first blast, the fox, which was asleep in the cage in the
courtyard, awoke, and knew that his master needed help. So he
awoke the wolf by flicking him across the eyes with his brush.
Then they awoke the lion, who sprang against the door of the cage
with might and main, so that it fell in splinters on the ground,
and the beasts were free. Rushing through the court to their
master's aid, the fox gnawed the cord in two that bound the
prince's thumbs behind his back, and the lion flung himself on
the robber, and when he had killed him and torn him in pieces
each of the beasts carried off a bone.

Then the prince turned to the step-sister and said:

'I will not kill you, but I will leave you here to repent.' And
he fastened her with a chain to the wall, and put a great bowl in
front of her and said, 'I will not see you again till you have
filled this bowl with your tears.'

So saying, he called his beasts, and set out on his travels.
When he had gone a little way he came to an inn. Everyone in the
inn seemed so sad that he asked them what was the matter.

'Ah,' replied they, 'to-day our king's daughter is to die. She
is to be handed over to a dreadful nine-headed dragon.'

Then the prince said: 'Why should she die? I am very strong, I
will save her.'

And he set out to the sea-shore, where the dragon was to meet the
princess. And as he waited with his beasts round him a great