He set to work at once , and had just got all his vegetables simmering in the pot when the dwarf appeared as before , and asked to have some of the stew . ` Be off , ' cried Paul , snatching up the saucepan as he spoke . The dwarf tried to get hold of his collar , but Paul seized him by the beard , and tied him to a big tree so that he could not stir , and went on quietly with his cooking . The hunters came back early , longing to see how Paul had got on , and , to their surprise , dinner was quite ready for them . ` You are great useless creatures , ' said he , ` who could n't even outwit that little dwarf . When we have finished supper I will show you what I have done with him ! ' But when they reached the place where Paul had left the dwarf , neither he nor the tree was to be seen , for the little fellow had pulled it up by the roots and run away , dragging it after him . The four friends followed the track of the tree and found that it ended in a deep hole . ` He must have gone down here , ' said Paul , ` and I will go after him . See ! there is a basket that will do for me to sit in , and a cord to lower me with . But when I pull the cord again , lose no time in drawing the basket up . ' And he stepped into the basket , which was lowered by his friends . At last it touched the ground and he jumped out and looked about him . He was in a beautiful valley , full of meadows and streams , with a splendid castle standing by . As the door was open he walked in , but a lovely maiden met him and implored him to go back , for the owner of the castle was a dragon with six heads , who had stolen her from her home and brought her down to this underground spot . But Paul refused to listen to all her entreaties , and declared that he was not afraid of the dragon , and did not care how many heads he had ; and he sat down calmly to wait for him . In a little while the dragon came in , and all the long teeth in his six heads chattered with anger at the sight of the stranger . ' I am Shepherd Paul , ' said the young man , ` and I have come to fight you , and as I am in a hurry we had better begin at once . ' ` Very good , ' answered the dragon . '
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