So saying he disappeared round a corner of the palace . For three days and three nights he never drew rein . Like a spirit the horse flew over mountains and valleys till he came to the borders of the empire . Here was a deep , deep trench that girdled it the whole way round , and there was only a single bridge by which the trench could be crossed . Florea made instantly for the bridge , and there pulled up to look around him once more , to take leave of his native land Then he turned , but before him was standing a dragon -- oh ! SUCH a dragon ! -- a dragon with three heads and three horrible faces , all with their mouths wide open , one jaw reaching to heaven and the other to earth . At this awful sight Florea did not wait to give battle . He put spurs to his horse and dashed off , WHERE he neither knew nor cared . The dragon heaved a sigh and vanished without leaving a trace behind him . A week went by . Florea did not return home . Two passed ; and nothing was heard of him . After a month Costan began to haunt the stables and to look out a horse for himself . And the moment the year , the month , the week , and the day were over Costan mounted his horse and took leave of his youngest brother . ` If I fail , then you come , ' said he , and followed the path that Florea had taken . The dragon on the bridge was more fearful and his three heads more terrible than before , and the young hero rode away still faster than his brother had done . Nothing more was heard either of him or Florea ; and Petru remained alone . ' I must go after my brothers , ' said Petru one day to his father . ` Go , then , ' said his father , ` and may you have better luck than they ' ; and he bade farewell to Petru , who rode straight to the borders of the kingdom .
The dragon XXXXX the bridge was yet more dreadful than the one Florea and Costan had seen , for this one had seven heads instead of only three .
For Like after behind by on over than till with