Therewasonceagreatwar，andtheKinghadagreatmanysoldiers，buthegavethemsolittlepaythattheycouldnotliveuponit。Thenthreeofthemtookcounseltogetheranddeterminedtodesert。
　　Oneofthemsaidtotheothers，’Ifwearecaught，weshallbehangedonthegallows；howshallwesetaboutit？’Theothersaid，’Doyouseethatlargecornfieldthere？Ifweweretohideourselvesinthat，noonecouldfindus。Thearmycannotcomeintoit，andto-morrowitistomarchon。’
　　Theycreptintothecorn，butthearmydidnotmarchon，butremainedencampedclosearoundthem。Theysatfortwodaysandtwonightsinthecorn，andgrewsohungrythattheynearlydied；
　　butiftheyweretoventureout，itwascertaindeath。
　　Theysaidatlast，’Whatusewasitourdeserting？Wemustperishheremiserably。’
　　Whilsttheywerespeakingafierydragoncameflyingthroughtheair。Ithoverednearthem，andaskedwhytheywerehiddenthere。
　　Theyanswered，’Wearethreesoldiers，andhavedesertedbecauseourpaywassosmall。Nowifweremainhereweshalldieofhunger，andifwemoveoutweshallbestrunguponthegallows。’
　　’Ifyouwillservemeforsevenyears，’saidthedragon，Iwillleadyouthroughthemidstofthearmysothatnooneshallcatchyou。’’Wehavenochoice，andmusttakeyouroffer，’saidthey。
　　Thenthedragonseizedtheminhisclaws，tookthemthroughtheairoverthearmy，andsetthemdownontheearthalongwayfromit。
　　Hegavethemalittlewhip，saying，’Whipandslashwiththis，andasmuchmoneyasyouwantwilljumpupbeforeyou。Youcanthenliveasgreatlords，keephorses，anddriveaboutincarriages。Butaftersevenyearsyouaremine。’Thenheputabookbeforethem，whichhemadeallthreeofthemsign。’Iwillthengiveyouariddle，’hesaid；’ifyouguessit，youshallbefreeandoutofmypower。’Thedragonthenflewaway，andtheyjourneyedonwiththeirlittlewhip。Theyhadasmuchmoneyastheywanted，woregrandclothes，andmadetheirwayintotheworld。Wherevertheywenttheylivedinmerrymakingandsplendour，droveaboutwithhorsesandcarriages，ateanddrank，butdidnothingwrong。
　　Thetimepassedquicklyaway，andwhenthesevenyearswerenearlyendedtwoofthemgrewterriblyanxiousandfrightened，butthethirdmadelightofit，saying，’Don’tbeafraid，brothers，Iwasn’tbornyesterday；Iwillguesstheriddle。’
　　Theywentintoafield，satdown，andthetwopulledlongfaces。
　　Anoldwomanpassedby，andaskedthemwhytheyweresosad。
　　’Alas！whathaveyoutodowithit？Youcannothelpus。’’Whoknows？’sheanswered。’Onlyconfideyourtroubleinme。’
　　ThentheytoldherthattheyhadbecometheservantsoftheDragonforsevenlongyears，andhowhehadgiventhemmoneyasplentifullyasblackberries；butastheyhadsignedtheirnamestheywerehis，unlesswhenthesevenyearshadpassedtheycouldguessariddle。Theoldwomansaid，’Ifyouwouldhelpyourselves，oneofyoumustgointothewood，andtherehewillcomeuponatumble-downbuildingofrockswhichlookslikealittlehouse。Hemustgoin，andtherehewillfindhelp。’
　　Thetwomelancholyonesthought，’Thatwon’tsaveus！’andtheyremainedwheretheywere。Butthethirdandmerryonejumpedupandwentintothewoodtillhefoundtherockhut。Inthehutsataveryoldwoman，whowastheDragon’sgrandmother。Sheaskedhimhowhecame，andwhatwashisbusinessthere。Hetoldherallthathappened，andbecauseshewaspleasedwithhimshetookcompassiononhim，andsaidshewouldhelphim。
　　Sheliftedupalargestonewhichlayoverthecellar，saying，’Hideyourselfthere；youcanhearallthatisspokeninthisroom。Onlysitstillanddon’tstir。WhentheDragoncomes，I
　　willaskhimwhattheriddleis，forhetellsmeeverything；thenlistencarefullywhatheanswers。’
　　AtmidnighttheDragonflewin，andaskedforhissupper。Hisgrandmotherlaidthetable，andbroughtoutfoodanddrinktillhewassatisfied，andtheyateanddranktogether。Theninthecourseoftheconversationsheaskedhimwhathehaddoneintheday，andhowmanysoulshehadconquered。
　　’Ihaven’thadmuchluckto-day，’hesaid，’butIhaveatightholdonthreesoldiers。’
　　’Indeed！threesoldiers！’saidshe。’Whocannotescapeyou？’
　　’Theyaremine，’answeredtheDragonscornfully，’forIshallonlygivethemoneriddlewhichtheywillneverbeabletoguess。’
　　’Whatsortofariddleisit？’sheasked。
　　’Iwilltellyouthis。IntheNorthSealiesadeadsea-cat——
　　thatshallbetheirroastmeat；andtheribofawhale——thatshallbetheirsilverspoon；andthehollowfootofadeadhorse——thatshallbetheirwineglass。’
