ned round again. But, half way home, a great
drowsiness came over him; he put down his pitcher, lay down, and fell
asleep. He had, however, put a horse's skull which was lying on the
ground, for his pillow, so that he should not be too comfortable and
might soon wake up.

In the meantime the King's daughter, who could also run well, as well
as an ordinary man could, reached the stream, and hastened back with her
pitcher full of water. When she saw the runner lying there asleep, she
was delighted, and said, 'My enemy is given into my hands!' She emptied
his pitcher and ran on.

Everything now would have been lost, if by good luck the hunter had not
been standing on the castle tower and had seen everything with his sharp
eyes.

'Ah,' said he, 'the King's daughter shall not overreach us;' and,
loading his gun, he shot so cleverly, that he shot away the horse's
skull from under the runner's head, without its hurting him. Then the
runner awoke, jumped up, and saw that his pitcher was empty and the
King's daughter far ahead. But he did not lose courage, and ran back
to the stream with his pitcher, filled it once more with water, and was
home ten minutes before the King's daughter arrived.

'Look,' said he, 'I have only just exercised my legs; that was nothing
of a run.'

But the King was angry, and his daughter even more so, that she should
be carried away by a common, discharged soldier. They consulted together
how they could destroy both him and his companions.

'Then,' said the King to her, 'I have found a way. Don't be frightened;
they shall not come home again.' He said to them, 'You must now make
merry together, and eat and drink,' and he led them into a room which
had a floor of iron; the doors were also of iron, and the windows were
barred with iron. In the room was a table spread with delicious food.
The King said to them, 'Go in and enjoy yourselves,' and as soon as
they were inside he had the doors shut and bolted. Then he made the cook
come, and ordered him to keep up a large fire under the room until the
iron was red-hot. The cook did so, and the Six sitting round the table
felt it grow very warm, and they thought this was because of their good
fare; but when the heat became still greater and they wanted to go out,
but found the doors and windows fastened, then they knew that the King
meant them harm and was trying to suffocate them.

'But he shall not succeed,' cried he of the little hat, 'I will make a