He crossed the frontier , and soon found himself on the banks of a river ; and before him , in the middle of the stream , a beautiful girl sat chained to a rock and weeping bitterly . For in this river dwelt a serpent with seven heads , who threatened to lay waste the whole land by breathing fire and flame from his nostrils unless the king sent him every morning a man for his breakfast . This had gone on so long that now there were no men left , and he had been obliged to send his own daughter instead , and the poor girl was waiting till the monster got hungry and felt inclined to eat her . When the young man saw the maiden weeping bitterly he said to her , ` What is the matter , my poor girl ? ' ` Oh ! ' she answered , ' I am chained here till a horrible serpent with seven heads comes to eat me . Oh , sir , do not linger here , or he will eat you too . ' ' I shall stay , ' replied the young man , ` for I mean to set you free . ' ` That is impossible . You do not know what a fearful monster the serpent is ; you can do nothing against him . ' ` That is my affair , beautiful captive , ' answered he ; ` only tell me , which way will the serpent come ? ' ` Well , if you are resolved to free me , listen to my advice . Stand a little on one side , and then , when the serpent rises to the surface , I will say to him , `` O serpent , to-day you can eat two people . But you had better begin first with the young man , for I am chained and can not run away . '' When he hears this most likely he will attack you . ' So the young man stood carefully on one side , and by-and-bye he heard a great rushing in the water ; and a horrible monster came up to the surface and looked out for the rock where the king 's daughter was chained , for it was getting late and he was hungry . But she cried out , ' O serpent , to-day you can eat two people . And you had better begin with the young man , for I am chained and can not run away . ' Then the serpent made a rush at the youth with wide open jaws to swallow him at one gulp , but the young man leaped aside and drew his sword , and fought till he had cut off all the seven heads . And when the great serpent lay dead at his feet he loosed the bonds of the king 's daughter , and she flung herself into his arms and said , ` You have saved me from that monster , and now you shall be my husband , for my father has made a proclamation that whoever could slay the serpent should have his daughter to wife . '
But he XXXXX , ' I can not become your husband yet , for I have still far to travel .
am answered cried cut made saw say stood swallow tell