aware that he was blind,
and he begged the travellers to lead him to the country of the
king whose daughter he had freed, and they would be well repaid
for their trouble.
When they had brought him there he sent to beg the princess to
come to him; but she did not recognise him till he had shown her
the ring she had given him.
Then she remembered him, and took him with her into the castle.
When she learnt what had befallen him she called together all the
sorceresses in the country in order that they should tell her
where the eyes were. At last she found one who declared that she
knew where they were, and that she could restore them. This
sorceress then went straight to the castle where dwelt the sister
and the Drakos, and gave something to the dogs to eat which
caused the eyes to reappear. She took them with her and put them
back in Janni's head, so that he saw as well as before.
Then he returned to the castle of the Drakos, whom he slew as
well as his sister; and, taking his dogs with him, went back to
the princess and they were immediately married.
The Partnership of the Thief and the Liar.
*
There was once upon a time a thief, who, being out of a job, was
wandering by himself up and down the seashore. As he walked he
passed a man who was standing still, looking at the waves.
'I wonder,' said the thief, addressing the stranger, 'if you have
ever seen a stone swimming?'
'Most certainly I have,' replied the other man, 'and, what is
more, I saw the same stone jump out of the water and fly through
the air.'
'This is capital,' replied the thief. 'You and I must go into
partnership. We shall certainly make our fortunes. Let us start
together for the palace of the king of the neighbouring country.
When we get there, I will go into his presence alone, and will
tell him the most startling thing I can invent. Then you must
follow and back up my lie.'
Having agreed to do this, they set out on their travels. After
several days' journeying, they reached the town where the king's
palace was, and here they parted for a few hours, while the thief
sought an interview with the king, and begged his majesty to give
him a glass of beer.
'That is impossible,' said the king, 'as this year there has been
a failure of all the crops, and of the hops and the vines; so we
have neither wine nor beer in the whole kingdom.'
'How extraordinary!' answered the thief. 'I have just come from a
country where the crops were so fine that I saw twelve barrels of
beer made out of one branch of hops.'
'I bet you three hundred florins that is not true,' answered the
king.
'And I bet you three hundred florins it is true,' replied the
thief.
Then each staked his three hundred florins, and the king said he
would decide the question by sending a servant into that country
to see if it was true.
So the servant set out on horseback, and on the way he met a man,
and he asked him whence he came. And the man told him that he
came from the self-same country to which the servant was at that
moment bound.
'If that is the case,' said the servant, 'you can tell me how
high the hops grow in your country, and how many barrels of beer
can be brewed from one branch?'
'I can't tell you that,' answered the man, 'but I happened to be
present when the hops were being gathered in, and I saw that it
took three men with axes three days to cut down one branch.'
Then the servant thought that he might save himself a long
journey; so he gave the man ten florins, and told him he must
repeat to the king what he had just told him. And when they got
back to the palace, they came together into the king's presence.
And the king asked him: 'Well, is it true about the hops?'
'Yes, sire, it is,' answered the servant; 'and here is a man I
have brought with me from the country to confirm the tale.'
So the king paid the thief the three hundred florins; and the
partners once more set out together in search of adventures. As
they journeyed, the thief said to his comrade: 'I will now go
and he begged the travellers to lead him to the country of the
king whose daughter he had freed, and they would be well repaid
for their trouble.
When they had brought him there he sent to beg the princess to
come to him; but she did not recognise him till he had shown her
the ring she had given him.
Then she remembered him, and took him with her into the castle.
When she learnt what had befallen him she called together all the
sorceresses in the country in order that they should tell her
where the eyes were. At last she found one who declared that she
knew where they were, and that she could restore them. This
sorceress then went straight to the castle where dwelt the sister
and the Drakos, and gave something to the dogs to eat which
caused the eyes to reappear. She took them with her and put them
back in Janni's head, so that he saw as well as before.
Then he returned to the castle of the Drakos, whom he slew as
well as his sister; and, taking his dogs with him, went back to
the princess and they were immediately married.
The Partnership of the Thief and the Liar.
*
There was once upon a time a thief, who, being out of a job, was
wandering by himself up and down the seashore. As he walked he
passed a man who was standing still, looking at the waves.
'I wonder,' said the thief, addressing the stranger, 'if you have
ever seen a stone swimming?'
'Most certainly I have,' replied the other man, 'and, what is
more, I saw the same stone jump out of the water and fly through
the air.'
'This is capital,' replied the thief. 'You and I must go into
partnership. We shall certainly make our fortunes. Let us start
together for the palace of the king of the neighbouring country.
When we get there, I will go into his presence alone, and will
tell him the most startling thing I can invent. Then you must
follow and back up my lie.'
Having agreed to do this, they set out on their travels. After
several days' journeying, they reached the town where the king's
palace was, and here they parted for a few hours, while the thief
sought an interview with the king, and begged his majesty to give
him a glass of beer.
'That is impossible,' said the king, 'as this year there has been
a failure of all the crops, and of the hops and the vines; so we
have neither wine nor beer in the whole kingdom.'
'How extraordinary!' answered the thief. 'I have just come from a
country where the crops were so fine that I saw twelve barrels of
beer made out of one branch of hops.'
'I bet you three hundred florins that is not true,' answered the
king.
'And I bet you three hundred florins it is true,' replied the
thief.
Then each staked his three hundred florins, and the king said he
would decide the question by sending a servant into that country
to see if it was true.
So the servant set out on horseback, and on the way he met a man,
and he asked him whence he came. And the man told him that he
came from the self-same country to which the servant was at that
moment bound.
'If that is the case,' said the servant, 'you can tell me how
high the hops grow in your country, and how many barrels of beer
can be brewed from one branch?'
'I can't tell you that,' answered the man, 'but I happened to be
present when the hops were being gathered in, and I saw that it
took three men with axes three days to cut down one branch.'
Then the servant thought that he might save himself a long
journey; so he gave the man ten florins, and told him he must
repeat to the king what he had just told him. And when they got
back to the palace, they came together into the king's presence.
And the king asked him: 'Well, is it true about the hops?'
'Yes, sire, it is,' answered the servant; 'and here is a man I
have brought with me from the country to confirm the tale.'
So the king paid the thief the three hundred florins; and the
partners once more set out together in search of adventures. As
they journeyed, the thief said to his comrade: 'I will now go
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