dragon ! if you are not a coward , come out and fight with me ! ' And the dragon answered : ' I am waiting for you , O prince , ' and the next minute he reared himself out of the water , huge and horrible to see . Again they clasped each other tight round the body and fought till it was noon , and when the sun was at its hottest , the dragon gasped : ' O prince , let me dip my burning head once in the lake , and I will hurl you up to the top of the sky . ' But the prince answered : ` Oh , ho ! my good dragon , do not crow too soon ! If the emperor 's daughter were only here , and would kiss me on the forehead , I would throw you up higher still ! ' And suddenly the dragon 's hold loosened , and he fell back into the lake . As soon as it was evening the prince again collected his sheep , and playing on his pipes he marched before them into the city . When he passed through the gates all the people came out of their houses to stare in wonder , for never before had any flock returned from the lake . Meanwhile the two horsemen had ridden quickly back , and told the emperor all that they had seen and heard . The emperor listened eagerly to their tale , then called his daughter to him and repeated it to her . ` To-morrow , ' he said , when he had finished , ` you shall go with the shepherd to the lake , and then you shall kiss him on the forehead as he wishes . ' But when the princess heard these words , she burst into tears , and sobbed out : ` Will you really send me , your only child , to that dreadful place , from which most likely I shall never come back ? ' ` Fear nothing , my little daughter , all will be well . Many shepherds have gone to that lake and none have ever returned ; but this one has in these two days fought twice with the dragon and has escaped without a wound . So I hope to-morrow he will kill the dragon altogether , and deliver this land from the monster who has slain so many of our bravest men . ' Scarcely had the sun begun to peep over the hills next morning , when the princess stood by the shepherd 's side , ready to go to the lake . The shepherd was brimming over with joy , but the princess only wept bitterly . ` Dry your tears , I implore you , ' said he .
` If you will just do what I ask you , and when the time comes , run and kiss my forehead , you have nothing XXXXX fear . '
If as at before for from in into to with