For a long time he walked on, without having any more adventures,
till at length he met a man travelling on the same road.

'Oh, brother!' asked the prince, 'tell me, if you can, where the
dragon-emperor lives?'

The man told him where he would find the palace, and how long it
would take him to get there, and the prince thanked him, and
followed his directions, till that same evening he reached the
town where the dragon-emperor lived. When he entered the
palace, to his great joy he found his wife sitting alone in a
vast hall, and they began hastily to invent plans for her escape.

There was no time to waste, as the dragon might return directly,
so they took two horses out of the stable, and rode away at
lightning speed. Hardly were they out of sight of the palace
than the dragon came home and found that his prisoner had flown.
He sent at once for his talking horse, and said to him:

'Give me your advice; what shall I do--have my supper as usual,
or set out in pursuit of them?'

'Eat your supper with a free mind first,' answered the horse,
'and follow them afterwards.'

So the dragon ate till it was past mid-day, and when he could eat
no more he mounted his horse and set out after the fugitives. In
a short time he had come up with them, and as he snatched the
empress out of her saddle he said to the prince: