Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/177

 After the dragon had dined, he mounted his horse and in a few moments came up with the runaways. Then he took the queen from the king’s son and said to him: “Go now, in God’s name! This time I forgive you because you gave me water in the cellar; but if your life is dear to you do not come back here any more!” The unhappy young prince went on his way a little, but could not long resist, so he came back next day to the dragon’s palace, and found the queen sitting alone and weeping. Then they began again to consult how they could get away. And the prince said: “When the dragon comes, ask him where he got that horse, and then you will tell me so that I can look for such another one; perhaps in this way we can escape.” He then went away, lest the dragon should come and find him with the queen.

By and by the dragon came home, and the queen began to pet him and speak lovingly to him about many things, till at last she said: “Ah! what a fine horse you have! Where did you get such a splendid horse ?” And he answered: “Eh! where I got it every one cannot get one! In such and such a mountain lives an old woman who has twelve horses in her stable, and no one can say which is the finest, they are all so beautiful. But in one corner of the stable stands a horse which looks as if he were leprous, but, in truth, he is the very best horse in the whole world. He is the brother of my horse, and whoever gets him may ride to the sky. But whoever wishes to get a horse from that old woman must serve her three days and three nights. She has a mare with a foal, and whoever during three nights guards and keeps for her this mare and this foal has a right to claim the best horse from the old woman’s stable. But whoever engages to keep watch over the mare and does not must lose his head!”

Next day, when the dragon went out, the king’s son came, and the queen told him all she had learned from the dragon.