The maiden secretly dipped her finger in the blood of the dragon and made a mark upon the back of her deliverer. Then, the cloud being so dense that neither her departure nor that of the prince was visible, she hastened to the palace.

When the king saw that his daughter was still living he was afraid, and began to upbraid her. She acquitted herself by telling the circumstances of her deliverance and assuring her father that her promise had not been broken. The king could not believe the great good fortune. He went, himself, to see the dead dragon, which was so awful in its proportions as to make the spectator lose his senses. Then the king, being exceedingly desirous of rewarding [[29]]their rescuer, asked his daughter whether she could surely recognize him. The princess insisted that she would be able to do this, whereupon the king sent out criers, commanding that all the inhabitants of the country, between the ages of one and seventy, should pass before the palace.

Let us return to the prince. After having freed the land from the cruel curse of the dragon, he returned to the house of the old woman and sat down in his chamber. But the woman rebuked him for disregarding the decree of the king, and bade him go to the palace.

The prince believed in obeying the commands of a sovereign. He became one in the long line which marched past the palace of the king. The princess saw his approach, from the window behind which she was hidden, and made a sign to the guards, who laid hold upon him and conducted him into the presence of the king. The mark of blood upon the back of the prince convinced everyone that he indeed was the one who had saved them.

The king then bade the prince ask anything that his heart wanted. The modest youth wished for his majesty’s health, and that whenever it should near the end it might be renewed. At this the king answered: “My son, thou profitest nothing through my good health. Ask something for thyself.” [[30]]

Then the prince desired to be granted three days in which to render a decision; after which he returned to the house of the old woman.

[[Contents]]

PART IV

THE FRIENDLY ROC

The prince was very sad. He longed for his home; for his father, the king; for his princess, who was like the full moon for beauty. He was vexed with the cruelty of his two brothers, against whom he had done no harm. Upon the next day he took his bow and went to the mountains. As the day was warm, he sat down under a tree and fell asleep.