Therewasonceagreatwar，andtheKinghadagreatmanysoldiers，buthegavethemsolittlepaythattheycouldnotliveuponit。Thenthreeofthemtookcounseltogetheranddeterminedtodesert。
Oneofthemsaidtotheothers，’Ifwearecaught，weshallbehangedonthegallows；howshallwesetaboutit？’Theothersaid，’Doyouseethatlargecornfieldthere？Ifweweretohideourselvesinthat，noonecouldfindus。Thearmycannotcomeintoit，andto-morrowitistomarchon。’
Theycreptintothecorn，butthearmydidnotmarchon，butremainedencampedclosearoundthem。Theysatfortwodaysandtwonightsinthecorn，andgrewsohungrythattheynearlydied；
butiftheyweretoventureout，itwascertaindeath。
Theysaidatlast，’Whatusewasitourdeserting？Wemustperishheremiserably。’
Whilsttheywerespeakingafierydragoncameflyingthroughtheair。Ithoverednearthem，andaskedwhytheywerehiddenthere。
Theyanswered，’Wearethreesoldiers，andhavedesertedbecauseourpaywassosmall。Nowifweremainhereweshalldieofhunger，andifwemoveoutweshallbestrunguponthegallows。’
’Ifyouwillservemeforsevenyears，’saidthedragon，Iwillleadyouthroughthemidstofthearmysothatnooneshallcatchyou。’’Wehavenochoice，andmusttakeyouroffer，’saidthey。
Thenthedragonseizedtheminhisclaws，tookthemthroughtheairoverthearmy，andsetthemdownontheearthalongwayfromit。
Hegavethemalittlewhip，saying，’Whipandslashwiththis，andasmuchmoneyasyouwantwilljumpupbeforeyou。Youcanthenliveasgreatlords，keephorses，anddriveaboutincarriages。Butaftersevenyearsyouaremine。’Thenheputabookbeforethem，whichhemadeallthreeofthemsign。’Iwillthengiveyouariddle，’hesaid；’ifyouguessit，youshallbefreeandoutofmypower。’Thedragonthenflewaway，andtheyjourneyedonwiththeirlittlewhip。Theyhadasmuchmoneyastheywanted，woregrandclothes，andmadetheirwayintotheworld。Wherevertheywenttheylivedinmerrymakingandsplendour，droveaboutwithhorsesandcarriages，ateanddrank，butdidnothingwrong。
Thetimepassedquicklyaway，andwhenthesevenyearswerenearlyendedtwoofthemgrewterriblyanxiousandfrightened，butthethirdmadelightofit，saying，’Don’tbeafraid，brothers，Iwasn’tbornyesterday；Iwillguesstheriddle。’
Theywentintoafield，satdown，andthetwopulledlongfaces。
Anoldwomanpassedby，andaskedthemwhytheyweresosad。
’Alas！whathaveyoutodowithit？Youcannothelpus。’’Whoknows？’sheanswered。’Onlyconfideyourtroubleinme。’
ThentheytoldherthattheyhadbecometheservantsoftheDragonforsevenlongyears，andhowhehadgiventhemmoneyasplentifullyasblackberries；butastheyhadsignedtheirnamestheywerehis，unlesswhenthesevenyearshadpassedtheycouldguessariddle。Theoldwomansaid，’Ifyouwouldhelpyourselves，oneofyoumustgointothewood，andtherehewillcomeuponatumble-downbuildingofrockswhichlookslikealittlehouse。Hemustgoin，andtherehewillfindhelp。’
Thetwomelancholyonesthought，’Thatwon’tsaveus！’andtheyremainedwheretheywere。Butthethirdandmerryonejumpedupandwentintothewoodtillhefoundtherockhut。Inthehutsataveryoldwoman，whowastheDragon’sgrandmother。Sheaskedhimhowhecame，andwhatwashisbusinessthere。Hetoldherallthathappened，andbecauseshewaspleasedwithhimshetookcompassiononhim，andsaidshewouldhelphim。
Sheliftedupalargestonewhichlayoverthecellar，saying，’Hideyourselfthere；youcanhearallthatisspokeninthisroom。Onlysitstillanddon’tstir。WhentheDragoncomes，I
willaskhimwhattheriddleis，forhetellsmeeverything；thenlistencarefullywhatheanswers。’
AtmidnighttheDragonflewin，andaskedforhissupper。Hisgrandmotherlaidthetable，andbroughtoutfoodanddrinktillhewassatisfied，andtheyateanddranktogether。Theninthecourseoftheconversationsheaskedhimwhathehaddoneintheday，andhowmanysoulshehadconquered。
’Ihaven’thadmuchluckto-day，’hesaid，’butIhaveatightholdonthreesoldiers。’
’Indeed！threesoldiers！’saidshe。’Whocannotescapeyou？’
’Theyaremine，’answeredtheDragonscornfully，’forIshallonlygivethemoneriddlewhichtheywillneverbeabletoguess。’
’Whatsortofariddleisit？’sheasked。
’Iwilltellyouthis。IntheNorthSealiesadeadsea-cat——
thatshallbetheirroastmeat；andtheribofawhale——thatshallbetheirsilverspoon；andthehollowfootofadeadhorse——thatshallbetheirwineglass。’
