nt away from the mill, the prince came to the old woman, and
the old woman told him all that she had heard from the dragon. Then he
left his home, and disguised himself; he put shepherd's boots to his
feet, took a shepherd's staff in his hand, and went into the world. As
he went on thus from village to village, and from town to town, at last
he came into another empire and into the imperial city, in a lake under
which the dragon was. On going into the town he began to inquire who
wanted a shepherd. The citizens told him that the emperor did. Then he
went straight to the emperor. After he announced himself, the emperor
admitted him into his presence, and asked him: "Do you wish to keep
sheep?" He replied: "I do, illustrious crown!" Then the emperor engaged
him, and began to inform and instruct him: "There is here a lake, and
alongside of the lake very beautiful pasture, and when you call the
sheep out, they go thither at once, and spread themselves round the
lake; but whatever shepherd goes off there, that shepherd returns back
no more. Therefore, my son, I tell you, don't let the sheep have their
own way and go where _they_ will, but keep them where _you_ will." The
prince thanked the emperor, got himself ready, and called out the sheep,
taking with him, more-over, two hounds that could catch a boar in the
open country, and a falcon that could capture any bird, and carrying
also a pair of bagpipes. When he called out the sheep he let them go at
once to the lake, and when the sheep arrived at the lake, they
immediately spread round it, and the prince placed the falcon on a
stump, and the hounds and bagpipes under the stump, then tucked up his
hose and sleeves, waded into the lake, and began to shout: "Dragon,
dragon! come out to single combat with me to-day that we may measure
ourselves together, unless you're a woman."[6] The dragon called out in
reply, "I will do so now, prince--now!" Erelong behold the dragon! it is
large, it is terrible, it is disgusting! When the dragon came out, it
seized him by the waist, and they wrestled a summer day till afternoon.
But when the heat of afternoon came on, the dragon said: "Let me go,
prince, that I may moisten my parched head in the lake, and toss you to
the sky." But the prince replied: "Come, dragon, don't talk nonsense; if
I had the emperor's daughter to kiss me on the forehead, I would toss
you still higher." Thereupon, the dragon suddenly let him go, and went
off into the lak