hment, but then he will
let you go.'

The men did as the Lake advised them, and waited for a time. At noon the
earth began to quake, and opened in many places, and out of the openings
appeared lions, tigers, and other wild beasts, which surrounded the
castle, and thousands and thousands of beasts came out of the castle
following their king, the Seven-headed Serpent. The Serpent glided over
the clothes which were spread for him, came to the Lake, and asked it
who had strewed those soft things on the path? The Lake answered that
it had been done by people who had come to do him homage. The King
commanded that the men should be brought before him. They came humbly on
their knees, and in a few words told him their story. Then he spoke to
them with a mighty and terrible voice, and said, 'Because you have dared
to come here, I lay upon you the punishment. Every year you must bring
me from among your people twelve youths and twelve maidens, that I may
devour them. If you do not do this, I will destroy your whole nation.'

Then he desired one of his beasts to show the men the way out of the
garden, and dismissed them. They then left the island and went back to
their own country, where they related what had happened to them. Soon
the time came round when the king of the beasts would expect the
youths and maidens to be brought to him. The King therefore issued
a proclamation inviting twelve youths and twelve maidens to offer
themselves up to save their country; and immediately many young people,
far more than enough, hastened to do so. A new ship was built, and set
with black sails, and in it the youths and maidens who were appointed
for the king of the beasts embarked and set out for his country. When
they arrived there they went at once to the Lake, and this time the
lions did not stir, nor did the springs flow, and neither did the Lake
speak. So they waited then, and it was not long before the earth quaked
even more terribly than the first time. The Seven-headed Serpent came
without his train of beasts, saw his prey waiting for him, and devoured
it at one mouthful. Then the ship's crew returned home, and the same
thing happened yearly until many years had passed.

Now the King of this unhappy country was growing old, and so was the
Queen, and they had no children. One day the Queen was sitting at the
window weeping bitterly because she was childless, and knew that the
crown would therefore pass to strangers after the King's