Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/120

 he took in his hand the knife which he carried at his side, and struck off therewith the dragon’s head from the body, and having placed the same in a large bag which he had with him, he took his way towards the city. As he went along the road at a rapid pace, he overtook the princess, who was going back to the king her father, and, having joined company with her, he went with her as far as the royal palace and led her into the presence of the king, who, as soon as he saw his daughter come back safe and sound, almost died from excess of gladness. Then the peasant, with a joyful air, took off the hat he wore on his head and thus addressed the king: “Sire, I claim by right this fair daughter of yours as my wife, seeing that I have delivered her from death.” And having thus spoken the peasant, as a testimony of his word, drew forth from his bag the horrible head of the slain monster and laid it before the king. The king, when he beheld the head of the beast, once so fierce but now a thing of nought, and considered in his mind how his daughter had been rescued from death, and his country freed from the ravages of the dragon, gave orders for universal rejoicings, and for the preparation of a sumptuous feast, to which should be bidden all the ladies of the city. And a great crowd of these, splendidly attired, came to offer to the princess their good wishes for her delivery from death.

It happened that at this very same time, when they were getting ready all these feasts and rejoicings, the old hermit went into the city, where the news soon came to his ears how a certain peasant had slain the dragon, and how as a reward for his deed and for the liberation of the king’s daughter, he was to have the damsel to wife. When the hermit heard this he was heavily grieved, and, putting aside for the time all thought of seeking for alms, he returned forthwith to his hermitage and made known to Cesarino the thing he had just heard. The youth, when he listened