a child, and you begged me to tell you, I had to keep silence, or the
Magyar king would have killed me. And if you had not beaten me nothing
would have happened that has happened, and I should not now be King of
Hungary.'

[From the Folk Tales of the Magyars.]

The Prince And The Dragon

Once upon a time there lived an emperor who had three sons. They were
all fine young men, and fond of hunting, and scarcely a day passed
without one or other of them going out to look for game.

One morning the eldest of the three princes mounted his horse and set
out for a neighbouring forest, where wild animals of all sorts were to
be found. He had not long left the castle, when a hare sprang out of a
thicket and dashed across the road in front. The young man gave chase
at once, and pursued it over hill and dale, till at last the hare took
refuge in a mill which was standing by the side of a river. The prince
followed and entered the mill, but stopped in terror by the door, for,
instead of a hare, before him stood a dragon, breathing fire and flame.
At this fearful sight the prince turned to fly, but a fiery tongue
coiled round his waist, and drew him into the dragon's mouth, and he was
seen no more.

A week passed away, and when the prince never came back everyone in the
town began to grow uneasy. At last his next brother told the emperor
that he likewise would go out to hunt, and that perhaps he would find
some clue as to his brother's disappearance. But hardly had the castle
gates closed on the prince than the hare sprang out of the bushes as
before, and led the huntsman up hill and down dale, till they reached
the mill. Into this the hare flew with the prince at his heels, when,
lo! instead of the hare, there stood a dragon breathing fire and flame;
and out shot a fiery tongue which coiled round the prince's waist, and
lifted him straight into the dragon's mouth, and he was seen no more.

Days went by, and the emperor waited and waited for the sons who never
came, and could not sleep at night for wondering where they were and
what had become of them. His youngest son wished to go in search of his
brothers, but for long the emperor refused to listen to him, lest he
should lose him also. But the prince prayed so hard for leave to make
the search, and promised so often that he would be very cautious and
careful, that at length the emperor gave him permission, and ordered the
best horse in the stables to be saddled for him