as soon as they had gone he rose and climbed to the summit.
When he had sat there a little while a cloud swept by, and, seizing
him, carried him away. It travelled for a time in the sky, and then it
sank down and hovered over a large vegetable garden surrounded by
walls, so that he came safely to the ground amidst cabbages and
vegetables. The Hunter then looked about him, saying, 'If only I had
something to eat! I am so hungry, and it will go badly with me in the
future, for I see here not an apple or pear or fruit of any
kind--nothing but vegetables everywhere.' At last he thought, 'At a
pinch I can eat a salad; it does not taste particularly nice, but it
will refresh me.' So he looked about for a good head and ate it, but
no sooner had he swallowed a couple of mouthfuls than he felt very
strange, and found himself wonderfully changed. Four legs began to
grow on him, a thick head, and two long ears, and he saw with horror
that he had changed into a donkey. But as he was still very hungry and
this juicy salad tasted very good to his present nature, he went on
eating with a still greater appetite. At last he got hold of another
kind of cabbage, but scarcely had swallowed it when he felt another
change, and he once more regained his human form.

[Illustration: The Hunter Is Transformed Into a Donkey]

The Hunter now lay down and slept off his weariness. When he awoke the
next morning he broke off a head of the bad and a head of the good
cabbage, thinking, 'This will help me to regain my own, and to punish
faithlessness.' Then he put the heads in his pockets, climbed the
wall, and started off to seek the castle of his love. When he had
wandered about for a couple of days he found it quite easily. He then
browned his face quickly, so that his own mother would not have known
him, and went into the castle, where he begged for a lodging.

'I am so tired,' he said, 'I can go no farther.'

The witch asked, 'Countryman, who are you, and what is your business?'

He answered, 'I am a messenger of the King, and have been sent to seek
the finest salad that grows under the sun. I have been so lucky as to
find it, and am bringing it with me; but the heat of the sun is so
great that the tender cabbage threatens to grow soft, and I do not
know if I shall be able to bring it any farther.'

When the old witch heard of the fine salad she wanted to eat it, and
said, 'Dear countryman, just let me taste the wonderful salad.'

'Why not?