quite exhausted and out of breath.

Then the shepherd ventured to laugh at last; and he laughed so long
and so loud that when the Lord Chamberlain came early in the
morning, expecting to find only his bones, the tears were still
running down his cheeks from laughter.

As soon as the king was dressed the shepherd was again brought
before him; but he was more angry than ever to think the wild boars
had not torn the man to bits, and he said: 'Well, you have learned
what it feels to be near ten deaths, now say "To my good health!"'

But the shepherd broke in with, 'I do not fear a hundred deaths, and
I will only say it if I may have the princess for my wife.'

'Then go to a hundred deaths!' roared the king, and ordered the
shepherd to be thrown down the deep vault of scythes.

The guards dragged him away to a dark dungeon, in the middle of
which was a deep well with sharp scythes all round it. At the
bottom of the well was a little light by which one could see if
anyone was thrown in whether he had fallen to the bottom.

When the shepherd was dragged to the dungeons he begged the
guards to leave him alone a little while that he might look down
into the pit of scythes; perhaps he might after all make up his mind
to say 'To your good health' to the king. So the guards left him
alone and he stuck up his long stick near the well, hung his cloak
round the stick and put his hat on the top. He also hung his
knapsack up inside the cloak so that it might seem to have some