theyallexclaimed;fortherewerecrossesonallthedoorsineverydirection.

sotheyfeltitwouldbeuselesstosearchanyfarther.butthequeenwasaverycleverwoman;shecoulddoagreatdealmorethanmerelyrideinacarriage.shetookherlargegoldscissors,cutapieceofsilkintosquares,andmadeaneatlittlebag.thisbagshefilledwithbuckwheatflour,andtieditroundtheprincess'sneck;andthenshecutasmallholeinthebag,sothattheflourmightbescatteredonthegroundastheprincesswentalong.duringthenight,thedogcameagainandcarriedtheprincessonhisback,andranwithhertothesoldier,wholovedherverymuch,andwishedthathehadbeenaprince,sothathemighthaveherforawife.thedogdidnotobservehowtheflourranoutofthebagallthewayfromthecastlewalltothesoldier'shouse,andevenuptothewindow,wherehehadclimbedwiththeprincess.thereforeinthemorningthekingandqueenfoundoutwheretheirdaughterhadbeen,andthesoldierwastakenupandputinprison.oh,howdarkanddisagreeableitwasashesatthere,andthepeoplesaidtohim,"to-morrowyouwillbehanged."itwasnotverypleasantnews,andbesides,hehadleftthetinder-boxattheinn.inthemorninghecouldseethroughtheirongratingofthelittlewindowhowthepeoplewerehasteningoutofthetowntoseehimhanged;heheardthedrumsbeating,andsawthesoldiersmarching.everyoneranouttolookatthem.andashoemaker'sboy,withaleatherapronandslipperson,gallopedbysofast,thatoneofhisslippersflewoffandstruckagainstthewallwherethesoldiersatlookingthroughtheirongrating."hallo,youshoemaker'sboy,youneednotbeinsuchahurry,"criedthesoldiertohim."therewillbenothingtoseetillicome;butifyouwillruntothehousewhereihavebeenliving,andbringmemytinder-box,youshallhavefourshillings,butyoumustputyourbestfootforemost."

theshoemaker'sboylikedtheideaofgettingthefourshillings,soheranveryfastandfetchedthetinder-box,andgaveittothesoldier.andnowweshallseewhathappened.outsidethetownalargegibbethadbeenerected,roundwhichstoodthesoldiersandseveralthousandsofpeople.thekingandthequeensatonsplendidthronesoppositetothejudgesandthewholecouncil.thesoldieralreadystoodontheladder;butastheywereabouttoplacetheropearoundhisneck,hesaidthataninnocentrequestwasoftengrantedtoapoorcriminalbeforehesuffereddeath.hewishedverymuchtosmokeapipe,asitwouldbethelastpipeheshouldeversmokeintheworld.thekingcouldnotrefusethisrequest,sothesoldiertookhistinder-box,andstruckfire,once,twice,thrice,-andthereinamomentstoodallthedogs;-theonewitheyesasbigasteacups,theonewitheyesaslargeasmill-wheels,andthethird,whoseeyeswereliketowers."helpmenow,thatimaynotbehanged,"criedthesoldier.

andthedogsfelluponthejudgesandallthecouncillors;seizedonebythelegs,andanotherbythenose,andtossedthemmanyfeethighintheair,sothattheyfelldownandweredashedtopieces.

"iwillnotbetouched,"saidtheking.butthelargestdogseizedhim,aswellasthequeen,andthrewthemaftertheothers.thenthesoldiersandallthepeoplewereafraid,andcried,"goodsoldier,youshallbeourking,andyoushallmarrythebeautifulprincess."

sotheyplacedthesoldierintheking'scarriage,andthethreedogsranoninfrontandcried"hurrah!"