"Treason, treason!" cried the courtiers. "John the True is mad."
"Nay, nay," said the King; "what John the True does is for our good. Wherefore did'st thou do that, John?"
"That I must not say," said John the True.
"Well, well," said the King; "doubtless thou hadst thy reasons; let the banquet proceed."
On the night of the wedding John the True took his place with drawn sword before the bridal chamber, and watched and watched and watched. Towards midnight he heard a rustling in the bridal chamber and, rushing in, saw a winged dragon coming through the window towards the King and Princess. He dashed towards it and wounded it with his sword, so that it flew out of the window, dropping blood on the way.
But the noise that John the True had made awakened the King and Queen, and they saw him before them with sword dripping with blood. And not recognizing him at first, the King called out for his guard, who came in quickly and seized John the True.
When the King saw who it was he asked John if he had any explanation of his conduct, and John said:
"That I may not say."
"This is more than I can bear," said the King. "Perhaps love has turned thy brain."
And turning to the captain of his guard, the King said, "Let him be executed in the morning in our presence."