After the wedding,
when the dancing begins and the young queen is dancing, she will suddenly
turn pale and fall down as if dead, and if some one does not lift her
up and draw three drops of blood from her right breast and spit them
out again, she will die. But if any one who knows that were to declare
it, he would become stone from the crown of his head to the sole of his
foot." When the ravens had spoken of this together, they flew onwards,
and Faithful John had well understood everything, but from that time
forth he became quiet and sad, for if he concealed what he had heard from
his master, the latter would be unfortunate, and if he discovered it to
him, he himself must sacrifice his life. At length, however, he said to
himself, "I will save my master, even if it bring destruction on myself."
When therefore they came to shore, all happened as had been foretold
by the ravens, and a magnificent chestnut horse sprang forward. "Good,"
said the King, "he shall carry me to my palace," and was about to mount
it when Faithful John got before him, jumped quickly on it, drew the
pistol out of the holster, and shot the horse.
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