Then the huntsman awoke, and was
alarmed when he did not see the maiden, and thought, “She must have
gone away whilst I was sleeping, in order to get rid of me.” The lion
in his great haste had put his master’s head on the wrong way round,
but the huntsman did not observe it because of his melancholy thoughts
about the King’s daughter. But at noon, when he was going to eat
something, he saw that his head was turned backwards and could not
understand it, and asked the animals what had happened to him in his
sleep. Then the lion told him that they, too, had all fallen asleep
from weariness, and on awaking, had found him dead with his head cut
off, that the hare had brought the life-giving root, and that he, in
his haste, had laid hold of the head the wrong way, but that he would
repair his mistake. Then he tore the huntsman’s head off again, turned
it round, and the hare healed it with the root. The huntsman, however, was sad at heart, and travelled about the world,
and made his animals dance before people. It came to pass that
precisely at the end of one year he came back to the same town where he
had delivered the King’s daughter from the dragon, and this time the
town was gaily hung with red cloth. Then he said to the host, “What
does this mean? Last year the town was all hung with black crape, what
means the red cloth to-day?” The host answered, “Last year our King’s
daughter was to have been delivered over to the dragon, but the marshal
fought with it and killed it, and so to-morrow their wedding is to be
solemnized, and that is why the town was then hung with black crape for
mourning, and is to-day covered with red cloth for joy?”

Next day when the wedding was to take place, the huntsman said at
mid-day to the inn-keeper, “Do you believe, sir host, that I while with
you here to-day shall eat bread from the King’s own table?” “Nay,” said
the host, “I would bet a hundred pieces of gold that that will not come
true.” The huntsman accepted the wager, and set against it a purse with
just the same number of gold pieces. Then he called the hare and said,
“Go, my dear runner, and fetch me some of the bread which the King is
eating.” Now the little hare was the lowest of the animals, and could
not transfer this order to any the others, but had to get on his legs
himself. “Alas!” thought he, “if I bound through the streets thus
alone, the butchers’ dogs will all be after me.” It happened as he
expected, and the dogs came after him and wanted to make holes in his
good skin. But he sprang away, have you have never seen one running? and sheltered himself in a sentry-box without the soldier being aware
of it. Then the dogs came and wanted to have him out, but the soldier
did not understand a jest, and struck them with the butt-end of his
gun, till they ran away yelling and howling. As soon as the hare saw
that the way was clear, he ran into the palace and straight to the
King’s daughter, sat down under her chair, and scratched at her foot. Then she said, “Wilt thou get away?” and thought it was her dog. The
hare scratched her foot for the second time, and she again said, “Wilt
thou get away?” and thought it was her dog. But the hare did not let
itself be turned from its purpose, and scratched her for the third
time. Then she peeped down, and knew the hare by its collar. She took
him on her lap, carried him into her chamber, and said, “Dear Hare,
what dost thou want?” He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon,
is here, and has sent me to ask for a loaf of bread like that which the
King eats.” Then she was full of joy and had the baker summoned, and
ordered him to bring a loaf such as was eaten by the King. The little
hare said, “But the baker must likewise carry it thither for me, that
the butchers’ dogs may do no harm to me.” The baker carried if for him
as far as the door of the inn, and then the hare got on his hind legs,
took the loaf in his front paws, and carried it to his master. Then
said the huntsman, “Behold, sir host, the hundred pieces of gold are
mine.” The host was astonished, but the huntsman went on to say, “Yes,
sir host, I have the bread, but now I will likewise have some of the
King’s roast meat.”

The host said, “I should indeed like to see that,” but he would make no
more wagers. The huntsman called the fox and said, “My little fox, go
and fetch me some roast meat, such as the King eats.” The red fox knew
the bye-ways better, and went by holes and corners without any dog
seeing him, seated himself under the chair of the King’s daughter, and
scratched her foot. Then she looked down and recognized the fox by its
collar, took him into her chamber with her and said, “Dear fox, what
dost thou want?” He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon, is
here, and has sent me. I am to ask for some roast meat such as the King
is eating.” Then she made the cook come, who was obliged to prepare a
roast joint, the same as was eaten by the King, and to carry it for the
fox as far as the door. Then the fox took the dish, waved away with his
tail the flies which had settled on the meat, and then carried it to
his master. “Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “bread and meat are
here but now I will also have proper vegetables with it, such as are
eaten by the King.” Then he called the wolf, and said, “Dear Wolf, go
thither and fetch me vegetables such as the King eats.” Then the wolf
went straight to the palace, as he feared no one, and when he got to
the King’s daughter’s chamber, he twitched at the back of her dress, so
that she was forced to look round. She recognized him by his collar,
and took him into her chamber with her, and said, “Dear Wolf, what dost
thou want?” He answered, “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, I
am to ask for some vegetables, such as the King eats.” Then she made
the cook come, and he had to make ready a dish of vegetables, such as
the King ate, and had to carry it for the wolf as far as the door, and
then the wolf took the dish from him, and carried it to his master. “Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “now I have bread and meat and
vegetables, but I will also have some pastry to eat like that which the
King eats.” He called the bear, and said, “Dear Bear, thou art fond of
licking anything sweet; go and bring me some confectionery, such as the
King eats.” Then the bear trotted to the palace, and every one got out
of his way, but when he went to the guard, they presented their
muskets, and would not let him go into the royal palace. But he got up
on his hind legs, and gave them a few boxes on the ears, right and
left, with his paws, so that the whole watch broke up, and then he went
straight to the King’s daughter, placed himself behind her, and growled
a little.