ng other game. Later he
returned to the Old Mill from another direction.

He found an old woman sitting in front of it.

"Good evening, granny," he said in a friendly tone, pulling up his horse
for a moment's chat. "Do you live here? You know I thought the Old Mill
was deserted."

The old woman looked at him and shook her head gloomily.

"Deserted indeed! My boy, take an old woman's advice and don't have
anything to do with this old mill! It's an evil place!"

"Why, granny," the Prince said, "what's the matter with it?"

The old woman peered cautiously around and when she saw they were alone
she beckoned the Prince to come near. Then she whispered:

"A dragon lives here! A horrible monster! He takes the form of a hare
and lures people into the mill. Then he captures them. Some of them he
kills and eats and others he holds as prisoners in an underground
dungeon. I'm one of his prisoners and he keeps me here to work for him."

"Granny," the Youngest Prince said, "would you like me to rescue you?"

"My boy, you couldn't do it! You have no idea what a strong evil monster
the dragon is."

"If you found out something for me, granny, I think I might be able to
overcome the dragon and rescue you."

The old woman was doubtful but she promised to do anything the Youngest
Prince asked.

"Well then, granny, find out from the dragon where his strength is,
whether in his own body or somewhere else. Find out to-night and I'll
come back to-morrow at this same hour to see you."

So that night when the dragon came home, after he had supped and when
she was scratching his head to make him drowsy for bed, the old woman
said to him:

"Master, I think you're the strongest dragon in the world! Tell me now,
where does your strength lie--in your own beautiful body or somewhere
else?"

"You're right, old woman," the dragon grunted: "I am pretty strong as
dragons go. But I don't keep my strength in my own body. No, indeed!
That would be too dangerous. I keep it in the hearth yonder."

At that the old woman ran over to the hearth and, stooping down, she
kissed it and caressed it.

"O beautiful hearth!" she said, "where my master's strength is hidden!
How happy are the ashes that cover your stones!"

The dragon laughed with amusement.

"That's the time I fooled you, old woman! My strength isn't in the
hearth at all! It's in the tree in front of the mill."

The old woman at once ran out of the mill and threw her arms about t