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Next morning, as was her daily wont, she again went forth a-begging. But just fancy her amazement when upon her return in the evening she found her hut all swept and cleaned up and everything in it set to rights! She was beside herself with joy. And even so it was day in and day out. Every time she came back home, the hut was swept and cleaned and tidied up! Finally, she decided to find out who it was that was so good to her. So, one morning she hid outside of the house, and then she peeped in through a chink in the door, and what should she see? Why, a wee little damsel, white as snow and with wonderfully beautiful golden hair, leaping forth from out of the wooden cover which lay upon the top of the kettle! The old woman was dumb with wonderment, and she exclaimed :

"Who are you, my dear little sweetheart, and whence comes it that you are so very, very kind to a poor old woman like me?" "Just a luckless girl, alas!" replied the maiden, "but do let me stay with you, and I promise faithfully to do all the work that is to be done in your house."

The old woman agreed, and the beautiful little lassie remained with her. And right glad and proud too was she of her; for such a maiden, so beautiful, and so capable withal, could not be found anywhere in the wide world, not even in the King's own household.

She kept on going out a-begging, as was her habit, and the fairy maiden looked after her work, even as she had promised. But one morning the maiden requested her to buy her a yard of linen in town, and two skeins of silk thread, one red and the other green. It took well-nigh all the money the good old woman had managed to save up these many years, but that very day she brought back home with her the things the lassie had asked for.

With the piece of linen, the maiden made two kerchiefs, and on them she embroidered the story of all that had befallen her. She then asked the old woman to take them to the palace; and when both the King and the Prince were seated upon the throne, to lay in the King's lap the kerchief that was embroidered in green, and the one embroidered in red in the lap of his son.

The following morning, the old woman set off for the palace, but the King's guards would not let her go in. However, go in she must. So she made such a great stir and noise that

the King commanded that she be admitted to his presence forthwith. And she did even as the fairy had bidden her, and then went out into the palace-yard and waited there to see what would happen.

When they had seen the two kerchiefs, the King and the Prince both understood what the trouble had been right along; and the King having ordered the gipsy girl to be brought before him, spoke to her thus:

"Some day surely you will be queen over the realm, and for this reason, you should learn betimes to mete out justice to your subjects. Often the law courts find it rather hard to settle disputes among womenfolk, and they might perchance appeal to you for advice. Now, only this morning a woman came to me with this story. She had a rooster, and he was of very fine stock, and she wanted a hen of the same stock. So she travelled in many countries, and sought everywhere, until she at last acquired such a hen, paying a very large sum of money for it. But mark you now what befell. Another woman, who was a neighbor of hers, stole the rooster from her, and moreover attempted to kill the hen. Now, what do you think shall be done with this woman?"

The gipsy girl after pondering awhile replied: "Well, this ; is what I think. She shall at once restore the rooster to the rightful owner; and, further, she shall deliver to her all the hens she herself owns together with all the eggs they have laid. That done, she shall be put to death immediately."

"A most excellent judgment, I declare!" exclaimed the King. “But, I am the owner of the rooster, and you are the woman who stole him and tried to kill the hen into the bargain. Prepare then to receive the punishment which you yourself have counselled!"

The gipsy girl made a terrible racket. She threw herself at the King's feet, and rolled on the ground, and howled, and begged him most pitifully to spare her life. But it was all in vain. He ordered that the wench be handed over to his guards, who carried her out into the palace-yard and chopped her head off forthwith.

Then the King and his son, led by the old beggar-woman, went forth to her hut, and they were overjoyed when they found the fairy maiden again, alive and unharmed. And they treated

her with the utmost respect, and brought her to the palace in great state, the King and the Prince themselves leading the procession. And she was wedded to the King's son that very day, and for three days and three nights thereafter there was great rejoicing and merrymaking throughout the length and breadth of the realm. And the good old woman was not forgotten, you may be sure of that! She got all sorts of handsome gifts, because she had been so very kind to the fairy in her hour of need. But, for the gipsy girl, when it became known how very cruel and wicked she had been to the poor little fairy, never a single word of pity was there heard anywhere! On the contrary, the wide world over folks were right glad when they learned that she had paid with her life for the evil deeds she had done!

