tell thee that sword hath these powers: if any one were to draw it from the sheath and say: ‘Off with one, ten, twenty, thirty, a hundred, a thousand heads!’ the heads would immediately fall to the ground.” Brunswik laughed thereat, but bore it in mind.
Afterwards once upon a time the sea monsters came into his chamber. Brunswik took the sword, wishing to learn the truth, and only intending to observe the effect of the sword. So, drawing it from the sheath, he said: “Now by virtue of this sword off with the heads of the nearest monsters.” Immediately in a moment off fell all their heads, and he hastened and threw them into the sea, having thus ascertained the truth.
A little time afterwards, when the king was sitting with all his court at table, Brunswik drew out the sword and said: “Now, dear sword of mine! off with the heads of the monsters, of the king and of the damsel!” In a moment all the heads fell off. Then Brunswik took a bag full of gold and precious stones to the value of many thousands, unfastened the iron gate, embarked in a ship with the lion and the valuables and departed.
