" Well," said the huntsman to the innkeeper, " you see, my friend, the hundred gold pieces are mine." The innkeeper was filled with astonishment, but now the huntsman said, " The bread I have got, now I wish for some of the roast meat that is served at the king's table." The innkeeper was too wise to bet again, and only exclaimed, "I should like to see you get it."

This time the fox was sent for, and the huntsman said to him, " Little fox, go and fetch me some of the roast meat, such as the king himself eats." The fox knew more tricks than the hare, and he crept round corners and ran along the side-cuts, so that the dogs never caught sight of him at all, and so he made his way till he got under the chair of the king's daughter and scratched her foot. She looked down and recognised the fox by his collar, and she took him into her room, and said, " What is it you want, dear fox ?" He answered, " My master, who killed the dragon, is here and has sent to ask for some of the roast meat that the king himself eats." So she ordered the cook to prepare a dish of roast meat, such as was served to the king, and to carry the fox back to the inn ; there the fox took the dish from him, brushed off the flies, that had settled upon it on the way, with his tail, and carried it in to his master.

" See now," said the huntsman to the innkeeper, " I have both bread and meat, but I must still have some of the vegetables from the king's table," and he sent for the wolf, and said, " go and fetch me some vegetables, such as the king himself eats." The wolf went straight off to the castle, for he was not afraid of anyone, and when he reached the room of the king's daughter, he went behind her and pulled her dress, so that she looked round. She recognised him by his collar, and taking him apart, said, "What is it you want, dear wolf?" "My master, who killed the dragon, is here and has sent me to ask for some vegetables, such as the king himself eats." Then she ordered the cook to prepare some vegetables, such as were served at the king's table, and to carry them to the inn; there the wolf took the dish from him and carried it to his master.

" See now," said the huntsman, " I have bread, meat, and vegetables, but I must still have some of the sweetmeats such as the king himself eats," and calling the bear, he said, " Dear bear, you like the taste of sweet things, fetch me some of the sweetmeats that are sent up to the king's table." So the bear went trotting along to the castle, and everybody got out of his way, till he came to the sentries, and they tried to bar his entrance with their rifles, but he lifted himself on his hind legs and dealt them such blows right and left with his paws, that they all fell one upon the other. Then he made his way straight to the king's daughter, went behind her, and gave a little growl. She looked round and recognised the bear, and bidding him follow her to her room, said, "What is it you want, dear bear?" He answered, "My rhaster, who killed the dragon, is here and has sent me to ask for some sweetmeats, such as the king himself eats." So she sent for the confectioner, and ordered him to make some sweetmeats such as were sent up to the king's table, and to carry them to the inn; there the bear first licked up the little sugar balls that had fallen on to the ground, then stood up on his hind legs, took the dish, and carried it to his master.

"See now," said the huntsman, "I have bread, meat, vegetables, and sweetmeats, but I must still have some wine, such as the king himself drinks." He called his lion, and said, "Dear lion, you are fond of a good draught of wine yourself, go and fetch me some such as the king himself drinks." The lion stalked along the streets, and everybody fled before him: when he came to the sentries they were going to bar his passage, but he gave one roar, and they all sprang aside. The lion went up to the door of the royal chamber, and knocked on it with his tail. The king's daughter came out, and for a moment was alarmed at the sight of the lion, but she recognised him by the gold clasp of the necklace, and bidding him come to her room, said, " What is it you want, dear lion ?" He answered, "My master, who killed the dragon, is here and has sent me to ask for some wine, such as the king himself drinks." So she sent for the cup-bearer, and ordered him to let the lion have some of the king's wine. "I will go with him," said the lion, "and see that I get the right kind." So he went down to the cellar with the cup-bearer, and when there, the latter wanted to draw him some of the ordinary kind, such as was drunk by the king's servants, but the lion cried, "Stop! I will taste the wine first," and drawing himself a pint, he gulped it down at a draught. "No," he said, "that is not the right kind." The cup-bearer gave him a side glance, and was going to draw some wine from another cask that was kept for the king's marshal, but the lion cried, " Stop! I will taste the wine first." He drew himself a pint and drank it off. "That is better, but not the right kind yet." The cup-bearer now lost his temper and exclaimed, "What should a stupid animal like you know about wine." Whereupon the lion gave him such a blow behind the ear, that he fell none too softly to the ground, and after he had picked himself up again, he did not say any more but led the lion into a small cellar, set apart for the king's wine, which no one else was ever allowed to touch. The lion again drew off a pint and tasted the wine. " We have come to the right sort now," he said, and ordered the cup-bearer to fill six bottles for him. After that they went upstairs, but as he passed from the cellar into the open air, the lion began to be rather unsteady on his feet, and the cup-bearer was obliged to carry the wine for him to the inn; the lion then took the handle of the basket in his mouth, and brought it to his master.

"See now," said the huntsman, "I have bread, meat vegetables, sweetmeats, and wine, such as the King himself has; now I and my animals will have our dinner," and he sat down to the table and ate and drank, and gave food and drink also to the hare, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and the lion, and was of good cheer, for he was certain that the king's daughter still cared for him. After dinner, he said to the innkeeper, " I have eaten and drunk, as the king eats and drinks, now I will go to the king's court and marry the king's daughter." The host asked how that could be, since there was already a bridegroom, and that very day the marriage was to be celebrated. The huntsman drew out the handkerchief that had been given him on the dragon's mountain by the king's daughter, and in which he had kept the monster's seven tongues. "That which I hold in my hand," he answered, "will help me to it." The innkeeper looked at the handkerchief, and said, "I can believe everything but that, I will wager my house and farm you do not succeed."