And he asked her, ‘Didn’t the dragon bring an old lady here?’
And she said, ‘I know not, but go to No. 2; there is my middle sister.’
He went to her; she too said, ‘Why are you here? The dragon will kill you when he comes.’
And he asked, ‘Didn’t he bring an old lady?’
And she said, ‘I know not, but go to No. 3; there is my youngest sister.’
She said, ‘Why are you here? The dragon will kill you when he comes.’
And he asked, ‘Didn’t he bring an old lady here?’
And she said, ‘He did, to No. 4.’
He went to his mother, and she said, ‘Why are you here? The dragon will kill you when he comes.’
And he said, ‘Fear not, come with me.’ And he led her, and put her in the basket, and said to her, ‘Tell my brothers they’ve got to pull up three maidens.’ He jerked the rope, and they hauled their mother up. He put the eldest girl in the basket, and they hauled her up; then the middle one, jerked the rope, and they hauled her up. And while they are hauling, he made the youngest swear that she will not marry ‘till I come.’ She swore that she will not marry till he comes; he put her also in the basket, jerked the rope, and they hauled her up.