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494 carried it all cheerfully. Even Fine-ear made himself useful; he found truffles, morelles, mushrooms, salads, and fine herbs, by hearing them grow in the ground. So Fortuné hardly ever had occasion to draw his purse-strings, to defray the expenses of his journey. He would have been very much amused at the sight of so many extraordinary things, if his heart had not been so full of all that he had just left. The King's merit was ever present to him, and the Queen's malice appeared to him so great, that he could not help hating her. He was riding along lost in thought, when he was aroused from his reverie by the piercing cries of several people. They were those of the poor peasants, whom the dragon was devouring. He saw some, who having escaped, were running away with all their might: he called to them, but they would not stop; he followed, and spoke to them, and he learnt from them that the monster was not far off. He asked them, how they had managed to escape; they told him that water was very scarce in the country, that they had only rain-water to drink, to preserve which, they had made a pond—that the dragon, after going his rounds, went to drink there—that he uttered such tremendous yells when he arrived at it, he might be heard a league off, and that then everybody was so alarmed that they hid themselves, and fastened their doors and windows.

The Chevalier entered an inn, not so much to rest himself, as to get some good advice from his pretty horse. When every one had retired, he went into the stable, and said, "Comrade, how shall we conquer this dragon?" "My Lord," said he, "I will dream of it to-night, and tell you what I think about it to-niorrow morning." Accordingly, the next morning when the Chevalier came again, the horse said, "Let Fine-ear listen if the dragon is near at hand." Fine-ear laid himself down on the ground, and heard the yells of the dragon, who was about seven leagues off. When the horse was informed of this, he said to Fortuné, "Desire Tippler to go and drink up all the water out of the great pond, and make Strong-back carry wine enough there to fill it. You must put around the pond dried raisins, pepper, and several things that will make the dragon thirsty; order all the inhabitants to shut themselves up in their houses; and you, my Lord, must not leave the one you may choose to lay wait in