came to one where he saw his sister sitting, with the Dragon's
head in her lap, the Dragon being fast asleep.

When the sister perceived her brother she was greatly terrified, and
softly entreated him to flee before the Dragon should awake. This he
would not do, but seized his cudgel, struck out boldly, and dealt the
Dragon a heavy blow upon the head. The Dragon, without awaking, put
his hand up to the spot, murmuring, "Something hit me right here."

As he said this the Prince fetched him a second blow upon the head,
and again the Dragon murmured, "Something hit me here." But now, as
the brother made ready to strike a third time, the sister made a sign
showing the Dragon's vulnerable spot; and the brother, giving a
powerful blow, killed him as dead as a mouse.

Then the Princess pushed him from her, flew into her brother's arms,
and smothered him with kisses. After this she took him by the hand and
began to lead him through all the rooms. First she led him into a room
in which a black fox, with a harness of pure silver, was standing
before a manger. Then she led him into another room, where a white
horse, with a harness of pure gold, stood before another manger.
Finally she led him into a third room, where a brown horse stood
before a manger, his harness all studded with diamonds.

When they had gone through these rooms, the sister led her brother
into a chamber where a maiden sat before a golden embroidery frame,
working with golden threads. From this room she led him into another,
where a second maiden was spinning gold thread, and at last into a
room where a third maiden was stringing pearls, while at her feet a
golden hen, with a brood of chickens, was picking up pearls from a
golden basin.

When they had gone through all these rooms and seen all they wanted to
see, they went back into the room where the dead Dragon lay, dragged
him out, and threw him head-foremost down to the earth. When the other
brothers saw him they were almost convulsed with terror. But now the
youngest brother let down to them first their sister and then the
three maidens, one after another, each with her work. As he let them
down he allotted one to each of his brothers, and when he let down the
third, that is, the one with the hen and chickens, he reserved her to
himself.

But his brothers, filled with envy because he was the hero who had
discovered all these things and rescued their sister, cut the strap to
make it impossible for him