(Balaurul Cel Cu Şepte Capete)

In the olden, olden times there was an enormous Dragon, and he lived in a cave and ate men and women. He had seven heads, and whenever he came out of his cave for his meals, all the people would run away as fast as they could and shut themselves up in their houses, trembling for their lives. When this cruel Dragon, having caught unawares some ill-fated wayfarer, had made a hearty meal of him and satisfied for a time his terrible hunger, he would go back again to his cave; and then the terror-stricken people would come out of their hiding-places and bitterly bemoan the awful ravages wrought by the fell monster. They offered up prayers, countless as the stars in the sky, that they might be delivered from the voracious beast; but never any good did it do them, their prayers were all in vain.

Wizards and magicians were summoned by the King from all over the world, but with all their witchcraft they were unable to rid his country of that terrible scourge. At last, when the King saw that all their efforts had failed, he decided to give his beautiful daughter and half of his kingdom to whoever should kill the Dragon and save his people from ruin and destruction.

This was at once proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of his realm. Now, having heard of the royal announcement, three brave lads joined themselves together and resolved to go and slay the Seven-headed Dragon. The Dragon's cave happened to be at the very outskirts of the capital. The youths built a great big fire hard by the entrance to the cave, and agreed to lie in wait and watch for the Dragon by turns. And for fear that any of them might prove to be careless and fail to stay awake during his turn, they bound themselves by a solemn. oath that whichever fell asleep during his watch and allowed the fire to go out, should forfeit his life at once.

Now, there had fallen in with these worthies, a strong handsome young fellow, who having likewise heard of the King's promised reward, had gone forth to try his luck, firmly determined to win the beautiful princess for his bride and half of the kingdom to boot.

So, the four lads watched and watched by the great big fire, each taking his turn, but for quite a long time nothing. happened. One evening, however, shortly before sundown, when it was our young friend's turn to keep watch, behold! forth came the enormous Dragon from out of his dark cave and moved softly towards the brave lads who lay fast asleep by the great fire.

At first, our friend was frightened nearly to death; but pretty soon be plucked up courage, and he rushed forward and leaped upon the Dragon with his bare sword, and fought him with might and main. And a most terrific fight it was indeed, but finally he dealt the beast such a powerful blow that snap! off came one of his heads, then snap! off came another head, and then another, and then still another, until at length the Dragon had only one head left. The monster was writhing with pain, and he was lashing his great tail in such a fearful way as to make your blood run cold. By this time our champion was well-nigh exhausted from the bloody struggle, but his companions slept as soundly as dormice. So, when he saw that they were not coming to his assistance, he gathered all his strength in one supreme effort, and pouncing down once more upon the frightful Dragon, behold! off came his last head! But alas! the enormous stream of blood that gushed forth from the hideous beast kept spreading and spreading, until it reached the fire and lo! put it out altogether.

Our hero was in a very, very bad plight indeed. True enough, he had slain the Seven-headed Dragon. But, he had allowed the fire to go out, and his comrades would be bound by their solemn oath to put him to death, unless he could find some way of lighting it again before they awoke. Now, mind what he did! To start with, he cut out the tongues from off the seven heads of the dead Dragon, and he hid them away in his bosom. Next, he climbed up into a big tall tree that stood nearby and began to spy in all directions for a fire, by means of which he might rekindle the one which unfortunately the Seven-headed Dragon's blood had extinguished.

Well, he kept peering and peering through the pitch-black darkness, but it was of no use at all. Never the slightest trace of a light could he detect! Yet once more he searched the gloom, straining his eyes to the utmost, and behold! away off on the

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