Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/106

82 the sky grew darkened, the hearts of beholders shrivelled up like a mummy, and all the folks trembled and shook like an aspen-leaf. Then Cienzo, who saw all this, laid hold on his sword, and slapdash struck off a head in a trice. But the dragon went and rubbed his neck on a certain plant which grew not far off, and suddenly the head joined itself on again, like a lizard joining itself to its tail. When Cienzo saw this he exclaimed, "He who dares not, wins not;" and setting his teeth, he struck such a furious blow that he cut off all seven heads, which flew from the necks like peas from the pan. Whereupon he took out the tongues, and putting them in his pocket, he flung the heads a mile apart from the body, so that they might never come together again. Then he took a handful of the plant which had united the dragon's neck with the head, sent Menechella home to her father, and went himself to repose in a tavern.

When the king saw his daughter, his delight is not to be told; and having heard the manner in which she had been freed, he ordered a proclamation to be instantly made, that whosoever had killed the dragon should come and take his daughter to wife. Now a rascal of a country-fellow happening to hear this proclamation, took the heads of the dragon, went to the king, and said, "Menechella has been saved by me; these hands