Kabanata Kabanata 3 · THE DRAGON AND HIS GRANDMOTHER

. THE DRAGON AND HIS GRANDMOTHER

There was once a great war, and the King had a great many soldiers, but

he gave them so little pay that they could not live upon it. Then three

of them took counsel together and determined to desert.

One of them said to the others, ‘If we are caught, we shall be hanged

on the gallows; how shall we set about it?’ The other said, ‘Do you see

that large cornfield there? If we were to hide ourselves in that, no

one could find us. The army cannot come into it, and to-morrow it is to

march on.’

They crept into the corn, but the army did not march on, but remained

encamped close around them. They sat for two days and two nights in

the corn, and grew so hungry that they nearly died; but if they were to

venture out, it was certain death.

They said at last, ‘What use was it our deserting? We must perish here

miserably.’

Whilst they were speaking a fiery dragon came flying through the air. It

hovered near them, and asked why they were hidden there.

They answered, ‘We are three soldiers, and have deserted because our pay

was so small. Now if we remain here we shall die of hunger, and if we

move out we shall be strung up on the gallows.’

‘If you will serve me for seven years,’ said the dragon, I will lead you

through the midst of the army so that no one shall catch you.’ ‘We have

no choice, and must take your offer,’ said they. Then the dragon seized

them in his claws, took them through the air over the army, and set them

down on the earth a long way from it.

He gave them a little whip, saying, ‘Whip and slash with this, and as

much money as you want will jump up before you. You can then live as

great lords, keep horses, and drive about in carriages. But after seven

years you are mine.’ Then he put a book before them, which he made all

three of them sign. ‘I will then give you a riddle,’ he said; ‘if you

guess it, you shall be free and out of my power.’ The dragon then flew

away, and they journeyed on with their little whip. They had as much

money as they wanted, wore grand clothes, and made their way into the

world. Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove

about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.

The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended

two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third

made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born

yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’

They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces. An old

woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad. ‘Alas! what have

you to do with it? You cannot help us.’ ‘Who knows?’ she answered. ‘Only

confide your trouble in me.’

Then they told her that they had become the servants of the Dragon for

seven long years, and how he had given them money as plentifully as

blackberries; but as they had signed their names they were his, unless

when the seven years had passed they could guess a riddle. The old woman

said, ‘If you would help yourselves, one of you must go into the wood,

and there he will come upon a tumble-down building of rocks which looks

like a little house. He must go in, and there he will find help.’

The two melancholy ones thought, ‘That won’t save us!’ and they remained

where they were. But the third and merry one jumped up and went into the

wood till he found the rock hut. In the hut sat a very old woman, who

was the Dragon’s grandmother. She asked him how he came, and what was

his business there. He told her all that happened, and because she was

pleased with him she took compassion on him, and said she would help

him.

She lifted up a large stone which lay over the cellar, saying, ‘Hide

yourself there; you can hear all that is spoken in this room. Only sit

still and don’t stir. When the Dragon comes, I will ask him what the

riddle is, for he tells me everything; then listen carefully what he

answers.’

At midnight the Dragon flew in, and asked for his supper. His

grandmother laid the table, and brought out food and drink till he was

satisfied, and they ate and drank together. Then in the course of the

conversation she asked him what he had done in the day, and how many

souls he had conquered.

‘I haven’t had much luck to-day,’ he said, ‘but I have a tight hold on

three soldiers.’

‘Indeed! three soldiers!’ said she. ‘Who cannot escape you?’

‘They are mine,’ answered the Dragon scornfully, ‘for I shall only give

them one riddle which they will never be able to guess.’

‘What sort of a riddle is it?’ she asked.

‘I will tell you this. In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat--that shall

be their roast meat; and the rib of a whale--that shall be their

silver spoon; and the hollow foot of a dead horse--that shall be their

wineglass.’

When the Dragon had gone to bed, his old grandmother pulled up the stone

and let out the soldier.

‘Did you pay attention to everything?’

‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I know enough, and can help myself splendidly.’

Then he went by another way through the window secretly, and in all

haste back to his comrades. He told them how the Dragon had been

outwitted by his grandmother, and how he had heard from his own lips the

answer to the riddle.

Then they were all delighted and in high spirits, took out their whip,

and cracked so much money that it came jumping up from the ground.

When the seven years had quite gone, the Fiend came with his book, and,

pointing at the signatures, said, ‘I will take you underground with me;

you shall have a meal there. If you can tell me what you will get for

your roast meat, you shall be free, and shall also keep the whip.’

Then said the first soldier, ‘In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat; that

shall be the roast meat.’

The Dragon was much annoyed, and hummed and hawed a good deal, and asked

the second, ‘But what shall be your spoon?’

‘The rib of a whale shall be our silver spoon.’

The Dragon-made a face, and growled again three times, ‘Hum, hum, hum,’

and said to the third, ‘Do you know what your wineglass shall be?’

‘An old horse’s hoof shall be our wineglass.’

Then the Dragon flew away with a loud shriek, and had no more power over

them. But the three soldiers took the little whip, whipped as much money

as they wanted, and lived happily to their lives end.