Now as plenty of persons had already stayed there and the town had lavished much money upon them, but none of them had done any practical good, since everything had been in vain, they were now unwilling to have any further hand in the matter. Then he said that he was willing to do everything free of expense, if only they would let him have some of the slaves to give him help. And so it is arranged. When they had dug so far down as to have reached the appliances through which the water formerly flowed, and which were adapted to the source, he sent all the workmen away, and after groping about for a short time, lo! there was the she-toad seated on the source, like a copper built into a wall. He drew it out, and immediately the water began to flow, and after a short time all the wells were full and running over with water. Then the town prepared a grand feast in his honour, and rewarded him with much money for what he had done.
After this he continued his journey, and reached the town of Sarahawsky. There he found out after a short time that the princess was as ill as he had heard, and that no doctor could do her any good; that, consequently, the king had promised that he should marry her who succeeded in curing her complaint. Hereupon, he dressed himself up very smart, went to the king’s castle, and there said that he had come from a distant country and that he wished to help the princess. The king replied that now he had quite lost all hope; but that at the same time he might try his hand on her. The gamekeeper said that he must go and get some medicines. He goes off and buys all sorts of nasty sweets, and then presents himself to the princess. He gives her the first dose and looks round to see in which of the beams the silver nail is fixed. Next day early, he visits her again, gives her some of his medicine, and while she is taking it seizes the nail and tugs away at it so long that at last it moves a little. In the evening the princess already feels a little better. The third day he again goes to her, and as the princess is taking her physic he again catches hold of the beam, pulls the nail clean out, and secretly stows it away in his pocket. By the forenoon the princess was now so perfectly cured that she wanted to dine, and the king invited the gamekeeper to a grand dinner. And they settled when the marriage was to be; the gamekeeper, however, made up his mind that he ought first to go home.
And after staying at home, he again came to the ale-house where he had lost the light of his eyes, and the stranger man was also
