“Because the princess is to be devoured by a dragon to-day.”
Hynek said: “For the sake of her beauty, show me his den where he dwells.”
So he rode up to the rock and called out loudly: “Now, dragon, come on; your meal is ready here, waiting for you.”
But the dragon answered: “I don’t want it to-day; come to-morrow, at eleven.”
So Hynek returned. He rode towards them and said that the dragon would not leave his den to-day. So they all went back to the town with the knight, and the king would not let him go away on any account. But Hynek began to make excuses. He had to deliver a letter for the field marshal and he could not remain there. Then he turned the ring on his finger, and instantly he was in the castle again. He left the clothes and the horse there, putting the clothes tidily together. Then he put on his shepherd’s dress, turned the ring, and at once he was near the forest, where the black man had been tending his sheep meanwhile. He greeted him kindly:
“You have done everything well. Always act like that.”
So he drove the sheep home and played the zither again. Everybody ran up to the door to listen to the magic playing of the shepherd. But he said nothing to anybody.
The next day he drove the sheep to the forest still earlier. The black man was there waiting for him, and said: “Follow my advice and you will be happy.”
He said that he would do so. The black man was to mind the sheep again. He gave Hynek the wand and the ring, and Hynek came to another castle.
The giant was looking out as he came up; he was standing in the doorway. He asked the lad grimly what he was looking for.