rushed by. In a short time he reached the brook, filled his pitcher full
of water, and turned back again. About half-way home, however, he was
overcome with weariness, and setting down his pitcher, he lay down on
the ground to sleep. But in order to awaken soon again by not lying too
soft he had taken a horse's skull which lay near and placed it under his
head for a pillow. In the meanwhile the king's daughter, who really was
a good runner, good enough to beat an ordinary man, had reached the
brook, and filled her pitcher, and was hastening with it back again,
when she saw the runner lying asleep.

"The day is mine," said she with much joy, and she emptied his pitcher
and hastened on. And now all had been lost but for the huntsman who was
standing on the castle wall, and with his keen eyes saw all that
happened.

"We must not be outdone by the king's daughter," said he, and he loaded
his rifle and took so good an aim that he shot the horse's skull from
under the runner's head without doing him any harm. And the runner awoke
and jumped up, and saw his pitcher standing empty and the king's
daughter far on her way home. But, not losing courage, he ran swiftly to
the brook, filled it again with water, and for all that, he got home ten
minutes before the king's daughter.

"Look you," said he; "this is the first time I have really stretched my
legs; before it was not worth the name of running."

The king was vexed, and his daughter yet more so, that she should be
beaten by a discharged common soldier; and they took counsel together
how they might rid themselves of him and of his companions at the same
time.

"I have a plan," said the king; "do not fear but that we shall be quit
of them for ever." Then he went out to the men and bade them to feast
and be merry and eat and drink; and he led them into a room, which had a
floor of iron, and the doors were iron, the windows had iron frames and
bolts; in the room was a table set out with costly food.

"Now, go in there and make yourselves comfortable," said the king.

And when they had gone in, he had the door locked and bolted. Then he
called the cook, and told him to make a big fire underneath the room, so
that the iron floor of it should be red hot. And the cook did so, and
the six men began to feel the room growing very warm, by reason, as they
thought at first, of the good dinner; but as the heat grew greater and
greater, and they found the doors and windows fastened,