Atondido Stories
and a tenth one the door of which was closed.
Vitazko opened the door and in the room he found a dragon.
This dragon was a prisoner. Three iron hoops were fastened
about his body and these were chained to the wall.
"Oho!" Vitazko cried. "Another dragon! What are you doing
here?"
"Me?" the dragon said. "I'm not doing anything but just
sitting here. My brothers imprisoned me. Unchain me, Vitazko!
If you do, I will reward you richly."
"I will not!" Vitazko said. "A fine scamp you must be if your
own brothers had to chain you up! No! You stay where you are!"
"With that Vitazko slammed the door in the dragon's face
and left him.
Then he went for his mother and brought her to the castle.
"Here, my mother," he said, "is the dwelling I have won for
you."
He took her through the nine spacious chambers and showed
her everything. At the tenth door he said:
"This door is not to be opened. All the castle belongs to you
except this room only. See to it that this door is never opened. If
it is opened, an evil fate will overtake you."
Then Vitazko took his beechen club and went out hunting.
He was hardly gone before his mother sat down before the tenth
door and said to herself over and over:
"I wonder what can be in that room that Vitazko doesn't
want me to open the door."
At last when she could restrain her curiosity no longer, she
opened the door.
"Mercy on us!" she said when she saw the dragon. "Who are
you? And what are you doing here?"
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