’DieSiebenkopfigeSchlange，’fromSchmidt’sGriechischeMahrchen。
Onceuponatimetherewasakingwhodeterminedtotakealongvoyage。Heassembledhisfleetandalltheseamen，andsetout。
Theywentstraightonnightandday，untiltheycametoanislandwhichwascoveredwithlargetrees，andundereverytreelayalion。AssoonastheKinghadlandedhismen，thelionsallroseuptogetherandtriedtodevourthem。Afteralongbattletheymanagedtoovercomethewildbeasts，butthegreaternumberofthemenwerekilled。Thosewhoremainedalivenowwentonthroughtheforestandfoundontheothersideofitabeautifulgarden，inwhichalltheplantsoftheworldflourishedtogether。
Therewerealsointhegardenthreesprings:thefirstflowedwithsilver，thesecondwithgold，andthethirdwithpearls。
Themenunbuckledtheirknapsacksandfilledthemwiththosepreciousthings。Inthemiddleofthegardentheyfoundalargelake，andwhentheyreachedtheedgeofittheLakebegantospeak，andsaidtothem，’Whatmenareyou，andwhatbringsyouhere？Areyoucometovisitourking？’Buttheyweretoomuchfrightenedtoanswer。
ThentheLakesaid，’Youdowelltobeafraid，foritisatyourperilthatyouarecomehither。Ourking，whohassevenheads，isnowasleep，butinafewminuteshewillwakeupandcometometotakehisbath！Woetoanyonewhomeetshiminthegarden，foritisimpossibletoescapefromhim。Thisiswhatyoumustdoifyouwishtosaveyourlives。Takeoffyourclothesandspreadthemonthepathwhichleadsfromheretothecastle。TheKingwillthenglideoversomethingsoft，whichhelikesverymuch，andhewillbesopleasedwiththatthathewillnotdevouryou。Hewillgiveyousomepunishment，butthenhewillletyougo。’
ThemendidastheLakeadvisedthem，andwaitedforatime。Atnoontheearthbegantoquake，andopenedinmanyplaces，andoutoftheopeningsappearedlions，tigers，andotherwildbeasts，whichsurroundedthecastle，andthousandsandthousandsofbeastscameoutofthecastlefollowingtheirking，theSeven-headedSerpent。TheSerpentglidedovertheclotheswhichwerespreadforhim，cametotheLake，andaskeditwhohadstrewedthosesoftthingsonthepath？TheLakeansweredthatithadbeendonebypeoplewhohadcometodohimhomage。TheKingcommandedthatthemenshouldbebroughtbeforehim。Theycamehumblyontheirknees，andinafewwordstoldhimtheirstory。
Thenhespoketothemwithamightyandterriblevoice，andsaid，’Becauseyouhavedaredtocomehere，Ilayuponyouthepunishment。Everyyearyoumustbringmefromamongyourpeopletwelveyouthsandtwelvemaidens，thatImaydevourthem。Ifyoudonotdothis，Iwilldestroyyourwholenation。’
Thenhedesiredoneofhisbeaststoshowthementhewayoutofthegarden，anddismissedthem。Theythenlefttheislandandwentbacktotheirowncountry，wheretheyrelatedwhathadhappenedtothem。Soonthetimecameroundwhenthekingofthebeastswouldexpecttheyouthsandmaidenstobebroughttohim。
TheKingthereforeissuedaproclamationinvitingtwelveyouthsandtwelvemaidenstoofferthemselvesuptosavetheircountry；
andimmediatelymanyyoungpeople，farmorethanenough，hastenedtodoso。Anewshipwasbuilt，andsetwithblacksails，andinittheyouthsandmaidenswhowereappointedforthekingofthebeastsembarkedandsetoutforhiscountry。WhentheyarrivedtheretheywentatoncetotheLake，andthistimethelionsdidnotstir，nordidthespringsflow，andneitherdidtheLakespeak。Sotheywaitedthen，anditwasnotlongbeforetheearthquakedevenmoreterriblythanthefirsttime。TheSeven-headedSerpentcamewithouthistrainofbeasts，sawhispreywaitingforhim，anddevoureditatonemouthful。Thentheship’screwreturnedhome，andthesamethinghappenedyearlyuntilmanyyearshadpassed。
