He found it. "A useless little box," he said to himself, but back he
raced with it to the soldier; and then--what do you think happened?
Outside the town the scaffold had been raised, the soldiers were drawn
up round it, as well as crowds of people.
The King and Queen were there too, seated on a magnificent throne,
exactly opposite the judges and councilors.
The rope was being put round the soldier's neck, when he turned to
the King and Queen and earnestly entreated one last favor--only to be
allowed to smoke one pipe of tobacco.
What a harmless request! How could the King refuse so harmless a
request?
"Yes," said his Majesty, "you may smoke one pipe of tobacco."
The soldier took out his tinder-box, struck a match, once, twice,
thrice, and lo! there before him stood the three enormous dogs,
waiting his commands.
"Help me," shouted the soldier; "do not let me be hanged."
At once the three terrible dogs rushed at the judges and councilors,
tossed them high into the air, so that as they fell they were broken
into pieces.
The King began to speak; perhaps he was going to forgive the soldier,
but no one knows what he was going to say, for the biggest dog gave
him no time to finish his sentence.
Pages:
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336