twelfth he paused, but his curiosity was too much for him, and in
another instant the key was turned and the cellar lay open before
him. It was empty, save for a large cask, bound with iron hoops,
and out of the cask a voice was saying entreatingly, 'For
goodness' sake, brother, fetch me some water; I am dying of
thirst!'

The prince, who was very tender-hearted, brought some water at
once, and pushed it through a hole in the barrel; and as he did
so one of the iron hoops burst.

He was turning away, when a voice cried the second time,
'Brother, for pity's sake fetch me some water; I'm dying of
thirst!'

So the prince went back, and brought some more water, and again a
hoop sprang.

And for the third time the voice still called for water; and when
water was given it the last hoop was rent, the cask fell in
pieces, and out flew a dragon, who snatched up the empress just
as she was returning from her walk, and carried her off. Some
servants who saw what had happened came rushing to the prince,
and the poor young man went nearly mad when he heard the result
of his own folly, and could only cry out that he would follow the
dragon to the ends of the earth, until he got his wife again.

For months and months he wandered about, first in this direction
and then in that, without finding any traces of the dragon or his
captive. At last he came to a stream, and as he stopped for a