shall see what happened. Outside the town a large gibbet had been erected,
round which stood the soldiers and several thousands of people. The king
and the queen sat on splendid thrones opposite to the judges and the whole
council. The soldier already stood on the ladder; but as they were about to
place the rope around his neck, he said that an innocent request was often
granted to a poor criminal before he suffered death. He wished very much
to smoke a pipe, as it would be the last pipe he should ever smoke in the
world. The king could not refuse this request, so the soldier took his tinder-
box, and struck fire, once, twice, thrice,- and there in a moment stood all the
dogs;-the one with eyes as big as teacups, the one with eyes as large as mill-
wheels, and the third, whose eyes were like towers. “Help me now, that I
may not be hanged,” cried the soldier.
And the dogs fell upon the judges and all the councillors; seized one by
the legs, and another by the nose, and tossed them many feet high in the air,
so that they fell down and were dashed to pieces.
“I will not be touched,” said the king. But the largest dog seized him, as
well as the queen, and threw them after the others. Then the soldiers and all
the people were afraid, and cried, “Good soldier, you shall be our king, and
you shall marry the beautiful princess.”
So they placed the soldier in the king’s carriage, and the three dogs ran on
in front and cried “Hurrah!” and the little boys whistled through their
fingers, and the soldiers presented arms. The princess came out of the
copper castle, and became queen, which was very pleasing to her. The
wedding festivities lasted a whole week, and the dogs sat at the table, and
stared with all their eyes.
