Then she bade the cup-bearer be called, who was to give the lion some wine like that which was drunk by the king. The lion said, I will go with him, and see that I get the right wine. Then he went down with the cup-bearer, and when they were below, the cup-bearer wanted to draw him some of the common wine that was drunk by the king's servants, but the lion said, stop, I will taste the wine first, and he drew half a measure, and swallowed it down at one draught. No, said he, that is not right. The cup-bearer looked at him askance, but went on, and was about to give him some out of another barrel which was for the king's marshal. The lion said, stop, let me taste the wine first, and drew half a measure and drank it. That is better, but still not right, said he. Then the cup-bearer grew angry and said, how can a stupid animal like you understand wine. But the lion gave him a blow behind the ears, which made him fall down by no means gently, and when he had got up again, he conducted the lion quite silently into a little cellar apart, where the king's wine lay, from which no one ever drank. The lion first drew half a measure and tried the wine, and then he said, that may possibly be the right sort, and bade the cup-bearer fill six bottles of it. And now they went upstairs again, but when the lion came out of the cellar into the open air, he reeled here and there, and was rather drunk, and the cup-bearer was forced to carry the wine as far as the door for him, and then the lion took the handle of the basket in his mouth, and took it to his master. The huntsman said, behold, sir host, here have I bread, meat, vegetables, confectionery and wine such as the king has, and now I will dine with my animals, and he sat down and ate and drank, and gave the hare, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and the lion also to eat and to drink, and was joyful, for he saw that the king's daughter still loved him. And when he had finished his dinner, he said, sir host, now have I eaten and drunk, as the king eats and drinks, and now I will go to the king's court and marry the king's daughter.
Said the host, how can that be, when she already has a betrothed husband, and when the wedding is to be solemnized to-day. Then the huntsman drew forth the handerchief which the king's daughter had given him on the dragon's hill, and in which were folded the monster's seven tongues, and said, that which I hold in my hand shall help me to do it. Then the innkeeper looked at the handkerchief, and said, whatever I believe, I do not believe that, and I am willing to stake my house and courtyard on it. The huntsman, however, took a bag with a thousand gold pieces, put it on the table, and said, Istake that on it.
Now the king said to his daughter, at the royal table, what did all the wild animals want, which have been coming to you, and going in and out of my palace. She replied, I may not tell you, but send and have the master of these animals brought, and you will do well. The king sent a servant to the inn, and invited the stranger, and the servant came just as the huntsman had laid his wager with the innkeeper. Then said he, behold, sir host, now the king sends his servant and invites me, but I do not go in this way.
And he said to the servant, I request the lord king to send me royal clothing, and a carriage with six horses, and servants to attend me.
When the king heard the answer, he said to his daughter, what shall Ido. She said, cause him to be fetched as he desires to be, and you will do well. Then the king sent royal apparel, a carriage with six horses, and servants to wait on him. When the huntsman saw them coming, he said, behold, sir host, now I am fetched as I desired to be, and he put on the royal garments, took the handerchief with the dragon's tongues with him, and drove off to the king. When the king saw him coming, he said to his daughter, how shall I receive him.
She answered, go to meet him and you will do well. Then the king went to meet him and led him in, and his animals followed. The king gave him a seat near himself and his daughter, and the marshal, as bridegroom, sat on the other side, but no longer knew the huntsman.
And now at this very moment, the seven heads of the dragon were brought in as a spectacle, and the king said, the seven heads were cut off the dragon by the marshal, wherefore to-day I give him my daughter to wife. The the huntsman stood up, opened the seven mouths, and said, where are the seven tongues of the dragon. Then was the marshal terrified, and grew pale and knew not what answer he should make, and at length in his anguish he said, dragons have no tongues. The huntsman said, liars ought to have none, but the dragon's tongues are the tokens of the victor, and he unfolded the handerchief, and there lay all seven inside it. And he put each tongue in the mouth to which it belonged, and it fitted exactly.
Then he took the handkerchief on which the name of the princess was embroidered, and showed it to the maiden, and asked to whom she had given it, and she replied, to him who killed the dragon. And then he called his animals, and took the collar off each of them and the golden clasp from the lion, and showed them to the maiden and asked to whom they belonged. She answered, the necklace and golden clasp were mine, but I divided them among the animals who helped to conquer the dragon. Then spoke the huntsman, when I, tired of the fight, was resting and sleeping, the marshal came and cut off my head. Then he carried away the king's daughter, and gave out that it was he who had killed the dragon, but that he lied I prove with the tongues, the handkerchief, and the necklace.
And then he related how his animals had healed him by means of a wonderful root, and how he had traveled about with them for one year, and had at length come there and had learnt the treachery of the marshal by the inn-keeper's story. Then the king asked his daughter, is it true that this man killed the dragon.
