came back, and the fight began. Long and hard was the struggle,
but Paul's sword and his shirt helped him, and the twelve heads lay
dead upon the ground.

Then Paul changed the castle into an apple, which he put into his
pocket, and set out with the two girls in search of the third castle.

It was not long before they found it, and within the walls was the
third sister, who was younger and prettier than either of the other
two. Her husband had eighteen heads, but when he quitted the
lower regions for the surface of the earth, he left them all at home
except one, which he changed for the head of a little dwarf, with a
pointed beard.

The moment that Paul knew that this terrible dragon was no other
than the dwarf whom he had tied to the tree, he longed more than
ever to fly at his throat. But the thought of the eighteen heads
warned him to be careful, and the third sister brought him a silk
shirt which would make him ten times stronger than he was before.

He had scarcely put it on, when the whole castle began to shake
violently, and the dragon flew up the steps into the hall.

'Well, my friend, so we meet once more! Have you forgotten me?
I am Shepherd Paul, and I have come to wrestle with you, and to
free your wife from your clutches.'

'Ah, I am glad to see you again,' said the dragon. 'Those were my
two brothers whom you killed, and now your blood shall pay for
them.' And he went into his room to look for his shirt and to drink