The Seven-Headed Serpent - Part Two

 

After the seven-headed serpent had given the punishment he asked one of his beasts to show the king and his men back to their ship. 

The Beast guided the men out of the garden and left them at their ship.

The men left their island and went back to their own country. 

There they told the people what had happened to them. 

Soon the time came for the king to keep his promise to the seven headed serpent. 

The king issued a proclamation calling twelve young men and twelve maidens to offer themselves to save the Kingdom. 

Many young people came forward for this. 

A ship was built and set with black sails, and all the people were then set to sail to the island. 

This time when the young people came to the island, the lions under the trees did not stir, nor did the springs flow with the silver gold and pearls. This time the Lake also did not speak. 

The young people waited there near the Lake. 

The earth quaked even more terribly than it did the first time. 

The seven headed serpent came without the other beats, and it saw the prey who were waiting for him and it ate all of them. 

The ship's crew returned home, telling the king and the others what had happened at the island.

This went on for many years. 

The king of this unhappy country was getting old and he was even more sad because he and his Queen did not have any children. 

The Queen was sitting at the window and weeping sadly and she was certain that the crown would pass on to strangers after the death of her husband. 

At that time an old woman appeared before the queen and she changed the fate of the kingdom.

Seeing the crying Queen, the old woman came to the queen. “Why are you so unhappy?” 

The Queen told the old woman the real reason. “I have no children of my own.” 

The old woman shrugged and brought out an apple from her cloak. “Is that all?  I come from the Spinning Convent and I am a nun there. My mother left me this apple. Whoever eats this apple shall have a child.”

The Queen paid the old woman and bought the apple from her. She peeled the apple ate the apple and threw the skin out of the window.

As the Queen ate the apple a mare which was below the window of the queen ate the skin of the apple.

Adapted from Greek Folk Tales