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recognized the wolf immediately, took him into her chamber, and said, "Dear wolf, what do you want?"

He replied, "My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and has sent me to ask for some vegetables such as the king eats."

The cook was sent for again, and told to take some vegetables also to the inn door; and as soon as they arrived the wolf took the dish from him and carried it to his master.

"Look here, landlord," cried the hunter; "I have now bread, meat, and vegetables; but I will also have some sweetmeats from the king's table." He called the bear, and said, "Dear bear, I know you are fond of sweets. Now go and fetch me some sweetmeats such as the king eats."

The bear trotted off to the castle, and all the people ran away when they saw him coming. But when he reached the castle gates, the sentinel held his gun before him and would not let him pass in. But the bear rose on his hind legs, boxed the sentinel's ears with his strong fore paws, and leaving him tumbled all of a heap in his sentry box, went into the castle. Seeing the king's daughter entering, he followed her and gave a slight growl. She looked behind her and, recognizing the bear, called him into her chamber, and said, "Dear bear, what do you want?"

"My master, who killed the dragon, is here," he replied, "and he has sent me to ask for some sweetmeats like those which the king eats."

The princess sent for the confectioner, and desired him to bake some sweetmeats and take them with the bear to the door of the inn. As soon as they arrived the bear first licked up the sugar drips which had

dropped on his fur, then stood upright, took the dish, and carried it to his master.

"See now, landlord," cried the hunter; "I have bread, and meat, and vegetables, and sweetmeats, and I mean to have wine also, such as the king drinks." So he called the lion to him, and said: "Dear lion, you drink till you are quite tipsy sometimes. Now go and fetch me some wine such as the king drinks."

As the lion trotted through the streets all the people ran away from him. The sentinel, when he saw him coming, tried to stop the way; but the lion gave a little roar, and made him run for his life. Then the lion entered the castle, passed through the king's apartment, and knocked at the door of the princess's room with his tail. The princess, when she opened it and saw the lion, was at first rather frightened; but presently she observed on his neck the gold necklace clasp, and knew it was the hunter's lion. She called him into her chamber, and said, "Dear lion, what do you want?"

"My master, who killed the dragon," he replied, "is here, and he has sent me to ask for some wine such as the king drinks."

Then she sent for the king's cupbearer, and told him to give the lion some of the king's wine. "I will go with him," said the lion, "and see that he draws the right sort." So the lion went with the cupbearer to the wine cellar, and when he saw him about to draw some of the ordinary wine which the king's vassals drank, the lion cried, "Stop! I will taste the wine first." So he drew himself a pint, and swallowed it down at a gulp. "No," he said; "that is not the right sort."

The cupbearer saw he was found out; however, he went over to another cask that was kept for the king's marshal.

"Stop!" cried the lion again, "I will taste the wine first." So he drew another pint and drank it off. "Ah!" he said, "that is better, but still not the right wine."

Then the cupbearer was angry, and said,

"What can a stupid beast like you understand about wine?"

But the lion, with a lash of his tail, knocked him down, and before the man could move, found his way stealthily into a little private cellar, in which were casks of wine never tasted by any but the king. The lion drew half a pint, and when he had tasted it, he said to himself, "That is wine of the right sort." So he called the cupbearer and made him draw six flagons full.

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As they came up from the cellar into the open air the lion's head swam a little, and he was almost tipsy; but as the cupbearer was obliged to carry wine for him to the door of the inn, it did not much matter. When they arrived the lion took the handle of the basket in his mouth, and carried the wine to his master.

"Now, Master landlord," said the hunter, "I have bread, meat, vegetables, sweetmeats, and wine such as the king has, so I will sit down and with my faithful animals enjoy a good meal;" and indeed, he felt very happy, for he knew now that the king's daughter still loved him.

After they had finished the hunter said to the landlord,

"Now that I have eaten and drunk of the same

provisions as the king, I will go to the king's castle and marry his daughter."

"Well," said the landlord, "how that is to be managed I cannot tell, when she has already a bridegroom to whom she will to-day be married.”

The hunter, without a word, took out the pocket handkerchief which the king's daughter had given him on the dragon's mountain, and opening it, showed the landlord the seven tongues of the monster, which he had cut out and wrapped in the handkerchief.

"That which I have so carefully preserved will help me," said the hunter.

The landlord looked at the handkerchief and said, "I may believe all the rest, but I would bet my house and farmyard that you will never marry the king's daughter."

"Very well," said the hunter, "I accept your bet, and if I lose, there are my hundred gold pieces;" and he laid them on the table.

That same day, when the king and his daughter were seated at table, the king said, "What did all those wild animals want who came to you to-day, going in and out of my castle?"

"I cannot tell you yet," she replied; "but if you I will send into the town for the master of these animals, then I will do so."

The king, on hearing this, sent a servant at once to the inn with an invitation to the stranger who owned the animals, and the servant arrived just as the hunter had finished his bet with the landlord.

"See, landlord!" he cried, "the king has sent me an invitation by his servant; but I cannot accept it

yet." He turned to the man who waited, and said, "Tell my lord the king that I cannot obey his commands to visit him unless he sends me suitable

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THE PRINCE SHOWS THE DRAGON'S TONGUES

clothes for a royal palace, and a carriage with six horses, and servants to wait upon me."

The servant returned with the message, and when the king heard it he said to his daughter, "What shall I do?"

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