iting for the
moment when the shepherd should need her help.

By midafternoon when the sun was hot, the dragon grew faint and cried
out:

"Oh, if I could but dip my burning head in the cool water, then I could
toss you as high as the sky!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" the shepherd said. "If the Tsar's daughter would
kiss my forehead then I could toss you twice as high!"

Instantly the Princess ran forward and kissed the shepherd three times.
The first kiss fell on his forehead, the second on his nose, the third
on his mouth. With each kiss his strength increased an hundredfold and
taking the dragon in a mighty grip he tossed him up so high that for a
moment the Tsar and all the courtiers lost sight of him in the sky. Then
he fell to earth with such a thud that he burst.

Out of his body sprang a wild boar. The shepherd was ready for this and
on the moment he unleashed the two hounds and they fell on the boar and
tore him to pieces.

Out of the boar jumped a rabbit. It went leaping across the meadow but
the dogs caught it and killed it.

Out of the rabbit flew a pigeon. Instantly the shepherd unloosed the
falcon. It rose high in the air, then swooped down upon the pigeon,
clutched it in its talons, and delivered it into the shepherd's hands.

He cut open the pigeon and found the sparrow.

"Spare me! Spare me!" squawked the sparrow.

"Tell me where my brothers are," the shepherd demanded with his fingers
about the sparrow's throat.

"Your brothers? They are alive and in the deep dungeon that lies below
the Old Mill. Behind the mill there are three willow saplings growing
from one old root. Cut the saplings and strike the root. A heavy iron
door leading down into the dungeon will open. In the dungeon you will
find many captives old and young, your brothers among them. Now that I
have told you this are you going to spare my life?"

But the shepherd wrung the sparrow's neck for he knew that only in that
way could the monster who had captured his brothers be killed.

Well, now that the dragon was dead the Tsar and all his courtiers came
down from the hill and embraced the shepherd and told him what a brave
youth he was.

"You have delivered us all from a horrid monster," the Tsar said, "and
to show you my gratitude and the country's gratitude I offer you my
daughter for wife."

"Thank you," said the shepherd, "but I couldn't think of marrying the
Princess unless she is willing to marry me."

The Princess blush