"Aha!" said he, "the King promised the Princess in marriage to whoever should slay the dragon. I'll have her!" So saying, he took out a cutlass he wore in his belt, and struck off the creature's head, put it in a sack, and raced off to the city and the King's palace with it as hard as ever he could. As he entered the gates the bells were ringing peals of joy; the people were in the streets singing, or cheering in front of the palace. The ruffian--Grechio was his name made his way easily enough into the royal presence, for all doors were open at such a time; and falling on his knees before the King, he said, "It was I, sire, who killed the dragon! Now I claim the reward--your daughter as my wife!"

"You killed the dragon! You? But I must have some proof of it," said the King.

"See my proof," returned Grechio; and he took out the dragon's head and held it up before them all; and the assembled people in their joy cried, "Long live Grechio! Grechio shall wed her!"

Now as for Dorothea, she had been in too fainting a condition during the combat with the monster to know what her deliverer looked like. But her heart sank at the thought of so churlish a husband as the one standing before her. And the King said to himself, "Must I really have this boor for my son-in-law?" Nevertheless, a King's word is sacred; and he ordered that great feasting should be held in his capital and throughout his kingdom. He himself was to give a splendid banquet in honour of the event.

Now the hermit, who used to come into the city every day to beg his bread, heard of all the feasting that had been ordered; and he was told the story of the great champion Grechio. "Did that goodly youth, my guest, then lie to me?" he said. So he went back to his hermitage and told Caesarino all that folks were saying in the town. Caesarino laughed and said, "Ah, he cut off the head, did he? I can show something more convincing than that." And he took the tongue from his wallet and held it up. "See here! Is this not enough?"

"Come with me at once to the King," said the hermit. So he and Caesarino and the Lion, the Bear, and the Wolf set off for the city and the King's palace. While the old man made his way into the presence-chamber, the others waited at the door. Kneeling before the King, the hermit said, "I have heard with great concern that your Majesty is about to give your fair daughter, Dorothea, in marriage to a rough clown, who will be no good King for your people when it shall please God to call you hence. But the fellow is not only a clown, he is a liar as well; and with your permission I will bring the real champion before you."

"My good man," said the King, "a promise is a promise. And whatever I may think of Prince Grechio"--they called him Prince by this time--"he has brought me clear proof that he it was rid my kingdom of that terrible scourge."