Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-27
OUR BOYS
and GIRLS
foIO
A DRAGON TRicKeD.

younger WAS much handsonhr imam
his elder hrotEer, who was very jealous
OF him. When they grew oide' thinE
ibecame worse aud verse, and At last
one dsy as they were wakiLs ihru
\ wood the elder youth e.zed hold
OF the other. tied him 90 nee, and
went ON hiE way, hoping thal HE boy
u sht staiSe To death.
However. il happened thai an Oh
and humpbnckod shepherd passed the
Tree with his fiOek, and icing ihe
prisoner, he stopped and said 10 him;
i"Tell me, my sou, Why are you iicd
10 that tree
because ] was so crooked" ans
wered the young man: but H. has
quite cured me. and now M back Ia
ss straight "a can be.
Il wish you would bind nv 10
tree" exclaimed The shepherd, so
that my bacl. would get straight"
With all the pleasure III life
replied the youth. IF you viii loosen
these cords viii tie you up with
them rs firmly as | can"
This was done. ana then NE young
man drove OF the sheep, leaving
their real shepherd 10 repent ol ms
folly; and before he had gone very
far he met with horse hoy and a
driver OF oxen. and he persuaded them
to turn with INN and seek for adv
ures.
BY these aAd many o.Lar tricks he
toon became 50 celebrated that ms
fame reached The hine $ ears, I'D ms
majesty WAS filled with cmIosity -
rec the man VINO had managed 10 oN-'
wit eNers body.
And when Jhe young man stouG be-
fore the King. NE kmg poke 90 him
ana said. "By your tricks and ia'
pranks that you have played on other
people. YOU have, in the eye Of tie
iIsw. forfeited your lie. But On one
lconditlon | viii spare you, and that
is. ii you Will hr rs me the fyinS
horse that belongs TO the great
dragon
IT cat is all" said The you'll you
snail soon have it,"
so ne Went out and made his way
straight 10 the stable where the fig
ing horse was tethered. He stretch-
ed his hand cautiously oul 10 seize
tine hriGlc hen the horse suddenly
began TO neigh rs loud "a he eouid.
Now the room in which the dragon
slept was Just above the stable, ana
al the sound of the neshn. he Woh@
and cried 10 the horse. What is the
matter, my treasure? Is any ding
hurting you?
After waiting a little While IN
Young man trted AGAIN 10 loose tho
horse, hut 4 soGoi i tiGle it ne 5het 0
loudly tnat tho t-acun Wok@ ~ in q
hurry and called ont to know " Y
the no sc was making such . noise.
But when the same thing happened
The third time. The dragon lost IA )
temper and took 4 whip and gave the
horse Il good beating. This offended
the horse and made him angry, ana
when the young man stretched out
his hare 10 unite his head he MADE
ho further fuss. but suffer himself
10 be led quietly away. On- cleai
Of tha stable the young man spIang
On his back and gallopeG off, cali
ing over ni. shoulder. HI! dragon.
dragon. if any one asks you what has
become OF your horse, you can say
that ! have got him
But the King said. The dying horse
"a all very well. but want somethin"
more. You must bring NE the cover
ing with the little bells that lies on
the bed of the dragon or | VIII have
you hewn into thousand pieces.
rs that all?" answered the youth.
~That is easily done
And when nigh cam he went away
70 the DRAGONS house and climbed
onto the roof. Then he opened I little
window in The roof and let down the
cain from which the kettle usually
hung and tried to hook the bed cover
ing and draw it up. But the lis all
began TO ring. and the dragon woke,
and said to hi- wife. wife. You have
pulled off all the bcdclothcs," and
drew the covering toward him, pulling
as he did so. the young man il the
room Then the dragon flung himself
on the youth and bound him fast with
cords saying as he tied the tast knot,
Tomorrow hen l so 20 church you
must stay at home and XII him Snd
cook him, and when | get lack We
will eat him together"
SO the following mornin9 & drag
onpes took hold of the youA- man and
IS she united the cords the b tier IA
get hold of him, the prisoner caught
her BY the legs, threw her 20 the
ground seized her and speedily cut
her throat, just As she had been al out
to do for him, and put her body in the
oven. Then he snatchcd up the cover
irg ant, carried it to the King.
The King WAS seated on his throne
when the youth appeared before him
and spread out the covering with a
deep bow. "That is not enough said
his majesty; you must bring me The
dragon himself. or | will have you
hewn into a thousand pieces"
at shall be done" said he youth
"but you must give me two years tC
manage it, for my beard must grow
SO that he may not know me"
L tlr.