merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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At this fearful sight the prince turned to fly, but a fiery tongue
coiled round his waist, and drew him into the dragon's mouth, and he was
seen no more.

A week passed away, and when the prince never came back everyone in the
town began to grow uneasy. At last his next brother told the emperor
that he likewise would go out to hunt, and that perhaps he would find
some clue as to his brother's disappearance. But hardly had the castle
gates closed on the prince than the hare sprang out of the bushes as
before, and led the huntsman up hill and down dale, till they reached
the mill. Into this the hare flew with the prince at his heels, when,
lo! instead of the hare, there stood a dragon breathing fire and flame;
and out shot a fiery tongue which coiled round the prince's waist, and
lifted him straight into the dragon's mouth, and he was seen no more.

Days went by, and the emperor waited and waited for the sons who never
came, and could not sleep at night for wondering where they were and
what had become of them. His youngest son wished to go in search of his
brothers, but for long the emperor refused to listen to him, lest he
should lose him also. But the prince prayed so hard for leave to make
the search, and promised so often that he would be very cautious and
careful, that at length the emperor gave him permission, and ordered the
best horse in the stables to be saddled for him.

Full of hope the young prince started on his way, but no sooner was
he outside the city walls than a hare sprang out of the bushes and ran
before him, till they reached the mill. As before, the animal dashed in
through the open door, but this time he was not followed by the prince.
Wiser than his brothers, the young man turned away, saying to himself:
'There are as good hares in the forest as any that have come out of it,
and when I have caught them, I can come back and look for you.'

For many hours he rode up and down the mountain, but saw nothing, and at
last, tired of waiting, he went back to the mill. Here he found an old
woman sitting, whom he greeted pleasantly.

'Good morning to you, little mother,' he said; and the old woman
answered: 'Good morning, my son.'

'Tell me, little mother,' went on the prince, 'where shall I find my
hare?'

'My son,' replied the old woman, 'that was no hare, but a dragon who has
led many men hither, and then has eaten them all.' At these words the
prince's heart grew heavy, and he cried, 'Then my brothers must have
come here, and have been eaten by the dragon!'

'You have guessed right,' answered the old woman; 'and I can give you no
better counsel than to go home at once, before the same fate overtakes
you.'

'Will you not come with me out of this dreadful place?' said the young
man.

'He took me prisoner, too,' answered she, 'and I cannot shake off his
chains.'

'Then listen to me,' cried the prince. 'When the dragon comes back,
ask him where he always goes when he leaves here, and what makes him so
strong; and when you have coaxed the secret from him, tell me the next
time I come.'

So the prince went home, and the old woman remained in the mill, and as
soon as the dragon returned she said to him:

'Where have you been all this time--you must have travelled far?'

'Yes, little mother, I have indeed travelled far.' answered he. Then the
old woman began to flatter him, and to praise his cleverness; and
when she thought she had got him into a good temper, she said: 'I have
wondered so often where you get your strength from; I do wish you would
tell me. I would stoop and kiss the place out of pure love!' The dragon
laughed at this, and answered:

'In the hearthstone yonder lies the secret of my strength.'

Then the old woman jumped up and kissed the hearth; whereat the dragon
laughed the more, and said:

'You foolish creature! I was only jesting. It is not in the hearthstone,
but in that tall tree that lies the secret of my strength.' Then the
old woman jumped up again and put her arms round the tree, and kissed it
heartily. Loudly laughed the dragon when he saw what she was doing.

'Old fool,' he cried, as soon as he could speak, 'did you really believe
that my strength came from that tree?'

'Where is it then?' asked the old woman, rather crossly, for she did not
like being made fun of.

'My strength,' replied the dragon, 'lies far away; so far that you could
never reach it. Far, far from here is a kingdom, and by its capital city
is a lake, and in the lake is a dragon, and inside the dragon is a wild
boar, and inside the wild boar is a pigeon, and inside the pigeon a
sparrow, and inside the sparrow is my strength.' And when the old woman
heard this, she thought it was no use flattering him any longer, for
never, never, could she take his strength from him.

