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272 majesty. "That you will deign to let me smoke one pipe on the road." "Two, if you like!" said the king, in the politest way possible. Then Kurt lit his pipe at the blue light; and the black dwarf with his hump on his back, and his feather in his cap, stood before him in a moment, and asked his master for orders. "Be so good," said Kurt, "as to send to the right-about all these good people, who are taking so much pains to fit me with a halter; and as for the king their master, be kind enough to cut him into three pieces."

Then the dwarf began to lay about him as quick as thought, for there was no time to lose; and he soon got rid of the crowd around: but the king begged hard for mercy, and, to save his life, he agreed to let Kurt have the princess for his wife, and to leave him the kingdom when he died. And so the matter was ended, and terms of peace were agreed upon, signed and sealed; and thus peace, for the first time in his life, brought good luck to our old soldier.