ing the princess to his
cave. This cave, though, was in the middle of a sheer wall of rock.
One could not climb up to it from below, nor could one climb down to
it from above. And as the youth was walking around the rock, another
youth came along and asked him what he was doing there. So the first
youth told him that the bird with nine heads had carried off the
king's daughter, and had brought her up to his cave. The other chap
knew what he had to do. He called together his friends, and they
lowered the youth to the cave in a basket. And when he went into the
cave, he saw the king's daughter sitting there, and washing the wound
of the bird with nine heads; for the hound of heaven had bitten off
his tenth head, and his wound was still bleeding. The princess,
however, motioned to the youth to hide, and he did so. When the king's
daughter had washed his wound and bandaged it, the bird with nine
heads felt so comfortable, that one after another, all his nine heads
fell asleep. Then the youth stepped forth from his hiding-place, and
cut off his nine heads with a sword. But the king's daughter said: "It
would be best if you were hauled up first, and I came after."

"No," said the youth. "I will wait below here, until you are in
safety." At first the king's daughter was not willing; yet at last she
allowed herself to be persuaded, and climbed into the basket. But
before she did so, she took a long pin from her hair, broke it into
two halves and gave him one and kept the other. She also divided her
silken kerchief with him, and told him to take good care of both her
gifts. But when the other man had drawn up the king's daughter, he
took her along with him, and left the youth in the cave, in spite of
all his calling and pleading.

The youth now took a walk about the cave. There he saw a number of
maidens, all of whom had been carried off by the bird with nine heads,
and who had perished there of hunger. And on the wall hung a fish,
nailed against it with four nails. When he touched the fish, the
latter turned into a handsome youth, who thanked him for delivering
him, and they agreed to regard each other as brothers. Soon the first
youth grew very hungry. He stepped out in front of the cave to search
for food, but only stones were lying there. Then, suddenly, he saw a
great dragon, who was licking a stone. The youth imitated him, and
before long his hunger had disappeared. He next asked the dragon how
he could get away from the