Those two grooms had already arrived at
the palace before the prince, and related to the emperor in order
everything that they had heard and seen. Now when the emperor saw that
the shepherd returned home, he immediately summoned his daughter into
his presence and told her all, what it was and how it was. "But," said
he, "to-morrow you must go with the shepherd to the lake and kiss him on
the forehead." When she heard this she burst into tears and began to
entreat her father. "You have no one but me, and I am your only
daughter, and you don't care about me if I perish." Then the emperor
began to persuade and encourage her: "Don't fear, my daughter; you see
we have had so many changes of shepherds, and of all that went out to
the lake not one has returned; but _he_ had been contending with the
dragon for two whole days and it has done him no hurt. I assure you, in
God's name, that he is able to overcome the dragon, only go to-morrow
with him to see whether he will free us from this mischief which has
destroyed so many people."
When, on the morrow, the day dawned and the sun came forth, up rose the
shepherd, up rose the maiden too, to begin to prepare for going to the
lake. The shepherd was cheerful, more cheerful than ever, but the
emperor's daughter was sad and shed tears. The shepherd comforted her:
"Lady sister, I pray you, do not weep, but do what I tell you.
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