He went back, that man, who thus had delivered the city, so that it had peace. Then all the gentlemen asked him what he wanted for doing so well. The dragon from that hour never ate any one. And if they are not dead they are still alive.
This story belongs to the ‘Valiant Little Tailor’ group (No. 21). The maiden-tribute is a familiar feature; the Tobit-like dog seems superfluous, but cf. Hahn’s No. 22, i. 170, ii. 217. English-Gypsy women wear black and red in mourning.
No. 43.—The Princess and the Forester’s Son
Somewhere or other there lived a forester. He ill-used his wife and his children, and often got drunk. Then the mother said, ‘My children, the father is always beating us, so we’ll get our things together and leave him. We will wander out into the world, whither our eyes lead us.’
They took their things, and followed the road through a great forest. They journeyed two days and two nights without reaching any place, so the eldest son said to his mother, ‘Mother, dear, night has come on us, let us sleep here.’
‘My children,’ said the mother, ‘pluck moss, make a resting-place, and we will lie down here to sleep.’
The elder son said to his brother, ‘Go for wood.’
They made a fire, and seated themselves by it.
Then said the elder son to his brother, ‘Now, you must keep watch, for there are wild beasts about, so that we be [[145]]not devoured. Do you sleep first; then you’ll get up, I lie down to sleep, then you will watch again.’