astonishment, and began to speak to him, saying, 'Dearest
husband, now I can speak and tell you openly that I am innocent and
have been falsely accused.'

She told him of the old woman's deceit, and how she had taken the
three children away and hidden them. Then they were fetched, to the
great joy of the King, and the wicked mother came to no good end.

But the King and the Queen with their six brothers lived many years in
happiness and peace.

[Illustration: The Six Brothers Changed Into Swans by Their Stepmother.]

_THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH_[2]

Very long ago, as old people have told me, there lived a terrible
monster, who came out of the North, and laid waste whole tracts of
country, devouring both men and beasts; and this monster was so
destructive that it was feared that unless help came no living
creature would be left on the face of the earth. It had a body like an
ox, and legs like a frog, two short fore-legs, and two long ones
behind, and besides that it had a tail like a serpent, ten fathoms in
length. When it moved it jumped like a frog, and with every spring it
covered half a mile of ground. Fortunately its habit was to remain for
several years in the same place, and not to move on till the whole
neighbourhood was eaten up. Nothing could hunt it, because its whole
body was covered with scales, which were harder than stone or metal;
its two great eyes shone by night, and even by day, like the brightest
lamps, and anyone who had the ill luck to look into those eyes became
as it were bewitched, and was obliged to rush of his own accord into
the monster's jaws. In this way the Dragon was able to feed upon both
men and beasts without the least trouble to itself, as it needed not
to move from the spot where it was lying. All the neighbouring kings
had offered rich rewards to anyone who should be able to destroy the
monster, either by force or enchantment, and many had tried their
luck, but all had miserably failed. Once a great forest in which the
Dragon lay had been set on fire; the forest was burnt down, but the
fire did not do the monster the least harm. However, there was a
tradition amongst the wise men of the country that the Dragon might be
overcome by one who possessed King Solomon's signet-ring, upon which a
secret writing was engraved. This inscription would enable anyone who
was wise enough to interpret it to find out how the Dragon could be
destroyed. Only no one knew where the ring was hi