the daughter of Aglantine and
Diamantino, and as much a princess as he was a prince. The people of
the kingdom were delighted, and everybody lived happy and contented to
the end of their lives.

_THE SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT_[9]

Once upon a time there was a king who determined to take a long
voyage. He assembled his fleet and all the seamen, and set out. They
went straight on night and day, until they came to an island which was
covered with large trees, and under every tree lay a lion. As soon as
the King had landed his men, the lions all rose up together and tried
to devour them. After a long battle they managed to overcome the wild
beasts, but the greater number of the men were killed. Those who
remained alive now went on through the forest and found on the other
side of it a beautiful garden, in which all the plants of the world
flourished together. There were also in the garden three springs: the
first flowed with silver, the second with gold, and the third with
pearls. The men unbuckled their knapsacks and filled them with those
precious things. In the middle of the garden they found a large lake,
and when they reached the edge of it the Lake began to speak, and said
to them, 'What men are you, and what brings you here? Are you come to
visit our king?' But they were too much frightened to answer.

Then the Lake said, 'You do well to be afraid, for it is at your peril
that you are come hither. Our king, who has seven heads, is now
asleep, but in a few minutes he will wake up and come to me to take
his bath! Woe to anyone who meets him in the garden, for it is
impossible to escape from him. This is what you must do if you wish to
save your lives. Take off your clothes and spread them on the path
which leads from here to the castle. The King will then glide over
something soft, which he likes very much, and he will be so pleased
with that that he will not devour you. He will give you some
punishment, but then he will let you go.'

[Footnote 9: 'Die Siebenkoepfige Schlange,' from Schmidt's _Griechische
Maehrchen_.]

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