"well," said the old man to his sons, "i begin to think you are worth more than breen clover; you have used your time well, and learnt something good. i can’t say which of you deserves the most praise. that will be proved if you have but an early opportunity of using your talents." not long after this, there was a great uproar in the country, for the king’s daughter was carried off by a dragon. the king was full of trouble about it, both by day and night, and caused it to be proclaimed that whosoever brought her back should have her to wife. the four brothers said to each other, "this would be a fine opportunity for us to show what we can do!" and resolved to go forth together and liberate the king’s daughter. "i will soon know where she is," said the astronomer, and looked through his telescope and said, "i see her already, she is far away from here on a rock in the sea, and the dragon is beside her watching her." then he went to the king, and asked for a ship for himself and his brothers, and sailed with them over the sea until they came to the rock. there the king’s daughter was sitting, and the dragon was lying asleep on her lap. the huntsman said, "i dare not fire, i should kill the beautiful maiden at the same time." "then i will try my art," said the thief, and he crept thither and stole her away from under the dragon, so quietly and dexterously, that the monster never remarked it, but went on snoring. full of joy, they hurried off with her on board ship, and steered out into the open sea; but the dragon, who when he awoke had found no princess there, followed them, and came snorting angrily through the air. just as he was circling above the ship, and about to descend on it, the huntsman shouldered his gun, and shot him to the heart. the monster fell down dead, but was so large and powerful that his fall shattered the whole ship. fortunately, however, they laid hold of a couple of planks, and swam about the wide sea. then again they were in great peril, but the tailor, who was not idle, took his wondrous needle, and with a few stitches sewed the planks together, and they seated themselves upon them, and collected together all the fragments of the vessel. then he sewed these so skilfully together, that in a very short time the ship was once more seaworthy, and they could go home again in safety.