NowtheKingofthisunhappycountrywasgrowingold，andsowastheQueen，andtheyhadnochildren。OnedaytheQueenwassittingatthewindowweepingbitterlybecauseshewaschildless，andknewthatthecrownwouldthereforepasstostrangersaftertheKing’sdeath。Suddenlyalittleoldwomanappearedbeforeher，holdinganappleinherhand，andsaid，’Whydoyouweep，myQueen，andwhatmakesyousounhappy？’
’Alas，goodmother，’answeredtheQueen，’IamunhappybecauseI
havenochildren。’
’Isthatwhatvexesyou？’saidtheoldwoman。’Listentome。I
amanunfromtheSpinningConvent，[10]andmymotherwhenshediedleftmethisapple。Whoevereatsthisappleshallhaveachild。’
ConventGnothi。
TheQueengavemoneytotheoldwoman，andboughttheapplefromher。Thenshepeeledit，ateit，andthrewtherindoutofthewindow，anditsohappenedthatamarethatwasrunninglooseinthecourtbelowateuptherind。AfteratimetheQueenhadalittleboy，andthemarealsohadamalefoal。Theboyandthefoalgrewuptogetherandlovedeachotherlikebrothers。IncourseoftimetheKingdied，andsodidtheQueen，andtheirson，whowasnownineteenyearsold，wasleftalone。Oneday，whenheandhishorseweretalkingtogether，theHorsesaidtohim，’Listentome，forIloveyouandwishforyourgoodandthatofthecountry。IfyougooneveryyearsendingtwelveyouthsandtwelvemaidenstotheKingoftheBeasts，yourcountrywillverysoonberuined。Mountuponmyback:IwilltakeyoutoawomanwhocandirectyouhowtokilltheSeven-headedSerpent。’
Thentheyouthmountedhishorse，whocarriedhimfarawaytoamountainwhichwashollow，forinitssidewasagreatundergroundcavern。Inthecavernsatanoldwomanspinning。
Thiswasthecloisterofthenuns，andtheoldwomanwastheAbbess。Theyallspenttheirtimeinspinning，andthatiswhytheconventhasthisname。Allroundthewallsofthecaverntherewerebedscutoutofthesolidrock，uponwhichthenunsslept，andinthemiddlealightwasburning。Itwasthedutyofthenunstowatchthelightinturns，thatitmightnevergoout，andifanyoneofthemletitgoouttheothersputhertodeath。
AssoonastheKing’ssonsawtheoldAbbessspinninghethrewhimselfatherfeetandentreatedhertotellhimhowhecouldkilltheSeven-headedSerpent。
Shemadetheyouthrise，embracedhim，andsaid，’Know，myson，thatitisIwhosentthenuntoyourmotherandcausedyoutobeborn，andwithyouthehorse，withwhosehelpyouwillbeabletofreetheworldfromthemonster。Iwilltellyouwhatyouhavetodo。Loadyourhorsewithcotton，andgobyasecretpassagewhichIwillshowyou，whichishiddenfromthewildbeasts，totheSerpent’spalace。YouwillfindtheKingasleepuponhisbed，whichisallhungroundwithbells，andoverhisbedyouwillseeaswordhanging。WiththisswordonlyitispossibletokilltheSerpent，becauseevenifitsbladebreaksanewonewillgrowagainforeveryheadthemonsterhas。Thusyouwillbeabletocutoffallhissevenheads。AndthisyoumustalsodoinordertodeceivetheKing:youmustslipintohisbed-chamberverysoftly，andstopupallthebellswhichareroundhisbedwithcotton。Thentakedowntheswordgently，andquicklygivethemonsterablowonhistailwithit。Thiswillmakehimwakenup，andifhecatchessightofyouhewillseizeyou。Butyoumustquicklycutoffhisfirsthead，andthenwaittillthenextonecomesup。Thenstrikeitoffalso，andsogoontillyouhavecutoffallhissevenheads。’
