But as it burst
into pieces, out of it sprang a wild boar, and started to run away. But
the prince shouted to his shepherd dogs: "Hold it! don't let it go!" and
the dogs sprang up and after it, caught it, and soon tore it to pieces.
But out of the boar flew a pigeon, and the prince loosed the falcon, and
the falcon caught the pigeon and brought it into the prince's hands. The
prince said to it: "Tell me now, where are my brothers?" The pigeon
replied: "I will; only do me no harm. Immediately behind your father's
town is a water-mill, and in the water-mill are three wands that have
sprouted up. Cut these three wands up from below, and strike with them
upon their root; an iron door will immediately open into a large vault.
In that vault are many people, old and young, rich and poor, small and
great, wives and maidens, so that you could settle a populous empire;
there, too, are your brothers." When the pigeon had told him all this,
the prince immediately wrung its neck.
The emperor had gone out in person, and posted himself on the hill from
which the grooms had viewed the shepherd, and he, too, was a spectator
of all that had taken place. After the shepherd had thus obtained the
dragon's head, twilight began to approach. He washed himself nicely,
took the falcon on his shoulder, the hounds behind him, and the bagpipes
under his arm, played as he went, drove the sheep, and proceeded to the
emperor's palace, with the damsel at his side still in terror.
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