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Once upon
a time...
There was once a great war, and the King had a great many
soldiers, but he gave them so little pay that they could not live
upon it. Then three of them took counsel together and determined to
desert.
One of them said to the others, 'If we are caught, we shall be
hanged on the gallows; how shall we set about it?' The other said,
'Do you see that large cornfield there? If we were to hide ourselves
in that, no one could find us. The army cannot come into it, and
to-morrow it is to march on.'
They crept into the corn, but the army did not march on, but
remained encamped close around them. They sat for two days and two
nights in the corn, and grew so hungry that they nearly died; but if
they were to venture out, it was certain death.
They said at last, 'What use was it our deserting? We must perish
here miserably.'
Whilst they were speaking a fiery dragon came flying through the
air. It hovered near them, and asked why they were hidden there.
They answered, 'We are three soldiers, and have deserted because our
pay was so small. Now if we remain here we shall die of hunger, and
if we move out we shall be strung up on the gallows.'
'If you will serve me for seven years,' said the dragon, I will lead
you through the midst of the army so that no one shall catch you.'
'We have no choice, and must take your offer,' said they. Then the
dragon seized them in his claws, took them through the air over the
army, and set them down on the earth a long way from it.
He gave them a little whip, saying, 'Whip and slash with this, and
as much money as you want will jump up before you. You can then live
as great lords, keep horses, and drive about in carriages. But after
seven years you are mine.' Then he put a book before them, which he
made all three of them sign. 'I will then give you a riddle,' he
said; 'if you guess it, you shall be free and out of my power.' The
dragon then flew away, and they journeyed on with their little whip.
They had as much money as they wanted, wore grand clothes, and made
their way into the world. Wherever they went they lived in
merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages,
ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly
ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the
third made light of it, saying, 'Don't be afraid, brothers, I wasn't
born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.'
They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces. An
old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad. 'Alas!
what have you to do with it? You cannot help us.' 'Who knows?' she
answered. 'Only confide your trouble in me.'
Then they told her that they had become the servants of the Dragon
for seven long years, and how he had given them money as plentifully
as blackberries; but as they had signed their names they were his,
unless when the seven years had passed they could guess a riddle.
The old woman said, 'If you would help yourselves, one of you must
go into the wood, and there he will come upon a tumble-down building
of rocks which looks like a little house. He must go in, and there
he will find help.'
The two melancholy ones thought, 'That won't save us!' and they
remained where they were. But the third and merry one jumped up and
went into the wood till he found the rock hut. In the hut sat a very
old woman, who was the Dragon's grandmother. She asked him how he
came, and what was his business there. He told her all that
happened, and because she was pleased with him she took compassion
on him, and said she would help him.
She lifted up a large stone which lay over the cellar, saying, 'Hide
yourself there; you can hear all that is spoken in this room. Only
sit still and don't stir. When the Dragon comes, I will ask him what
the riddle is, for he tells me everything; then listen carefully
what he answers.'
At midnight the Dragon flew in, and asked for his supper. His
grandmother laid the table, and brought out food and drink till he
was satisfied, and they ate and drank together. Then in the course
of the conversation she asked him what he had done in the day, and
how many souls he had conquered.
'I haven't had much luck to-day,' he said, 'but I have a tight hold
on three soldiers.'
'Indeed! three soldiers!' said she. 'Who cannot escape you?'
'They are mine,' answered the Dragon scornfully, 'for I shall only
give them one riddle which they will never be able to guess.'
'What sort of a riddle is it?' she asked.
'I will tell you this. In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat-- that
shall be their roast meat; and the rib of a whale--that shall be
their silver spoon; and the hollow foot of a dead horse--that shall
be their wineglass.'
When the Dragon had gone to bed, his old grandmother pulled up the
stone and let out the soldier.
'Did you pay attention to everything?'
'Yes,' he replied, 'I know enough, and can help myself splendidly.'
Then he went by another way through the window secretly, and in all
haste back to his comrades. He told them how the Dragon had been
outwitted by his grandmother, and how he had heard from his own lips
the answer to the riddle.
Then they were all delighted and in high spirits, took out their
whip, and cracked so much money that it came jumping up from the
ground. When the seven years had quite gone, the Fiend came with his
book, and, pointing at the signatures, said, 'I will take you
underground with me; you shall have a meal there. If you can tell me
what you will get for your roast meat, you shall be free, and shall
also keep the whip.'
Then said the first soldier, 'In the North Sea lies a dead sea- cat;
that shall be the roast meat.'
The Dragon was much annoyed, and hummed and hawed a good deal, and
asked the second, 'But what shall be your spoon?'
'The rib of a whale shall be our silver spoon.'
The Dragon-made a face, and growled again three times, 'Hum, hum,
hum,' and said to the third, 'Do you know what your wineglass shall
be?'
'An old horse's hoof shall be our wineglass.'
Then the Dragon flew away with a loud shriek, and had no more power
over them. But the three soldiers took the little whip, whipped as
much money as they wanted, and lived happily to their lives end.
The Dragon and his
Grandmother
from the Yellow Fairy Book
Story Edited
by Andrew Lang |
