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382 When the king's daughter reached the summit of the mountain, she found there not the dragon she expected, but a young huntsman, who spoke words of comfort to her and promised to save her. He then led her into the church, and locked the door upon her. It was not long before the huntsman heard a hideous roar, and saw the seven-headed monster coming towards him. On seeing the huntsman, the dragon exclaimed in astonishment, "What have you to do here on this mountain?" The huntsman answered, "I have come to fight with you."

"Ah," said the dragon, "so many knights have said that and have ended by losing their lives, and I will make an end of yours too," and with this the fire came pouring out of his seven jaws and set fire to the surrounding grass. The huntsman was nearly suffocated by the heat and smoke, but his animals came running up and trod out the fire. The dragon now rushed towards him, but the huntsman swung up his sword, which came whistling down through the air and cut off three of the monster's heads. Then the dragon in his fury, reared himself up, shot flames of fire towards the huntsman, and was about to fall on him, when he again lifted his sword and cut off three more heads. The monster sank exhausted, but roused himself to make one more attack on the huntsman. The latter, his strength almost at an end, with one last blow, cut off the dragon's tail, and then unable to fight any more himself, he called his animals, and they tore the monster in pieces.

The fight now being over, the huntsman opened the church door. He found the king's daughter lying on the floor in a swoon, into which she had fallen, overcome by distress and terror while the fighting was going on. He carried her out, and as she came to herself and opened