The clever maiden and the dragon

There once was a village besieged by a dragon. The wicked creature burned the cr
ops and stole away cattle and sheep. The village men came to the dragon's lair a
nd begged for their lives and the lives of their people. Then they struck a barg
ain with the dragon and promised him the lives of the virgin girls of the villag
e during each waning of the moon. Thus, time went on, the girls were sent hither
to the dragon to be devoured, and the village lived in peace. Soon the innkeepe
r's daughter was chosen out of the lot of virgin girls and taken to the church t
o be examined by the priest. He announced to the villagers that she was pure and
untouched and was to be sent to the dragon two nights hence.
However, the innkeeper's daughter was clever and the girl begged one night in wh
ich to spend alone in the forest in prayer. As she was an honest maid, pure, thi
s request was granted her, and the priest laid his own chain about her neck and
kissed her cheek. She went into the forest as she had begged, but did not spent
the night in prayer, she sought out a huntsman and asked him to lay with her. In
the night as he slept she took up his axe and his bow and quiver and ventured a
s she swore to the dragon's lair. She awaited him there and stood tall and still
as the dragon flew close. Quickly she drew an arrow and launched in towards the
dragon, it pierced the armor of his breast, and he fell down. However, the drag
on was not dead and approached the woman with anger upon his countenance. She he
ld the axe behind her back and hid it in the folds of her dress. 'How hast thou
perceived to wound me fair maiden, you have made me sore angry and thou virgin b
lood must now be spilt or I shall destroy thine village and all of thine townspe
ople and family.' 'Ah but I am not a virgin, I have lain with the huntsman and i
t is with his arrow I have wounded thee' said the maiden, her chin raised defian
tly. 'Then thine life and the lives of thy people is forfeit for I shall devour
you still and burn thy village' the dragon stretched out his long neck and opene
d his jaws to swallow the maiden whole. The clever maiden withdrew the huntsman'
s ax and swiftly chopped off the dragon's head. The dragon's blood stained the m
ountainside and the maiden ran into his cave. She ran past the bones of her frie
nds and quickly fetched a golden cup encrusted with jewels. With this, she would
prove her victory. She returned to her village, gave the cup to the priest, and
returned to him the golden chain, which he had given her. The cup remains in th
e village to this day.