f, no spectator could see the runner, and it seemed as if
the wind had whistled past. In a short time he reached the stream,
filled his pitcher with water, and turned round again. But, half way
home, a great drowsiness came over him; he put down his pitcher, lay
down, and fell asleep. He had, however, put a horse's skull which was
lying on the ground, for his pillow, so that he should not be too
comfortable and might soon wake up.

In the meantime the King's daughter, who could also run well, as well
as an ordinary man could, reached the stream, and hastened back with
her pitcher full of water. When she saw the runner lying there asleep,
she was delighted, and said, 'My enemy is given into my hands!' She
emptied his pitcher and ran on.

Everything now would have been lost, if by good luck the hunter had
not been standing on the castle tower and had seen everything with his
sharp eyes.

[Illustration: My Enemy is Given into My Hands]

'Ah,' said he, 'the King's daughter shall not overreach us;' and,
loading his gun, he shot so cleverly, that he shot away the horse's
skull from under the runner's head, without its hurting him. Then the
runner awoke, jumped up, and saw that his pitcher was empty and the
King's daughter far ahead. But he did not lose courage, and ran back
to the stream with his pitcher, filled it once more with water, and
was home ten minutes before the King's daughter arrived.

'Look,' said he, 'I have only just exercised my legs; that was nothing
of a run.'

But the King was angry, and his daughter even more so, that she should
be carried away by a common, discharged soldier. They consulted
together how they could destroy both him and his companions.

'Then,' said the King to her, 'I have found a way. Don't be
frightened; they shall not come home again.' He said to them, 'You
must now make merry together, and eat and drink,' and he led them into
a room which had a floor of iron; the doors were also of iron, and the
windows were barred with iron. In the room was a table spread with
delicious food. The King said to them, 'Go in and enjoy yourselves,'
and as soon as they were inside he had the doors shut and bolted. Then
he made the cook come, and ordered him to keep up a large fire under
the room until the iron was red-hot. The cook did so, and the Six
sitting round the table felt it grow very warm, and they thought this
was because of their good fare; but when the heat became still greater
and the