is son-in-law went home and told his wife.

"Take long bamboo poles," said she, "and tie them together, and fasten
a curved sword at the top. And take these nine loaves of bread and
these hens' eggs, there are seven times seven of them. Carry them
along with you in a basket. When you come to the spot you will see a
large nest up in the branches. Do not climb the tree, but chop it down
with the curved sword. Then throw away your poles, and run for dear
life. Should a monster appear and follow you, throw him the loaves of
bread, three loaves at a time, and finally throw down the eggs on the
ground and make for home as quickly as you can. In this way you may
escape the danger which threatens you."

The man noted all she said exactly and went. And sure enough he saw
the bird's nest--it was as large as a round pavilion. Then he tied his
curved sword to the poles, chopped at the tree with all his strength,
laid down his poles on the ground and never looked around but ran for
dear life. Suddenly he heard the roaring of a thunder-storm rising
above him. When he looked up he saw a great dragon, many fathoms long
and some ten feet across. His eyes gleamed like two lamps and he was
spitting fire and flame from his maw. He had stretched out two feelers
and was feeling along the ground. Then the man swiftly flung the
loaves into the air. The dragon caught them, and it took a little time
before he had devoured them. But no sooner had the man gained a few
steps than the dragon once more came flying after him. Then he flung
him more loaves and when the loaves came to an end, he turned over his
basket so that the eggs rolled over the ground. The dragon had not yet
satisfied his hunger and opened his greedy jaws wide. When he suddenly
caught sight of the eggs, he descended from the air, and since the
eggs were scattered round about, it took some time before he had
sucked them all. In the meantime the man succeeded in escaping to his
home.

When he entered the door and saw his wife, he said to her, amid sobs:
"It was all I could do to escape, and I am lucky not to be in the
dragon's stomach! If this sort of thing keeps up much longer I am
bound to die!"

With these words he kneeled and begged his wife pitifully to save his
life.

"Where is your home?" asked his wife.

"My home is about a hundred miles away from here, in the Middle
Kingdom, and my old mother is still living. The only thing that
worries me is that we are so poor."