WhentheDragonhadgonetobed，hisoldgrandmotherpulledupthestoneandletoutthesoldier。
’Didyoupayattentiontoeverything？’
’Yes，’hereplied，’Iknowenough，andcanhelpmyselfsplendidly。’
Thenhewentbyanotherwaythroughthewindowsecretly，andinallhastebacktohiscomrades。HetoldthemhowtheDragonhadbeenoutwittedbyhisgrandmother，andhowhehadheardfromhisownlipstheanswertotheriddle。
Thentheywerealldelightedandinhighspirits，tookouttheirwhip，andcrackedsomuchmoneythatitcamejumpingupfromtheground。Whenthesevenyearshadquitegone，theFiendcamewithhisbook，and，pointingatthesignatures，said，’Iwilltakeyouundergroundwithme；youshallhaveamealthere。Ifyoucantellmewhatyouwillgetforyourroastmeat，youshallbefree，andshallalsokeepthewhip。’
Thensaidthefirstsoldier，’IntheNorthSealiesadeadsea-
cat；thatshallbetheroastmeat。’
TheDragonwasmuchannoyed，andhummedandhawedagooddeal，andaskedthesecond，’Butwhatshallbeyourspoon？’
’Theribofawhaleshallbeoursilverspoon。’
TheDragon-madeaface，andgrowledagainthreetimes，’Hum，hum，hum，’andsaidtothethird，’Doyouknowwhatyourwineglassshallbe？’
’Anoldhorse’shoofshallbeourwineglass。’
ThentheDragonflewawaywithaloudshriek，andhadnomorepoweroverthem。Butthethreesoldierstookthelittlewhip，whippedasmuchmoneyastheywanted，andlivedhappilytotheirlivesend。
TherewasonceayoungHunterwhowentboldlyintotheforest。
Hehadamerryandlightheart，andashewentwhistlingalongtherecameanuglyoldwoman，whosaidtohim，’Good-day，dearhunter！Youareverymerryandcontented，butIsufferhungerandthirst，sogivemeatrifle。’TheHunterwassorryforthepooroldwoman，andhefeltinhispocketandgaveherallhecouldspare。Hewasgoingonthen，buttheoldwomanstoppedhimandsaid，’Listen，dearhunter，towhatIsay。BecauseofyourkindheartIwillmakeyouapresent。Goonyourway，andinashorttimeyouwillcometoatreeonwhichsitninebirdswhohaveacloakintheirclawsandarequarrellingoverit。Thentakeaimwithyourgunandshootinthemiddleofthem；theywillletthecloakfall，butoneofthebirdswillbehitandwilldropdowndead。Takethecloakwithyou；itisawishing-cloak，andwhenyouthrowitonyourshouldersyouhaveonlytowishyourselfatacertainplace，andinthetwinklingofaneyeyouarethere。Taketheheartoutofthedeadbirdandswallowitwhole，andearlyeverymorningwhenyougetupyouwillfindagoldpieceunderyourpillow。’
TheHunterthankedthewisewoman，andthoughttohimself’Thesearesplendidthingsshehaspromisedme，ifonlytheycometopass！’Sohewalkedonaboutahundredyards，andthenheheardabovehiminthebranchessuchascreamingandchirpingthathelookedup，andtherehesawaheapofbirdstearingaclothwiththeirbeaksandfeet，shrieking，tugging，andfighting，asifeachwanteditforhimself。’Well，’saidtheHunter，’thisiswonderful！Itisjustastheoldwomansaid’；andhetookhisgunonhisshoulder，pulledthetrigger，andshotintothemidstofthem，sothattheirfeathersflewabout。Thentheflocktookflightwithmuchscreaming，butonefelldead，andthecloakfluttereddown。ThentheHunterdidastheoldwomanhadtoldhim:hecutopenthebird，founditsheart，swallowedit，andtookthecloakhomewithhim。Thenextmorningwhenheawokeherememberedthepromise，andwantedtoseeifithadcometrue。
Butwhenhelifteduphispillow，theresparkledthegoldpiece，andthenextmorninghefoundanother，andsooneverytimehegotup。Hecollectedaheapofgold，butatlasthethoughttohimself，’WhatgoodisallmygoldtomeifIstayathome？I
willtravelandlookabitaboutmeintheworld。’Sohetookleaveofhisparents，slunghishuntingknapsackandhisgunroundhim，andjourneyedintotheworld。
Ithappenedthatonedayhewentthroughathickwood，andwhenhecametotheendofittherelayintheplainbeforehimalargecastle。Atoneofthewindowsinitstoodanoldwomanwithamostbeautifulmaidenbyherside，lookingout。Buttheoldwomanwasawitch，andshesaidtothegirl，’Therecomesoneoutofthewoodwhohasawonderfultreasureinhisbodywhichwemustmanagetopossessourselvesof，darlingdaughter；wehavemorerighttoitthanhe。Hehasabird’sheartinhim，andsoeverymorningthereliesagoldpieceunderhispillow。’
Shetoldherhowtheycouldgetholdofit，andhowshewastocoaxitfromhim，andatlastthreatenedherangrily，saying，’Andifyoudonotobeyme，youshallrepentit！’
