And in the evening when they had sat down to
supper, they said to their foster-father, “We will not touch food, or
take one mouthful, until you have granted us a request.” Said he,
“What, then, is your request?” They replied, “We have now finished
learning, and we must prove ourselves in the world, so allow us to go
away and travel.” Then spake the old man joyfully, “You talk like brave
huntsmen, that which you desire has been my wish; go forth, all will go
well with you.” Thereupon they ate and drank joyously together. When the appointed day came, their foster-father presented each of them
with a good gun and a dog, and let each of them take as many of his
saved-up gold pieces as he chose. Then he accompanied them a part of
the way, and when taking leave, he gave them a bright knife, and said,
“If ever you separate, stick this knife into a tree at the place where
you part, and when one of you goes back, he will will be able to see
how his absent brother is faring, for the side of the knife which is
turned in the direction by which he went, will rust if he dies, but
will remain bright as long as he is alive.” The two brothers went still
farther onwards, and came to a forest which was so large that it was
impossible for them to get out of it in one day. So they passed the
night in it, and ate what they had put in their hunting-pouches, but
they walked all the second day likewise, and still did not get out. As
they had nothing to eat, one of them said, “We must shoot something for
ourselves or we shall suffer from hunger,” and loaded his gun, and
looked about him. And when an old hare came running up towards them, he
laid his gun on his shoulder, but the hare cried,

“Dear huntsman, do but let me live,
Two little ones to thee I’ll give,”


and sprang instantly into the thicket, and brought two young ones. But
the little creatures played so merrily, and were so pretty, that the
huntsmen could not find it in their hearts to kill them. They therefore
kept them with them, and the little hares followed on foot. Soon after
this, a fox crept past; they were just going to shoot it, but the fox
cried,

“Dear hunstman, do but let me live,
Two little ones I’ll also give.”


He, too, brought two little foxes, and the huntsmen did not like to
kill them either, but gave them to the hares for company, and they
followed behind. It was not long before a wolf strode out of the
thicket; the huntsmen made ready to shoot him, but the wolf cried,

“Dear huntsman, do but let me live,
Two little ones I’ll likewise give.”


The huntsmen put the two wolves beside the other animals, and they
followed behind them. Then a bear came who wanted to trot about a
little longer, and cried:

“Dear huntsman, do but let me live,
Two little ones I, too, will give.”


The two young bears were added to the others, and there were already
eight of them. At length who came? A lion came, and tossed his mane. But the huntsmen did not let themselves be frightened and aimed at him
likewise, but the lion also said,

“Dear huntsman, do but let me live,
Two little ones I, too, will give.”


And he brought his little ones to them, and now the huntsmen had two
lions, two bears, two wolves, two foxes, and two hares, who followed
them and served them. In thu meantime their hunger was not appeased by
this, and they said to the foxes, “Hark ye, cunning fellows, provide us
with something to eat. You are crafty and deep.” They replied, “Not far
from here lies a village, from which we have already brought many a
fowl; we will show you the way there.” So they went into the village,
bought themselves something to eat, had some food given to their
beasts, and then travelled onwards. The foxes, however, knew their way
very well about the district and where the poultry-yards were, and were
able to guide the huntsmen. Now they travelled about for a while, but could find no situations
where they could remain together, so they said, “There is nothing else
for it, we must part.” They divided the animals, so that each of them
had a lion, a bear, a wolf, a fox, and a hare, then they took leave of
each other, promised to love each other like brothers till their death,
and stuck the knife which their foster-father had given them, into a
tree, after which one went east, and the other went west. The younger, however, arrived with his beasts in a town which was all
hung with black crape. He went into an inn, and asked the host if he
could accommodate his animals. The innkeeper gave him a stable, where
there was a hole in the wall, and the hare crept out and fetched
himself the head of a cabbage, and the fox fetched himself a hen, and
when he had devoured that got the cock as well, but the wolf, the bear,
and the lion could not get out because they were too big. Then the
innkeeper let them be taken to a place where a cow was just then lying
on the grass, that they might eat till they were satisfied. And when
the huntsman had taken care of his animals, he asked the innkeeper why
the town was thus hung with black crape? Said the host, “Because our
King’s only daughter is to die to-morrow.” The huntsman inquired if she
was “sick unto death?” “No,” answered the host, “she is vigorous and
healthy, nevertheless she must die!” “How is that?” asked the huntsman. “There is a high hill without the town, whereon dwells a dragon who
every year must have a pure virgin, or he lays the whole country waste,
and now all the maidens have already been given to him, and there is no
longer anyone left but the King’s daughter, yet there is no mercy for
her; she must be given up to him, and that is to be done to-morrow.”
Said the huntsman, “Why is the dragon not killed?” “Ah,” replied the
host, “so many knights have tried it, but it has cost all of them their
lives. The King has promised that he who conquers the dragon shall have
his daughter to wife, and shall likewise govern the kingdom after his
own death.”

The huntsman said nothing more to this, but next morning took his
animals, and with them ascended the dragon’s hill. A little church
stood at the top of it, and on the altar three full cups were standing,
with the inscription, “Whosoever empties the cups will become the
strongest man on earth, and will be able to wield the sword which is
buried before the threshold of the door.” The huntsman did not drink,
but went out and sought for the sword in the ground, but was unable to
move it from its place. Then he went in and emptied the cups, and now
he was strong enough to take up the sword, and his hand could quite
easily wield it. When the hour came when the maiden was to be delivered
over to the dragon, the King, the marshal, and courtiers accompanied
her. From afar she saw the huntsman on the dragon’s hill, and thought
it was the dragon standing there waiting for her, and did not want to
go up to him, but at last, because otherwise the whole town would have
been destroyed, she was forced to go the miserable journey.