inutes the next morning before he
drew from the river the most beautiful fish he had ever seen in his
life. But he nearly fell into the water from surprise, when the fish
began to speak to him, in a small, squeaky voice:

'Take me back to your hut and cook me; then cut me up, and sprinkle me
over with pepper and salt. Give two of the pieces to your wife, and
bury two more in the garden.'

The cobbler did not know what to make of these strange words; but he
was wiser than many people, and when he did not understand, he thought
it was well to obey. His children wanted to eat all the fish
themselves, and begged their father to tell them what to do with the
pieces he had put aside; but the cobbler only laughed, and told them
it was no business of theirs. And when they were safe in bed he stole
out and buried the two pieces in the garden.

* * * * *

By and by two babies, exactly alike, lay in a cradle, and in the
garden were two tall plants, with two brilliant shields on the top.

Years passed away, and the babies were almost men. They were tired of
living quietly at home, being mistaken for each other by everybody
they saw, and determined to set off in different directions, to seek
adventures.

So, one fine morning, the two brothers left the hut, and walked
together to the place where the great road divided. There they
embraced and parted, promising that if anything remarkable had
happened to either, he would return to the cross roads and wait till
his brother came.

The youth who took the path that ran eastwards arrived presently at a
large city, where he found everybody standing at the doors, wringing
their hands and weeping bitterly.

'What is the matter?' asked he, pausing and looking round. And a man
replied, in a faltering voice, that each year a beautiful girl was
chosen by lot to be offered up to a dreadful fiery dragon, who had a
mother even worse than himself, and this year the lot had fallen on
their peerless princess.

'But where _is_ the princess?' said the young man once more, and again
the man answered him: 'She is standing under a tree, a mile away,
waiting for the dragon.'

This time the Knight of the Fish did not stop to hear more, but ran
off as fast as he could, and found the princess bathed in tears, and
trembling from head to foot.

She turned as she heard the sound of his sword, and removed her
handkerchief from her eyes.

'Fly,' she cried; 'fly while y