to follow the carriage. In a little it halted at the foot of a high
mountain. The girl got out, and walked slowly and sadly to meet her
terrible fate. The coachman perceived that the shepherd wished to follow
her, and warned him not to do so if he valued his life; but the shepherd
wouldn't listen to his advice. When they had climbed about half-way up
the hill they saw a terrible-looking monster with the body of a snake,
and with huge wings and claws, coming towards them, breathing forth
flames of fire, and preparing to seize its victim. Then the shepherd
called, 'Pepper, come to the rescue,' and the second dog set upon the
dragon, and after a fierce struggle bit it so sharply in the neck that
the monster rolled over, and in a few moments breathed its last. Then
the dog ate up the body, all except its two front teeth, which the
shepherd picked up and put in his pocket.

The Princess was quite overcome with terror and joy, and fell fainting
at the feet of her deliverer. When she recovered her consciousness she
begged the shepherd to return with her to her father, who would reward
him richly. But the youth answered that he wanted to see something of
the world, and that he would return again in three years, and nothing
would make him change this resolve. The Princess seated herself once
more in her carriage, and, bidding each other farewell, she and the
shepherd separated, she to return home, and he to see the world.

But while the Princess was driving over a bridge the carriage suddenly
stood still, and the coachman turned round to her and said, 'Your
deliverer has gone, and doesn't thank you for your gratitude. It would
be nice of you to make a poor fellow happy; therefore you may tell your
father that it was I who slew the dragon, and if you refuse to, I will
throw you into the river, and no one will be any the wiser, for they
will think the dragon has devoured you.'

The maiden was in a dreadful state when she heard these words; but
there was nothing for her to do but to swear that she would give out the
coachman as her deliverer, and not to divulge the secret to anyone. So
they returned to the capital, and everyone was delighted when they saw
the Princess had returned unharmed; the black flags were taken down from
all the palace towers, and gay-coloured ones put up in their place, and
the King embraced his daughter and her supposed rescuer with tears of
joy, and, turning to the coachman, he said, 'You have not only sa