than any one the
grey-haired George had ever seen. She was pale, but her lips shone moist
and red like the pulp of strawberries, her eyes were as clear and blue
as the sky over the Holy Land, and her hair glistened as if it had been
spun of the sunbeams. The knight's heart beat fast at the sight of her
loveliness; he could not speak, but he noticed that her hands and feet
were bound with chains, and that her beautiful hair was entwined about
a circle of emeralds that hung by a chain from the ceiling. She marked
neither the knight nor the squire, who stood shading his eyes with his
hand in order to see her the better.

Hot rage took possession of the heart of Wendelin when he saw the tears
rain down from the lady's large eyes onto her gown, which was already as
wet as if she had just been drawn from the lake.

When the knight noticed this, an overwhelming pity chased the anger from
his heart, and George, who was a soft-hearted man, sobbed aloud at her
pitiful appearance. The voice of the knight, too, was unsteady as he
called to the fair prisoner that he was a German, Wendelin by name, and
that he had set out on a knightly quest to kill dragons, and to draw
his sword for all who were oppressed. He had already conquered in many
combats, and nothing would please him better than to fight for her.

At this she ceased to weep, but she shook her head gently--her hair
being chained impeded her motion,--and answered sadly. "My enemy is too
powerful. You are young and beautiful, and the darling, perhaps, of a
loving mother at home, I cannot bear that you should suffer the same
fate as the others. Behold that nut-tree over there! What seem to be
white gourds hanging on its naked branches are their skulls! Go your
way quickly, for the evil spirit that keeps me prisoner, and will not
release me until I have sworn an oath to become his wife, will soon
return. His name is Misdral, he is very fierce and mighty, and lives
among the waste rocks over there on the north shore of the lake.
You have my thanks for your good intention, and now proceed on your
journey." The knight, however, did not follow her advice, but approached
the beautiful woman without more words, and caught hold of her hair to
unbind it from the ring. No sooner had he touched the emeralds than two
brown snakes came hissing towards him.

"Oho!" exclaimed Sir Wendelin. With one hand he caught their two necks
together in his powerful grip, with the other he grasped thei