maller horse and sword than mine, because I am smaller than you.' You
will see there a fountain which will invite you to drink; do not risk
it, for all the statues you see there are human beings who have become
statues drinking that water; when you are thirsty drink secretly from
this bottle."

With these directions the youth went and knocked at the door. Just then
the magician arose and said: "What are you here for?" "I have come to
fight with you." And he added what the princess had told him. The
fountain invited him to drink, but he would not. They began to fight,
and at the first blow the youth cut off the magician's head. He took the
head and sword, and went to the princesses and said: "Get your things
together, and let us go, for my brothers are still waiting at the mouth
of the cistern."

Let us now return to the brothers. After they had lowered their youngest
brother into the cistern, they turned around and went back to the royal
palace. The king asked: "Where is your brother?" "We lost him in a wood,
and could not find him." "Quick!" said the king, "go and find my son, or
I will have your heads cut off." So they departed, and on their way
found a man with a rope and a bell, and took them with them. When they
reached the cistern, they lowered the rope with the bell, saying among
themselves: "If he is alive he will hear the bell and climb up; if he is
dead, what shall we do with our father?" When they lowered the rope,
Salvatore made the princesses ascend one by one. As the first appeared,
who was the oldest, the oldest brother said: "Oh, what a pretty girl!
This one shall be my wife." When the second appeared, the other brother
said: "This is mine." The youngest princess did not wish to ascend, and
said to Salvatore: "You go up, Salvatore, first; if you do not, your
brothers will leave you here." He said he would not; she said he must;
finally he prevailed, and she ascended. When she appeared the two
brothers took her, and left Salvatore in the cistern, and returned to
the palace. When they arrived there, they said to their father: "We have
looked for Salvatore, but we could not find him; but we have found these
three young girls, and now we wish to marry them." "I," said the oldest
brother, "will take this one." "And I," said the second, "take this one.
The other sister we will marry to some other youth."

Now let us return to Salvatore, who, when he found himself alone and
disconsolate, felt in his pockets a