ll give her away if you
refuse. Have you quite forgotten what our father charged us on his
dying bed? It is not so long ago."

He took the sister by the hand and said, "Here she is; take her home
and live happily and joyfully with her!"

In a twinkling the terrible Being disappeared in the midst of a
fearful uproar.

When the morning dawned the brothers felt oppressed by anxiety, being
all uncertain as to the fate of their sisters. After a long interval,
during which no light had been thrown upon this matter, the three
brothers took counsel together:

"Good heavens, did ever one know of anything so mysterious? What has
become of our sisters? We have not the least idea of their
abiding-place, nor any clue which can lead to their discovery."

At length one said to the others, "Let us go forth to seek our
sisters."

So the three brothers made ready without losing a moment. They took
money enough for a long journey and went out into the wide world to
seek their sisters.

In the course of their wanderings they lost their way among the
mountains, where they wandered for a whole day. When night fell they
decided, on account of their horses, to encamp near a piece of water.

And so they did. They reached the shore of a lake, pitched their
tents, and sat down to supper. When they lay down to sleep the eldest
brother said, "You may sleep, but I will stand guard."

So the two younger brothers went peacefully to sleep, while the eldest
brother kept watch. At a certain hour of the night the lake became
agitated with a swaying motion which startled the watcher not a
little. He soon observed a shapeless form arising out of the midst of
the water and rushing straight toward him. It was a frightful monster
of a Dragon, with two great flapping ears, which was rushing so
fiercely upon him. The Prince bravely drew his sword, and seizing the
Dragon, cut off his head. Then he sliced off the ears and put them
into his wallet, and threw the head and the body back into the lake.

Meantime the day had dawned, and the brothers still lay in profound
slumber, little dreaming of their eldest brother's heroic exploit. He
now waked them, but said not a syllable about his nocturnal adventure.
They left that place and continued their journey, and when twilight
began to fall they once more agreed to seek a halting-place near some
piece of water. But they were much terrified to find themselves quite
lost in a lonely wilderness. At last, howev