would find it a tight fit.'

'No, there is plenty of room,' said the dragon, tucking himself
carefully inside.

But no sooner was he well in, than the young man clapped on the
lid and called out, 'Now press hard, just to see if he will be
able to get out.'

The dragon pressed as hard as he could, but the lid never moved.

'It is all right,' he cried; 'now you can open it.'

But instead of opening it, the young man drove in long nails to
make it tighter still; then he took the box on his back and
brought it to the king. And when the king heard that the dragon
was inside, he was so excited that he would not wait one moment,
but broke the lock and lifted the lid just a little way to make
sure he was really there. He was very careful not to leave enough
space for the dragon to jump out, but unluckily there was just
room for his great mouth, and with one snap the king vanished
down his wide red jaws. Then the young man married the king's
daughter and ruled over the land, but what he did with the dragon
nobody knows.





The Goblin and the Grocer