TheoldAbbessthengavethePrinceherblessing，andhesetoutuponhisenterprise，arrivedattheSerpent’scastlebyfollowingthesecretpassagewhichshehadshownhim，andbycarefullyattendingtoallherdirectionshehappilysucceededinkillingthemonster。Assoonasthewildbeastsheardoftheirking’sdeath，theyallhastenedtothecastle，buttheyouthhadlongsincemountedhishorseandwasalreadyfaroutoftheirreach。
Theypursuedhimasfastastheycould，buttheyfounditimpossibletoovertakehim，andhereachedhomeinsafety。Thushefreedhiscountryfromthisterribleoppression。
FromtheHungarian。Kletke。
Therewasonceuponatimeamanandwomanwhohadthreefine-lookingsons，buttheyweresopoorthattheyhadhardlyenoughfoodforthemselves，letalonetheirchildren。Sothesonsdeterminedtosetoutintotheworldandtotrytheirluck。
Beforestartingtheirmothergavethemeachaloafofbreadandherblessing，andhavingtakenatenderfarewellofherandtheirfatherthethreesetforthontheirtravels。
Theyoungestofthethreebrothers，whosenamewasFerko，wasabeautifulyouth，withasplendidfigure，blueeyes，fairhair，andacomplexionlikemilkandroses。Histwobrotherswereasjealousofhimastheycouldbe，fortheythoughtthatwithhisgoodlookshewouldbesuretobemorefortunatethantheywouldeverbe。
Onedayallthethreeweresittingrestingunderatree，forthesunwashotandtheyweretiredofwalking。Ferkofellfastasleep，buttheothertworemainedawake，andtheeldestsaidtothesecondbrother，’WhatdoyousaytodoingourbrotherFerkosomeharm？Heissobeautifulthateveryonetakesafancytohim，whichismorethantheydotous。Ifwecouldonlygethimoutofthewaywemightsucceedbetter。’
’Iquiteagreewithyou，’answeredthesecondbrother，’andmyadviceistoeatuphisloafofbread，andthentorefusetogivehimabitofoursuntilhehaspromisedtoletusputouthiseyesorbreakhislegs。’
Hiseldestbrotherwasdelightedwiththisproposal，andthetwowickedwretchesseizedFerko’sloafandateitallup，whilethepoorboywasstillasleep。
Whenhedidawakehefeltveryhungryandturnedtoeathisbread，buthisbrotherscriedout，’Youateyourloafinyoursleep，youglutton，andyoumaystarveaslongasyoulike，butyouwon’tgetascrapofours。’
Ferkowasatalosstounderstandhowhecouldhaveeateninhissleep，buthesaidnothing，andfastedallthatdayandthenextnight。Butonthefollowingmorninghewassohungrythatheburstintotears，andimploredhisbrotherstogivehimalittlebitoftheirbread。Thenthecruelcreatureslaughed，andrepeatedwhattheyhadsaidthedaybefore；butwhenFerkocontinuedtobegandbeseechthem，theeldestsaidatlast，’Ifyouwillletusputoutoneofyoureyesandbreakoneofyourlegs，thenwewillgiveyouabitofourbread。’
AtthesewordspoorFerkoweptmorebitterlythanbefore，andborethetormentsofhungertillthesunwashighintheheavens；
thenhecouldstanditnolonger，andheconsentedtoallowhislefteyetobeputoutandhisleftlegtobebroken。Whenthiswasdonehestretchedouthishandeagerlyforthepieceofbread，buthisbrothersgavehimsuchatinyscrapthatthestarvingyouthfinisheditinamomentandbesoughtthemforasecondbit。
