horse or himself.
He went for a third day, and in the distance he saw a hay-cock. "That
will do for my horse, at any rate," thought he, "even if it is of no
good to me." So he went up to it, and immediately it burst into
flames. Daniel began to weep, when he heard a voice crying piteously,
"Save me, save me! I am burning!"--"How can I save thee," he cried,
"when I myself cannot draw near?"--"Oh! give me thy weapon!" cried
the voice, "and I'll seize hold of it, and then thou canst pull me
out." So he stretched forth his weapon, and drew forth a goodly
serpent, such as is only known of in old folk-songs. And she said
to him, "Since thou hast drawn me out, thou must also take me
home."--"How shall I carry thee?" asked he.--"Carry me on thy horse,
and in whatsoever direction I turn my head and his, thither go."--So
he took her upon his horse, and they went on and on till they came to
a court so splendid that it was a delight to look at it. Then she
glided down from his charger and said, "Wait here, and I'll soon be
with thee again," and with that she wriggled under the gate. He stood
there and stood and waited and waited till he wept from sheer
weariness; but, at last, she came out again in the shape of a
lovely damsel in gorgeous raiment, and opened the gate for him.
"Lead in thy horse," said she, "and eat and rest awhile." So they
went into the courtyard, and in the midst of it stood two springs.
The lady drew out of one of these springs a little glass of water,
and strewing a handful of oats beside it, said, "Fasten up thy
horse here!"--"What!" thought he, "for these three days we have had
naught to eat or drink, and now she mocks us with a handful of
oats!"--Then they went together to the guest-chamber, and she gave
him there a little glass of water and a small piece of wheaten
bread.--"Why, what is this for a hungry man like me?" thought he.
But when he chanced to glance through the window, he saw that the
whole courtyard was full of oats and water, and that his horse had
already eaten its fill. Then he nibbled his little piece of wheaten
bread and sipped his water, and his hunger was immediately satisfied.
"Well," said the lady, "hast thou eaten thy fill?"--"That I have,"
he replied.--"Then lie down and rest awhile," said she. And the next
morning, when he rose up, she said to him, "Give me thy horse, thy
armour, and thy raiment, and I'll give thee mine in exchange."--Then
she gave him her shift and her weapon, and sa