But when the princess heard what was in store for her she wept bitterly , and declared that never , never would she marry that dirty Paperarello ! However , the king paid no heed to her tears and prayers , and before many days were over the wedding was celebrated with great splendour , though the bridegroom had not taken the trouble to wash himself , and was as dirty as before . When night came he went as usual to sleep among his geese , and the princess went to the king and said : ` Father , I entreat you to have that horrible Paperarello put to death . ' ` No , no ! ' replied her father , ` he is a great magician , and before I put him to death , I must first find out the secret of his power , and then -- we shall see . ' Soon after this a war broke out , and everybody about the palace was very busy polishing up armour and sharpening swords , for the king and his sons were to ride at the head of the army . Then Paperarello left his geese , and came and told the king that he wished to go to fight also . The king gave him leave , and told him that he might go to the stable and take any horse he liked from the stables . So Paperarello examined the horses carefully , but instead of picking out one of the splendid well-groomed creatures , whose skin shone like satin , he chose a poor lame thing , put a saddle on it , and rode after the other men-at-arms who were attending the king . In a short time he stopped , and said to them : ` My horse can go no further ; you must go on to the war without me , and I will stay here , and make some little clay soldiers , and will play at a battle . ' The men laughed at him for being so childish , and rode on after their master . Scarcely were they out of sight than Paperarello took out his curl , and wished himself the best armour , the sharpest sword , and the swiftest horse in the world , and the next minute was riding as fast as he could to the field of battle . The fight had already begun , and the enemy was getting the best of it , when Paperarello rode up , and in a moment the fortunes of the day had changed . Right and left this strange knight laid about him , and his sword pierced the stoutest breast-plate , and the strongest shield . He was indeed ' a host in himself , ' and his foes fled before him thinking he was only the first of a troop of such warriors , whom no one could withstand . When the battle was over , the king sent for him to thank him for his timely help , and to ask what reward he should give him . ` Nothing but your little finger , your Majesty , ' was his answer ; and the king cut off his little finger and gave it to Paperarello , who bowed and hid it in his surcoat . Then he left the field , and when the soldiers rode back they found him still sitting in the road making whole rows of little clay dolls . The next day the king went out to fight another battle , and again Paperarello appeared , mounted on his lame horse . As on the day before , he halted on the road , and sat down to make his clay soldiers ; then a second time he wished himself armour , sword , and a horse , all sharper and better than those he had previously had , and galloped after the rest .
He was only just in time : the enemy had almost beaten the king 's army back , and men whispered XXXXX each other that if the strange knight did not soon come to their aid , they would be all dead men .
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