　　WhentheDragonhadgonetobed，hisoldgrandmotherpulledupthestoneandletoutthesoldier。
　　’Didyoupayattentiontoeverything？’
　　’Yes，’hereplied，’Iknowenough，andcanhelpmyselfsplendidly。’
　　Thenhewentbyanotherwaythroughthewindowsecretly，andinallhastebacktohiscomrades。HetoldthemhowtheDragonhadbeenoutwittedbyhisgrandmother，andhowhehadheardfromhisownlipstheanswertotheriddle。
　　Thentheywerealldelightedandinhighspirits，tookouttheirwhip，andcrackedsomuchmoneythatitcamejumpingupfromtheground。Whenthesevenyearshadquitegone，theFiendcamewithhisbook，and，pointingatthesignatures，said，’Iwilltakeyouundergroundwithme；youshallhaveamealthere。Ifyoucantellmewhatyouwillgetforyourroastmeat，youshallbefree，andshallalsokeepthewhip。’
　　Thensaidthefirstsoldier，’IntheNorthSealiesadeadsea-
　　cat；thatshallbetheroastmeat。’
　　TheDragonwasmuchannoyed，andhummedandhawedagooddeal，andaskedthesecond，’Butwhatshallbeyourspoon？’
　　’Theribofawhaleshallbeoursilverspoon。’
　　TheDragon-madeaface，andgrowledagainthreetimes，’Hum，hum，hum，’andsaidtothethird，’Doyouknowwhatyourwineglassshallbe？’
　　’Anoldhorse’shoofshallbeourwineglass。’
　　ThentheDragonflewawaywithaloudshriek，andhadnomorepoweroverthem。Butthethreesoldierstookthelittlewhip，whippedasmuchmoneyastheywanted，andlivedhappilytotheirlivesend。
　　TherewasonceayoungHunterwhowentboldlyintotheforest。
　　Hehadamerryandlightheart，andashewentwhistlingalongtherecameanuglyoldwoman，whosaidtohim，’Good-day，dearhunter！Youareverymerryandcontented，butIsufferhungerandthirst，sogivemeatrifle。’TheHunterwassorryforthepooroldwoman，andhefeltinhispocketandgaveherallhecouldspare。Hewasgoingonthen，buttheoldwomanstoppedhimandsaid，’Listen，dearhunter，towhatIsay。BecauseofyourkindheartIwillmakeyouapresent。Goonyourway，andinashorttimeyouwillcometoatreeonwhichsitninebirdswhohaveacloakintheirclawsandarequarrellingoverit。Thentakeaimwithyourgunandshootinthemiddleofthem；theywillletthecloakfall，butoneofthebirdswillbehitandwilldropdowndead。Takethecloakwithyou；itisawishing-cloak，andwhenyouthrowitonyourshouldersyouhaveonlytowishyourselfatacertainplace，andinthetwinklingofaneyeyouarethere。Taketheheartoutofthedeadbirdandswallowitwhole，andearlyeverymorningwhenyougetupyouwillfindagoldpieceunderyourpillow。’
　　TheHunterthankedthewisewoman，andthoughttohimself’Thesearesplendidthingsshehaspromisedme，ifonlytheycometopass！’Sohewalkedonaboutahundredyards，andthenheheardabovehiminthebranchessuchascreamingandchirpingthathelookedup，andtherehesawaheapofbirdstearingaclothwiththeirbeaksandfeet，shrieking，tugging，andfighting，asifeachwanteditforhimself。’Well，’saidtheHunter，’thisiswonderful！Itisjustastheoldwomansaid’；andhetookhisgunonhisshoulder，pulledthetrigger，andshotintothemidstofthem，sothattheirfeathersflewabout。Thentheflocktookflightwithmuchscreaming，butonefelldead，andthecloakfluttereddown。ThentheHunterdidastheoldwomanhadtoldhim:hecutopenthebird，founditsheart，swallowedit，andtookthecloakhomewithhim。Thenextmorningwhenheawokeherememberedthepromise，andwantedtoseeifithadcometrue。
　　Butwhenhelifteduphispillow，theresparkledthegoldpiece，andthenextmorninghefoundanother，andsooneverytimehegotup。Hecollectedaheapofgold，butatlasthethoughttohimself，’WhatgoodisallmygoldtomeifIstayathome？I
　　willtravelandlookabitaboutmeintheworld。’Sohetookleaveofhisparents，slunghishuntingknapsackandhisgunroundhim，andjourneyedintotheworld。
　　Ithappenedthatonedayhewentthroughathickwood，andwhenhecametotheendofittherelayintheplainbeforehimalargecastle。Atoneofthewindowsinitstoodanoldwomanwithamostbeautifulmaidenbyherside，lookingout。Buttheoldwomanwasawitch，andshesaidtothegirl，’Therecomesoneoutofthewoodwhohasawonderfultreasureinhisbodywhichwemustmanagetopossessourselvesof，darlingdaughter；wehavemorerighttoitthanhe。Hehasabird’sheartinhim，andsoeverymorningthereliesagoldpieceunderhispillow。’
　　Shetoldherhowtheycouldgetholdofit，andhowshewastocoaxitfromhim，andatlastthreatenedherangrily，saying，’Andifyoudonotobeyme，youshallrepentit！’