He mounted the horse, and they went flying after them till at last they overtook them. The dragon snapped away the princess, saying to the lad: “There’s your life spared for the second glass. But if you come again, I’ll tear you to pieces.”
The lad was sorrowful, and wept and bewailed his fate because he had lost his wife for ever. But the horse said:
“I will give you one more counsel. I know a place where there are some young ravens. We will go there, and you must take the young ravens from their nest on the tree. The old ones will fly at you and peck you—they won’t want to let you have their young chicks; but tell them that you won’t give them back their chicks unless they bring you the healing water and the water of life.
“When they bring the water, take one of the young ravens and pull its head off; then dip it in the healing water and put the head to the body again. That’s how you will be certain that they have brought you the real water of life. If the wound grows together again, you may be sure it is the real water of life. As soon as the wound has grown together, take the water of life and pour some of it into the raven’s bill, and when the bird revives, you will know quite certainly that it is the water of life.”
The lad did all this. The old ravens brought him the water in leather bottles. He took one of the chicks, pulled its head off, dipped it into the healing water, and the wound grew together again. Then he poured some of the water of life into its bill, and it came alive again. Then he put the young ravens back into the nest again, took the water, and went home.
When he got there, the horse said to him: “The dragon is away from home to-day. Let us go and see if we can get the princess.”
So off they went and carried away the princess. They ran off as fast as they could.
The dragon came home and asked the horse: “Where is my princess?”
The horse replied: “She’s gone from us. They’ve carried her off again, and this time we shall never catch up with them.”
The dragon said in a rage: “What should prevent us from getting her back? Let’s go at once.”