Just as he was thinking this, to his intense surprise, the Drake spoke to him as follows:
"I beg of you not to kill me, my good boy," said he, "for you must know I am not in reality a Drake as I appear to be, but I am a fairy King just come from the region of the gods. It is my habit every day to descend to this lake in the form of a white Drake, and to amuse myself by swimming round and round. If you will now consent to let me go I will reward you liberally. You shall have gold and silver and jewels and coral, as much as you wish, and sumptuous food every day for the rest of your life.
On hearing this the Boy laughed, and replied: "You should not tell me such stories as these. How am I to know that you are really a fairy? It seems to me that all you are in a position to give me is your feathers."
"I hope you will not disbelieve my word," replied the Drake very earnestly; "I assure you I can do all this, and even more, if you will release me."
"Well," said the Boy, "if that is really so I will make a bargain with you. I do not care at all for your gold or your jewels, but what I really want is a wife. If you can promise to supply me with a wife I will let you go."
"Well," said the Drake, "that, too, can be arranged. I have three daughters living in my kingdom in the skies, and I will give you as wife any one of them whom you desire. Would you prefer the eldest, or the youngest, or the middle one?"