The following morning, when the dragon had left the mill, the prince
came back, and the old woman told him all that the creature had said. He

At this fearful sight the prince turned to fly, but a fiery tongue

coiled round his waist, and drew him into the dragon's mouth, and he was

seen no more.

A week passed away, and when the prince never came back everyone in the

town began to grow uneasy. At last his next brother told the emperor

that he likewise would go out to hunt, and that perhaps he would find

some clue as to his brother's disappearance. But hardly had the castle

gates closed on the prince than the hare sprang out of the bushes as

before, and led the huntsman up hill and down dale, till they reached

the mill. Into this the hare flew with the prince at his heels, when,

lo! instead of the hare, there stood a dragon breathing fire and flame;

and out shot a fiery tongue which coiled round the prince's waist, and

lifted him straight into the dragon's mouth, and he was seen no more.

Days went by, and the emperor waited and waited for the sons who never

came, and could not sleep at night for wondering where they were and

what had become of them. His youngest son wished to go in search of his

brothers, but for long the emperor refused to listen to him, lest he

should lose him also. But the prince prayed so hard for leave to make

the search, and promised so often that he would be very cautious and

careful, that at length the emperor gave him permission, and ordered the

best horse in the stables to be saddled for him.

Full of hope the young prince started on his way, but no sooner was

he outside the city walls than a hare sprang out of the bushes and ran

before him, till they reached the mill. As before, the animal dashed in

through the open door, but this time he was not followed by the prince.

Wiser than his brothers, the young man turned away, saying to himself:

'There are as good hares in the forest as any that have come out of it,

and when I have caught them, I can come back and look for you.'

For many hours he rode up and down the mountain, but saw nothing, and at

last, tired of waiting, he went back to the mill. Here he found an old

woman sitting, whom he greeted pleasantly.

'Good morning to you, little mother,' he said; and the old woman

answered: 'Good morning, my son.'

'Tell me, little mother,' went on the prince, 'where shall I find my

hare?'

'My son,' replied the old woman, 'that was no hare, but a dragon who has

led many men hither, and then has eaten them all.' At these words the

prince's heart grew heavy, and he cried, 'Then my brothers must have

come here, and have been eaten by the dragon!'

'You have guessed right,' answered the old woman; 'and I can give you no

better counsel than to go home at once, before the same fate overtakes

you.'

'Will you not come with me out of this dreadful place?' said the young

man.

'He took me prisoner, too,' answered she, 'and I cannot shake off his

chains.'

'Then listen to me,' cried the prince. 'When the dragon comes back,

ask him where he always goes when he leaves here, and what makes him so

strong; and when you have coaxed the secret from him, tell me the next

time I come.'

So the prince went home, and the old woman remained in the mill, and as

soon as the dragon returned she said to him:

'Where have you been all this time--you must have travelled far?'

'Yes, little mother, I have indeed travelled far.' answered he. Then the

old woman began to flatter him, and to praise his cleverness; and

when she thought she had got him into a good temper, she said: 'I have

wondered so often where you get your strength from; I do wish you would

tell me. I would stoop and kiss the place out of pure love!' The dragon

laughed at this, and answered:

'In the hearthstone yonder lies the secret of my strength.'

Then the old woman jumped up and kissed the hearth; whereat the dragon

laughed the more, and said:

'You foolish creature! I was only jesting. It is not in the hearthstone,

but in that tall tree that lies the secret of my strength.' Then the

old woman jumped up again and put her arms round the tree, and kissed it

heartily. Loudly laughed the dragon when he saw what she was doing.

'Old fool,' he cried, as soon as he could speak, 'did you really believe

that my strength came from that tree?'

'Where is it then?' asked the old woman, rather crossly, for she did not

like being made fun of.

'My strength,' replied the dragon, 'lies far away; so far that you could

never reach it. Far, far from here is a kingdom, and by its capital city

is a lake, and in the lake is a dragon, and inside the dragon is a wild

boar, and inside the wild boar is a pigeon, and inside the pigeon a

sparrow, and inside the sparrow is my strength.' And when the old woman

heard this, she thought it was no use flattering him any longer, for

never, never, could she take his strength from him.

The following morning, when the dragon had left the mill, the prince

came back, and the old woman told him all that the creature had said. He