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 Life. Then she placed it in the bill of the bird, Pelikan, and Pelikan, reaching its long thin neck down Vitazko’s throat, put the heart in its proper place. The heart began to beat and instantly Vitazko could again feel joy and pain and grief and happiness.

“Now can you feel?” Nedyelka asked.

“Yes,” Vitazko said. “Now, thank God, I can feel again!”

“Pelikan,” Nedyelka said, “for this service you shall be freed As for you, my son, you must go back to the castle once more and inflict a just punishment. I shall change you into a pigeon. Fly to the castle and there, when you wish to be yourself again, think of me.”

So Vitazko took the form of a pigeon and flying to the castle alighted on the window-sill.

Inside the castle chamber he saw his mother fondling Sharkan.

“See!” she cried. “A pigeon is on the window-sill. Quick! Get your crossbow and shoot it!”

But before the dragon could move, Vitazko stood in the chamber.

He seized a sword and with one mighty blow cut off the dragon’s head.