Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/122

 another to equal him.” The king, who was already greatly taken with this picture of the young man, bade the hermit bring him into his presence straightway. The hermit, having gone out of the king’s palace, returned to his cabin and told Cesarino what he had done.

The youth, after he had taken the dragon’s tongue and put it in a wallet, went, accompanied by the hermit and the three animals, to the king’s presence, and kneeling reverently on his knees, spake thus: “Most sacred majesty, the fatigue and the labour were indeed mine, but the honour belongs to others. I and these three animals of mine slew the wild beast in order to set your daughter at liberty.” Then the king said: “What proof can you give me that you really slew this beast, inasmuch as this other man has brought to me the head thereof, which you see suspended here?” Cesarino answered: “I do not ask you to take the word of your daughter, which would assuredly be an all-sufficient testimony. I will simply offer to you one token, of a nature no one can gainsay, that I and no other was the slayer of the beast. Examine well the head you have in your keeping, and you will find that the tongue is lacking thereto.” Whereupon the king caused the dragon’s head to be examined, and found it without a tongue; so Cesarino, having put his hand in his bag, drew forth the tongue of the dragon, which was of enormous size—so great a one had never before been seen—and showed clearly thereby that he had slain the savage beast. The king, after having heard confirmation from his daughter, and on account of this production of the tongue by Cesarino, and divers other proofs which were offered, commanded them at once to take the villainous peasant and to strike off his head from his body. Then with great feasts and rejoicings the nuptials of Cesarino and the princess were celebrated.

When the news was brought to the mother and the sisters of Cesarino that he had slain the wild beast and had rescued