The Dragon and His Grandmother

THE DRAGON AND HIS GRANDMOTHER

There was once a great war, and the King had a great many soldiers,

but he gave them so little pay that they could not live upon it. Then

three of them took counsel together and determined to desert.

One of them said to the others, ‘If we are caught, we shall be hanged

on the gallows; how shall we set about it?’ The other said, ‘Do you

see that large cornfield there? If we were to hide ourselves in that,

no one could find us. The army cannot come into it, and to-morrow it

is to march on.’

They crept into the corn, but the army did not march on, but remained

encamped close around them. They sat for two days and two nights in

the corn, and grew so hungry that they nearly died; but if they were

to venture out, it was certain death.

They said at last, ‘What use was it our deserting? We must perish here

miserably.’

Whilst they were speaking a fiery dragon came flying through the air.

It hovered near them, and asked why they were hidden there. They

answered, ‘We are three soldiers, and have deserted because our pay

was so small. Now if we remain here we shall die of hunger, and if we

move out we shall be strung up on the gallows.’ ‘If you will serve me

for seven years,’ said the dragon, I will lead you through the midst

of the army so that no one shall catch you.’ ‘We have no choice, and

must take your offer,’ said they. Then the dragon seized them in his

claws, took them through the air over the army, and set them down on

the earth a long way from it.

He gave them a little whip, saying, ‘Whip and slash with this, and as

much money as you want will jump up before you. You can then live as

great lords, keep horses, and drive about in carriages. But after

seven years you are mine.’ Then he put a book before them, which he

made all three of them sign. ‘I will then give you a riddle,’ he said;

‘if you guess it, you shall be free and out of my power.’ The dragon

then flew away, and they journeyed on with their little whip. They had

as much money as they wanted, wore grand clothes, and made their way

into the world. Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and

splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but

did nothing wrong.

[Illustration: The Dragon carries off the three soldiers]

The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly

ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third

made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born

yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’

They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces. An

old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad. ‘Alas! what

have you to do with it? You cannot help us.’ ‘Who knows?’ she

answered. ‘Only confide your trouble in me.’

Then they told her that they had become the servants of the Dragon for

seven long years, and how he had given them money as plentifully as

blackberries; but as they had signed their names they were his, unless

when the seven years had passed they could guess a riddle. The old

woman said, ‘If you would help yourselves, one of you must go into the

wood, and there he will come upon a tumble-down building of rocks

which looks like a little house. He must go in, and there he will find

help.’

The two melancholy ones thought, ‘That won’t save us!’ and they

remained where they were. But the third and merry one jumped up and

went into the wood till he found the rock hut. In the hut sat a very

old woman, who was the Dragon’s grandmother. She asked him how he

came, and what was his business there. He told her all that happened,

and because she was pleased with him she took compassion on him, and

said she would help him.

She lifted up a large stone which lay over the cellar, saying, ‘Hide

yourself there; you can hear all that is spoken in this room. Only sit

still and don’t stir. When the Dragon comes, I will ask him what the

riddle is, for he tells me everything; then listen carefully what he

answers.’

At midnight the Dragon flew in, and asked for his supper. His

grandmother laid the table, and brought out food and drink till he was

satisfied, and they ate and drank together. Then in the course of the

conversation she asked him what he had done in the day, and how many

souls he had conquered.

‘I haven’t had much luck to-day,’ he said, ‘but I have a tight hold on

three soldiers.’

‘Indeed! three soldiers!’ said she. ‘Who cannot escape you?’

‘They are mine,’ answered the Dragon scornfully, ‘for I shall only

give them one riddle which they will never be able to guess.’

‘What sort of a riddle is it?’ she asked.

‘I will tell you this. In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat—that

shall be their roast meat; and the rib of a whale—that shall be their

silver spoon; and the hollow foot of a dead horse—that shall be their

wineglass.’

When the Dragon had gone to bed, his old grandmother pulled up the

stone and let out the soldier.

‘Did you pay attention to everything?’

‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I know enough, and can help myself splendidly.’

Then he went by another way through the window secretly, and in all

haste back to his comrades. He told them how the Dragon had been

outwitted by his grandmother, and how he had heard from his own lips

the answer to the riddle.

Then they were all delighted and in high spirits, took out their whip,

and cracked so much money that it came jumping up from the ground.

When the seven years had quite gone, the Fiend came with his book,

and, pointing at the signatures, said, ‘I will take you underground

with me; you shall have a meal there. If you can tell me what you will

get for your roast meat, you shall be free, and shall also keep the

whip.’

Then said the first soldier, ‘In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat;

that shall be the roast meat.’

The Dragon was much annoyed, and hummed and hawed a good deal, and

asked the second, ‘But what shall be your spoon?’

‘The rib of a whale shall be our silver spoon.’

The Dragon made a face, and growled again three times, ‘Hum, hum,

hum,’ and said to the third, ‘Do you know what your wineglass shall

be?’

‘An old horse’s hoof shall be our wineglass.’

Then the Dragon flew away with a loud shriek, and had no more power

over them. But the three soldiers took the little whip, whipped as

much money as they wanted, and lived happily to their lives’ end.

[Illustration: The Fiend defeated]