answeredtheDragonscornfully，’forIshallonlygivethemoneriddlewhichtheywillneverbeabletoguess。’

’Whatsortofariddleisit？’sheasked。

’Iwilltellyouthis。IntheNorthSealiesadeadsea-cat——

thatshallbetheirroastmeat；andtheribofawhale——thatshallbetheirsilverspoon；andthehollowfootofadeadhorse——thatshallbetheirwineglass。’

WhentheDragonhadgonetobed，hisoldgrandmotherpulledupthestoneandletoutthesoldier。

’Didyoupayattentiontoeverything？’

’Yes，’hereplied，’Iknowenough，andcanhelpmyselfsplendidly。’

Thenhewentbyanotherwaythroughthewindowsecretly，andinallhastebacktohiscomrades。HetoldthemhowtheDragonhadbeenoutwittedbyhisgrandmother，andhowhehadheardfromhisownlipstheanswertotheriddle。

Thentheywerealldelightedandinhighspirits，tookouttheirwhip，andcrackedsomuchmoneythatitcamejumpingupfromtheground。Whenthesevenyearshadquitegone，theFiendcamewithhisbook，and，pointingatthesignatures，said，’Iwilltakeyouundergroundwithme；youshallhaveamealthere。Ifyoucantellmewhatyouwillgetforyourroastmeat，youshallbefree，andshallalsokeepthewhip。’

Thensaidthefirstsoldier，’IntheNorthSealiesadeadsea-

cat；thatshallbetheroastmeat。’

TheDragonwasmuchannoyed，andhummedandhawedagooddeal，andaskedthesecond，’Butwhatshallbeyourspoon？’

’Theribofawhaleshallbeoursilverspoon。’

TheDragon-madeaface，andgrowledagainthreetimes，’Hum，hum，hum，’andsaidtothethird，’Doyouknowwhatyourwineglassshallbe？’

’Anoldhorse’shoofshallbeourwineglass。’

ThentheDragonflewawaywithaloudshriek，andhadnomorepoweroverthem。Butthethreesoldierstookthelittlewhip，whippedasmuchmoneyastheywanted，andlivedhappilytotheirlivesend。

TherewasonceayoungHunterwhowentboldlyintotheforest。

Hehadamerryandlightheart，andashewentwhistlingalongtherecameanuglyoldwoman，whosaidtohim，’Good-day，dearhunter！Youareverymerryandcontented，butIsufferhungerandthirst，sogivemeatrifle。’TheHunterwassorryforthepooroldwoman，andhefeltinhispocketandgaveherallhecouldspare。Hewasgoingonthen，buttheoldwomanstoppedhimandsaid，’Listen，dearhunter，towhatIsay。BecauseofyourkindheartIwillmakeyouapresent。Goonyourway，andinashorttimeyouwillcometoatreeonwhichsitninebirdswhohaveacloakintheirclawsandarequarrellingoverit。Thentakeaimwithyourgunandshootinthemiddleofthem；theywillletthecloakfall，butoneofthebirdswillbehitandwilldropdowndead。Takethecloakwithyou；itisawishing-cloak，andwhenyouthrowitonyourshouldersyouhaveonlytowishyourselfatacertainplace，andinthetwinklingofaneyeyouarethere。Taketheheartoutofthedeadbirdandswallowitwhole，andearlyeverymorningwhenyougetupyouwillfindagoldpieceunderyourpillow。’

TheHunterthankedthewisewoman，andthoughttohimself’Thesearesplendidthingsshehaspromisedme，ifonlytheycometopass！’Sohewalkedonaboutahundredyards，andthenheheardabovehiminthebranchessuchascreamingandchirpingthathelookedup，andtherehesawaheapofbirdstearingaclothwiththeirbeaksandfeet，shrieking，tugging，andfighting，asifeachwanteditforhimself。’Well，’saidtheHunter，’thisiswonderful！Itisjustastheoldwomansaid’；andhetookhisgunonhisshoulder，pulledthetrigger，andshotintothemidstofthem，sothattheirfeathersflewabout。Thentheflocktookflightwithmuchscreaming，butonefelldead，andthecloakfluttereddown。ThentheHunterdidastheoldwomanhadtoldhim:hecutopenthebird，founditsheart，swallowedit，andtookthecloakhomewithhim。Thenextmorningwhenheawokeherememberedthepromise，andwantedtoseeifithadcometrue。

Butwhenhelifteduphispillow，theresparkledthegoldpiece，andthenextmorninghefoundanother，andsooneverytimehegotup。Hecollectedaheapofgold，butatlasthethoughttohimself，’WhatgoodisallmygoldtomeifIstayathome？I

willtravelandlookabitaboutmeintheworld。’Sohetookleaveofhisparents，slunghishuntingknapsackandhisgunroundhim，andjourneyedintotheworld。

Ithappenedthatonedayhewentthroughathickwood，andwhenhecametotheendofittherelayintheplainbeforehimalargecastle。Atoneofthewindowsinitstoodanoldwomanwithamostbeautifulmaidenbyherside，lookingout。Buttheoldwomanwasawitch，andshesaidtothegirl，’Therecomesoneoutofthewoodwhohasawonderfultreasureinhisbodywhichwemustmanagetopossessourselvesof，darlingdaughter；wehavemorerighttoitthanhe。Hehasabird’sheartinhim，andsoeverymorningthereliesagoldpieceunderhispillow。’

Shetoldherhowtheycouldgetholdofit，andhowshewastocoaxitfromhim，andatlastthreatenedherangrily，saying，’Andifyoudonotobeyme，youshallrepentit！’