ravens. She asked him, 'Why have you come here?'

The Prince answered at once, 'I have heard so much of your beauty and
kindness, that I would very much like to enter your service.'

'Very well,' said the Mother Dragon; 'but if you wish to enter my
service, you must first lead my mare out to the meadow and look after
her for three days; but if you don't bring her home safely every
evening, we will eat you up.'

The Prince undertook the task and led the mare out to the meadow. But
no sooner had they reached the grass than she vanished. The Prince
sought for her in vain, and at last in despair sat down on a big stone
and contemplated his sad fate. As he sat thus lost in thought, he
noticed an eagle flying over his head. Then he suddenly bethought him
of his little bell, and taking it out of his pocket he rang it once.
In a moment he heard a rustling sound in the air beside him, and the
King of the Eagles sank at his feet.

'I know what you want of me,' the bird said. 'You are looking for the
Mother Dragon's mare who is galloping about among the clouds. I will
summon all the eagles of the air together, and order them to catch the
mare and bring her to you.' And with these words the King of the
Eagles flew away. Towards evening the Prince heard a mighty rushing
sound in the air, and when he looked up he saw thousands of eagles
driving the mare before them. They sank at his feet on to the ground
and gave the mare over to him. Then the Prince rode home to the old
Mother Dragon, who was full of wonder when she saw him, and said, 'You
have succeeded to-day in looking after my mare, and as a reward you
shall come to my ball to-night.' She gave him at the same time a cloak
made of copper, and led him to a big room where several young
he-dragons and she-dragons were dancing together. Here, too, was the
Flower Queen's beautiful daughter. Her dress was woven out of the most
lovely flowers in the world, and her complexion was like lilies and
roses. As the Prince was dancing with her he managed to whisper in her
ear, 'I have come to set you free!'

[Illustration: The Dragons Dancing.]

Then the beautiful girl said to him, 'If you succeed in bringing the
mare back safely the third day, ask the Mother Dragon to give you a
foal of the mare as a reward.'

The ball came to an end at midnight, and early next morning the Prince
again led the Mother Dragon's mare out into the meadow. But again she
vanished before his eyes. Then he to